Walk down almost any grocery store aisle, and you’ll find packaged snacks practically shouting their health credentials. Words like “high fiber,” “low sugar,” and “keto friendly” are splashed across wrappers, promising that you can satisfy a craving and support your wellness goals at the same time. For busy people trying to eat well between meetings, school pickups and workouts, these grab-and-go options can feel like an easy win.
But a health halo doesn’t always tell the full story. Many people make a real effort to choose nourishing foods, only to deal with bloating, gas, cramping or an unsettled stomach a few hours later—and they rarely suspect that the “good” snack in their bag might be to blame. Because these symptoms often show up long after eating, it can be tricky to connect the dots.
Related: ‘I’m a Gastroenterologist—This Is the First Thing I Ask When a Patient Tells Me They Have Bloating’
What’s more, the digestive tract is home to trillions of microbes that respond to what we feed them. Some ingredients nourish that community, while others can overwhelm it, especially when they’re eaten every single day. That’s why even experts who spend their careers studying the gut sometimes find that a habit they considered healthy wasn’t doing them any favors.
One gastroenterologist recently shared the everyday snack she relied on for years before cutting it out entirely. Here’s what it is, why it can be hard on digestion and what she recommends eating instead.
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The ‘Healthy’ Snack a Gastroenterologist Gave Up for Good
The snack is protein bars. Dr. Savita Srivastava, MD, Yale-Trained Gastroenterologist and Microbiome Specialist, previously told Parade that she ate protein bars almost every day for nearly a decade before giving them up completely.
“While marketed as the ultimate healthy, convenient snack, many of these bars have hidden ingredients that wreak havoc on the gut,” Dr. Srivastava said.
Related: Eating a High-Protein Diet May Have a Surprising Downside, Registered Dietitian Warns
The first culprit is isolated fiber. Instead of fiber from whole foods, many bars rely on added fibers such as inulin. “When inulin hits the large intestine, gut bacteria ferment it extremely rapidly. This produces a sudden volume of gas, often leading to sharp abdominal pain and severe bloating—especially in people who aren’t used to high fiber intake,” she said.
Sugar alcohols are another issue. “Ingredients like erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol or maltitol are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. They draw water into the intestines, leading to loose stools, while simultaneously being fermented by colonic microbes, leading to more gas and bloating,” Dr. Srivastava said.
Related: Looking to Get More Protein In Your Diet? These 10 Foods Pack More Protein Than An Egg
Erythritol has drawn attention beyond the gut, too. A 2023 study published in Nature Medicine by researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that people with higher blood levels of erythritol had a greater risk of heart attack and stroke. The study showed an association rather than cause and effect, and more research is needed.
The protein itself can also be a problem. Dr. Srivastava said concentrated whey or soy isolates can be heavy and slow to leave the stomach, especially when paired with binding gums like xanthan or guar gum, which may lead to a prolonged feeling of fullness or nausea.
Dr. Neelima Reddy, MD, Gastroenterologist, Gastroenterology Associates, also previously told Parade that ultra-processed foods like protein bars lack the mix of nutrients that help whole foods work together to support health.
What to Eat Instead
If you still want a bar, read the label carefully. “Look for bars that derive their protein naturally from whole-food sources—like hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, egg whites or nut butters rather than concentrated whey or soy protein isolates,” Dr. Srivastava said.
The same rule applies to fiber. “Choose bars where the fiber comes from real, intact whole foods, like oats, nuts, seeds and dates, rather than added, highly fermentable isolated fibers such as ‘chicory root fiber,’ ‘inulin,’ or ‘soluble corn fiber,’” she said.
Better yet, skip the bar altogether. A handful of nuts or seeds paired with fruit, dark chocolate or roasted chickpeas delivers protein and fiber in their whole-food forms.
And if digestive symptoms are disrupting your daily life, it’s worth seeing a gastroenterologist, who can help pinpoint the root cause and treat it accordingly.
Adapted from Parade’s Gastroenterologists Say This ‘Healthy’ Snack Can Be Tough on Digestion by Emily Laurence Sardinha.
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Sources
Dr. Savita Srivastava, MD, Yale-trained gastroenterologist and microbiome specialist Dr. Neelima Reddy, MD, gastroenterologist, Gastroenterology Associates Witkowski M, et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nature Medicine. 2023.Hence then, the article about a gastroenterologist ate this healthy snack almost every day for nearly a decade now she s ditched it completely was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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