Comparing Granola Bars

Don't confuse granola bars with breakfast/cereal bars. Granola bars are made from whole grains; breakfast bars are made with refined grain and look like a smooth pastry.

Few granola bars are high in fiber, and some have more sugar than one serving of cereal. But most are low in fat and provide adequate nutrition as a quick breakfast or snack.

Here are a few shopping tips:

• Pay attention to serving size. Larger granola bars are higher in calories, and some products come packaged with two bars per serving.

• Check the fat content and choose low- or no-fat products.

• Granola bars that contain candy and are marketed to children are higher in fat but, on average, contain no more sugar than other bars.