eating too many energy/protein bars?

okay, so i recently realized that i really, seriously like energy/protein bars, but mostly the high-protein ones like powerbar proteinplus, special k protein, and odwalla bars... it's like eating cookies and other sweets, but not. i'd eat one about 180-200 calories for breakfast and then a little cereal or soy crisps, plus an apple for a morning snack, but other times when the food in my dining hall sucks and/or i can't eat there for some reason -- or worse, when i just start craving them -- i just want to eat another bar for a meal instead (also with a fruit or a salad). so i was wondering, is it unhealthy to eat these energy bars as meals more than once a day, and eat them for (at least) one meal every day?

KUKK i was wondering the same thing today. I dont eat more than one a day. Only in the a.m for breakfast. but ive always wondered if it would be bad to eat more than one and if its bad to eat one late in the day??

Original Post by kukkii:

okay, so i recently realized that i really, seriously like energy/protein bars, but mostly the high-protein ones like powerbar proteinplus, special k protein, and odwalla bars... it's like eating cookies and other sweets, but not. i'd eat one about 180-200 calories for breakfast and then a little cereal or soy crisps, plus an apple for a morning snack, but other times when the food in my dining hall sucks and/or i can't eat there for some reason -- or worse, when i just start craving them -- i just want to eat another bar for a meal instead (also with a fruit or a salad). so i was wondering, is it unhealthy to eat these energy bars as meals more than once a day, and eat them for (at least) one meal every day?

The Powerbar is the only one you mentioned that even approaches the level of being high protein.

That being said, you shouldn't rely on them as your primary source of food. They aren't balanced enough nutritionally and lack the vitamins and antioxidants that you get from eating real food.