Sweet & Salty bars are almost candy

Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars. Peanut, and Almond. $2.89 per 7.4-ounce box containing six bars.

Bonnie: When is a granola bar really a candy bar? When it's ounce-for-ounce nearly identical to a Snickers in calories and fat, like these new Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars from Nature Valley. Despite their sugary almond or peanut butter coating, candy-like base and sweet name, these contain less sugar than Snickers. They also contain twice the sodium on an ounce-for-ounce basis and are half the size of a Snickers.

Do I recommend them? Only the peanut butter variety because I disliked the off-taste of the almond coating, and only if you're looking for a half-sized nutty candy.

Carolyn: At first glance I thought these new Sweet & Salty bars were Nature Valley's version of Planters Peanut Candy. While these might appeal to the same people, the crystallized sugar mortar of a Planters bar's holds the nuts together much better than Sweet & Salty's frosting base. Sweet & Salty is also nuttier and not as sweet as most granola bars.

Abundance of nuts aside, these probably most resemble candy-coated Kudos. Lacking Snickers' heft, these Sweet & Salty bars go down really fast and easy. If you're like me, you'll have to struggle not to eat the entire box at a single sitting.

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Dannon Light 'n Fit With Fiber Nonfat Yogurt. Strawberry, Peach and Apple. $2.19 per multipack of four 4-ounce cups.

Bonnie: Fiber. It's what our grandmothers called roughage and what our government suggests we eat more of. In fact, you should be getting 14 grams of fiber with each 1,000 calories you eat.

A fiber-rich diet is beneficial for many reasons, including reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers, improved GI functions (including laxation, my apologies to the squeamish), and possibly a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes.

To help you get more fiber, Dannon has added 3 grams of maltodextrin (a water-soluble fiber made from cornstarch) to its mini-size, artificially sweetened Light 'n Fit yogurt. This is especially good for those who don't get enough fiber from other sources, such as beans, grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables. I only wish Dannon would also add fiber to its regular yogurt for those of us who dislike the artificial sweetener Splenda.

Carolyn: I know some people think I hate all better-for-you foods. I actually think I'm pretty open-minded about them. If something can be done to a food product to improve its nutrition without noticeably hurting the taste, then I'll be the first in line to buy.