A Gastroenterologist Ate This ‘Healthy’ Snack for Years—Then Stopped Completely

Walk through nearly any grocery store and packaged snacks are often covered in health claims. Labels touting “high fiber,” “low sugar,” and “keto friendly” make it seem easy to grab something convenient that also supports your wellness goals, especially when you are juggling work, school runs, and exercise.

But those promises can be misleading. Many people choose snacks they believe are good for them, only to later deal with bloating, gas, cramping, or general stomach discomfort. Because those symptoms may not appear right away, it can be hard to trace them back to the snack that caused them.

The gut also contains trillions of microbes that react to what we eat. Some ingredients help nourish that system, while others can overwhelm it, particularly when consumed day after day. Even digestive health experts sometimes discover that a routine they considered healthy was not actually helping them.

One gastroenterologist recently described the everyday snack she relied on for years before cutting it out completely. Here is what it was, why it can be rough on digestion, and what she suggests eating instead.

The ‘Healthy’ Snack a Gastroenterologist Gave Up

The snack is protein bars. Dr. Savita Srivastava, MD, a 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.

“While marketed as the ultimate healthy, convenient snack, many of these bars have hidden ingredients that wreak havoc on the gut,” Dr. Srivastava said.

One major issue is isolated fiber. Instead of fiber from whole foods, many bars use 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 can also be a problem. “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.

Erythritol has also been studied beyond digestion. A study published in Nature Medicine by Cleveland Clinic researchers found that people with higher blood levels of erythritol had a greater risk of heart attack and stroke. The research showed an association, not proof of cause and effect, and more study is needed.

The protein itself may contribute to discomfort as well. Dr. Srivastava said concentrated whey or soy isolates can sit heavily and move slowly through the stomach, especially when combined with binding gums such as xanthan or guar gum. That can leave some people feeling overly full or nauseated.

Dr. Neelima Reddy, MD, a gastroenterologist with Gastroenterology Associates, also previously told Parade that ultra-processed foods like protein bars do not offer the same mix of nutrients that whole foods provide to support health.

What to Eat Instead

If you still want a bar, Dr. Srivastava recommends reading the label closely. “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,” she said.

The same guidance 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.

Another option is to skip the bar entirely. A handful of nuts or seeds with fruit, dark chocolate, or roasted chickpeas can deliver protein and fiber in their whole-food forms.

If digestive symptoms are interfering with your daily life, it may be worth seeing a gastroenterologist to help identify the cause and determine the right treatment.

Adapted from Parade’s article on why gastroenterologists say this ‘healthy’ snack can be hard on digestion by Emily Laurence Sardinha.

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About the authors

Articles credited to the Parade Editorial Team are produced and edited by Parade's newsroom under our editorial guidelines and AI policy.

Leigh Weingus is the Health and Wellness Editor for Parade, where she writes and edits science-based, expert-backed stories on how to be the healthiest, happiest version of yourself.

The Parade AI Desk is not a human journalist, and it never publishes autonomously. Every article carrying the AI Desk byline is reviewed, fact-checked, edited, and approved by a human editor prior to publication.