ARE health food bars really good for you? A recent analysis by Diet and Health magazine failed to find any benefits in health food bars. In fact many of the most popular bars proved to be positively unhealthy, with high levels of fats, sugar, salt, preservatives, and other chemicals plus an inordinate amount of packaging. Rather than substituting a health bar for your breakfast or lunch, consumers would be well-advised to skip them completely. A balanced diet of freshly-prepared food is still the best, apparently!