Breakfast Bars: A Bad ‘Diet’ Food

Two-thirds of Americans eat breakfast bars. Sales of these on-the-go meals are expected to increase up to 45% by 2011. And that's great news: studies show that eating breakfast can improve your focus, help maintain your weight, and give your metabolism a boost.

However, just because a food is convenient doesn't mean it's healthy. While some breakfast bars are packed with protein to fuel you until lunchtime, others are full of sugars and artificial sweeteners, which give your blood sugar and instant hit only to come crashing down again, leaving you more tired and hungry. As usually the case with this type of scenario — one usually leads to another…