Before I dive right into some suggestions on picking a protein bar, hop over to my giveaway and enter to win a GYMBOSS Interval Timer in any color you choose!
I love protein bars. My husband and I always have a stash of them in the house to use for meals/snacks on the go or when we just don't feel like cooking. Plus, most of the ones I pick contain at least a little chocolate, so they satisfy my sweet tooth without completely derailing my day.
Here is what I don't love about protein bars- candy bars disguised as protein bars. Between the sugar, fat, and calorie content of some of these so-called protein bars you might as well enjoy a Snickers. How many times can I say the words protein bars in one paragraph? (The answer was four)
I'm not picking on Snickers as it's a wonderful tasting candy bar but let's compare it's nutrition facts to that of a popular selling Clif Bar.
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| Snickers bar nutrition facts |
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| Nutrition facts for Coconut Chocolate Clif Bar |
Not too different are they? To Clif Bar's defense it does call this particular bar an "energy bar" in which case I'll take one Snicker's energy bar please! Seriously though, Clif bar has some amazing products out there, I just don't think this is one of them.
With all the marketing and catchy jargon it can be hard to distinguish between protein bars, candy bars and "energy bars". Here are the top four things I consider when evaluating a protein bar:
Grams of protein: I know this seems like a no-brainer but you'd be amazed at how many "protein bars" there are out there without much protein. If it has less then 15 grams of protein, it's out.
Calories: Is this a "you're running late and forgot to prepare a meal ahead of time and you know you're going to be starving in a few hours so let's have this instead of driving through a fast food restaurant" type of a bar? If so, I'm ok with picking a bar with a little higher calorie count.
*Tip: If you have amazing will power and find a higher calorie bar you enjoy and fits your nutritional goals, you can choose to eat just half. This option is not for me. The whole bar will get eaten.
However if it's a "It's snack time, I'm hungry and I'm about to shove my hand into the cracker box" bar then I try to stick to 200 calories or under.
Seriously, that's seriously how my brain works.
Sugar: Any bar that makes my grocery cart must have under 10 grams of sugar. And keep an eye out for sugar alcohols as well. The sweeten food like sugar but use about half the calories. They may sound great but sugar alcohol has been known to cause gas, cramping, and bloating. Check the ingredient list for sneaky guys like Xylitol and Erythritol.
And finally
Taste: Does it taste good? If it doesn't, throw it out. Don't choke it down because you think it's good for you. If you don't like it, find something else to eat.
Of course
And finally
Taste: Does it taste good? If it doesn't, throw it out. Don't choke it down because you think it's good for you. If you don't like it, find something else to eat.
Of course
Your turn: Do you have a favorite go to protein bar?
I love this because finding a good protein bar without all the added "junk" can be really hard and deceiving for those who don't know what to look for. I totally agree with your sugar alcohol comment, my body cannot tolerate any sugar alcohol. Recently, I haven't been eating too many protein bars and actually drinking more shakes because I love my protein shake and its ingredients and its really easy to shake it in my blender bottle with some water when I am on the run.
ReplyDeleteShakes are a great option too! I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing but my body hasn't had an noticeable side affects of sugar alcohol but I'm happy you've picked up on that for yourself!
DeleteI am never sure which protein bar to get. Sooooo many choices.
ReplyDeleteThere are tons!!! Hopefully this gave you an idea of SOME of the things to look for. :)
DeleteI'm glad you stopped by my blog, and gave me a link to this post! I agree with you, when I did my own investigation I was quite surprised at how much sugar and calories these things contain. I like that you said look for a difference between a "Candy or Protein Bar", because there is a huge difference, and a lot of people don't look at the ingredients, they just look at the big words printed on the front:) Great post!
ReplyDeleteI used to be one of those people! I thought if brand "x" made it, and they were a good company then it must be a good pick for me! Little did I know I was essentially eating the carb content of a cookie! :) Love your posts as well!
DeleteI commented on your Facebook post about this already, but I'm a fan of making my own bars. That way I know exactly what's going into them! It's cheaper too.
ReplyDeleteLove that recipe Elisebet! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI love quest bars- even though I think they have the nutrition I'm looking for, there are still some flavors I stay away from because the sugar is higher than another flavor that I can eat instead. Yum!!
ReplyDeleteQuest bars (in my opinion) are a good choice! High fiber count too--keeps things moving :)
DeleteGreat tips! I find that so many bars have way too much sugar and way too many ingredients that aren't natural.
ReplyDeleteAgreed- there is a lot of crap in protein bars and even if it hits your "numbers" it's always best to check the ingredients!
DeleteThis is SO helpful! I've been a Lara Bar addict for awhile now but I don't think it quiet counts as a "protein bar". I'm excited to apply this to my next grocery trip. What protein bar do you think is the best?
ReplyDeleteI too love Lara Bar! The salted nut roll uber bar is amazingly good! I use it for snacks as needed. Just because it may not fit the "protein bar" category doesn't mean it's not a great snack bar! I like Quest and Detour Bars (although they contain a large amount of sugar alcohols). Maybe you could help us come up with some healthy high protein snack recipes chef Chelsea!?
DeleteGreat topic! I really don't eat protein bars. I actually prefer to my Sun Warrior Protein Powder and water post workout (or in a pinch) with a banana. When I need something on the go I usually grab a kind bar, salted dark chocolate (only 5g sugar) and an apple do the trick to keep me full until my next meal. I love all the kind bars because they are whole food ingredients and keep me full!
ReplyDeleteSun Warrior Protein? I haven't heard of that. Anything you can mix with just water and enjoy though must be a keeper! Kind bars have great ingredients as well!
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