Parental guidance: What's in protein bars?

My teenage son eats two protein bars a day, one with breakfast and another after school when he plays sports. The flavors he likes are cookie dough and chocolate mint. Are these just glorified candy bars, or are they really a good nutritional choice?

"Generally speaking, a protein bar will be more nutritious than a Snickers bar," says Suzette Smookler, administrator for clinical nutrition and education at Stony Brook University Medical Center. But make sure you turn the bar over and check the ingredients on the back of the package to make sure it really is a step up, because some products are far more nutritious than others, she says. "Read it the same way you would read anything else you give to your child," she says.

What are you looking for? Not so much what is in it as what shouldn't be in it, she says. You don't want to see sugar high up on the list of ingredients, according to Smookler. You don't want to see high fructose corn syrup, either. Look for higher levels of protein and fiber. If your child is very athletic, more carbohydrates will likely be burned off easily, she says.

It sounds like you are using the bars in the best way possible, Smookler says. Giving a bar with breakfast - not as a substitute for the meal - for instance. Giving the second as an energy boost when your child is engaging in athletics is another good choice, she says.