Thanks to our follower Joanna Farmer sending us this:
“Just been having a bit of calculator fun checking out these amazing ‘paleo’ bounty bars which sound almost too good to be true… “This homemade version of a Bounty is honestly just as good and doesn’t have any of the processed or sugar filled ingredients of the store bought bars.”
When made without all that horrible nasty processed sugar, these babies come in at 643 cals per 100g, compared to an actual Bounty, with 491 cals per 100g. Hurrah for healthy options eh?”
FTF verdict:
– Firstly, feeling guilty when eating any food is a recipe for disaster. Evidence has shown that ‘restrictive eaters’ i.e. people who diet or attach feelings of guilt to specific foods are more likely to overeat that those who don’t
– It’s the “sugar free” element of these recipes that we find particularly misleading. Many recipes (like this one) claim to use ‘healthier sugar alternatives’ which, to put it bluntly are still sugar
– All sources of sugar (be it agave nectar or honey) will contain 3.75 calories per gram and will take the same time to burn off during exercise
– Another nutrition misconception highlighted by this recipe is that coconut oil is healthier than other fat sources such as butter. Whilst it’s recommended that we should limit our saturated fat intakes due to the associated effects on cardiovascular health, a recent paper found that coconut oil has a far worse nutritional profile that more common fat sources such as butter!
There is nothing wrong with enjoying a bounty bar (or even this recipe- if you desire to do so!) every now and then as part of a healthy balanced diet. Just don’t kid yourself that these ‘sugar-free’ and ‘guilt-free’ alternatives are necessarily healthier or less calorific!
