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Cereal bars do they help you or hurt you? Chances are, you’ve tried a power bar or a granola bar once or twice, but do they really curb cravings or do they just make you more hungry? Personally, I’ve found that a cereal bar for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack has really helped me power through to the next meal. Here are a few cereal bars are not only a great snack, but provide essential nutrients in addition to stopping your hunger dead in its tracks.

My personal favorites are the South Beach Cereal Bars, which come in several different flavors. The great thing about these bars is that it takes more than three bits to eat them, and they’re low in sugar. With flavors like Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Cinnamon Raisin, most are 140 calories per bar.

I also love Slim Fast Optima Snack Bars, especially the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar. However, they have other delicious flavors to choose from like Blueberry Muffin, Chocolate Chip Muffin and new Chocolate Mint Crisp. So if you don’t have time for an actual muffin in the morning, you can grab one of these delicious treats at 140 calories a pop.

Special K cereal bars have 90 calories and while they are a little smaller than the Slim Fast and South Beach brands, eating them with a banana or a yogurt is great for a breakfast treat! The blueberry bar is my favorite. A blend of crunchy rice and flakes with a sweet topping, it’s the perfect on-the-go snack!

Give yourself a two week challenge and see if these healthy treats are better for you than just a quick fix from the vending machine. I think you’ll be guilt-free and satisfied. You can find them at the grocery store or even the local drugstore.