As an avid foodie and one who loves to get her calories and macros from “real food”, I used to think protein bars were a useless scam. I used to think, those poor suckers, so easily fooled by the media and big companies who made people think they were making such a healthy choice! While in some cases I still believe this to be true of some companies and their marketing schemes, I am now one of those poor suckers. There are several types of protein bars to choose from and this is what makes me annoyed about protein bars- because not all of them are good and a good number are for people who are actually expending a good number of calories and can use extra carbohydrates and sugars without storing it away for a later date—like endurance athletes, ie: marathon runners, triathletes, etc. Most of the protein bars I have seen in stores have an exponential amount of carbohydrates in the form of sugar or sugar alcohol and some don’t even list where the rest of their carbs come from.
For example, I give you the label below. This is from a Quest Protein Bar (one of the bars I approve of- for whatever that’s worth ;)). If you look at the Carbohydrates, you will see there are 21g of carbs. Underneath that, you will find 17g of Dietary fiber. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that your body does not absorb. This means that if you subtract 21-17= you get 4g of net carbs. If you have ever done carb counting or some form of Atkins diet, you are most likely already familiar with this. So what does this ultimately mean? It means that there is less sugar and sugar alcohols left for your body to turn into fat if not utilized. Here we see 4g left, but the label reads 2g of Sugars, which most likely means the remaining 2g are sugar alcohols.
For example, I give you the label below. This is from a Quest Protein Bar (one of the bars I approve of- for whatever that’s worth ;)). If you look at the Carbohydrates, you will see there are 21g of carbs. Underneath that, you will find 17g of Dietary fiber. Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that your body does not absorb. This means that if you subtract 21-17= you get 4g of net carbs. If you have ever done carb counting or some form of Atkins diet, you are most likely already familiar with this. So what does this ultimately mean? It means that there is less sugar and sugar alcohols left for your body to turn into fat if not utilized. Here we see 4g left, but the label reads 2g of Sugars, which most likely means the remaining 2g are sugar alcohols.
We all know that typically when you ingest too many carbohydrates or sugars (ie: kCal in > kCal out), we deposit those carbs in a “storage form”, aka adipose or fat stores. So why are you going to reach for a protein bar when you want a healthy choice if it’s full of unwanted and unneeded sugar or carbohydrates?!
Here are some tips for the next time you go looking to stock up on those protein bars or you want to grab something quick while in line somewhere. You want to look and see what is the #1 ingredient and is it a real food and NOT sugar. They shouldn’t contain more than 5-7g of sugar per bar. I would avoid soy protein isolate and instead try to look for whey protein.
Finally, remember- you should ALWAYS try to use REAL food to supply your macro needs and really shouldn’t use these bars as meal replacements.
I also recommend a free app called fooducate. This app is pretty awesome- you can search for any food and it will rate it. Most bars are not going to be greater than a B+ because, let’s be real, it’s not real food, so I try to stick to those that have that B+ rating—check out my “Jayme’s Picks” page for protein supplements I like to stick with.
And last but not least—I thought I would include a little icing on the cake so to speak. On long days, which happen all too often, I like to supplement my protein bar with a little caffeine and if you follow me on Instagram or twitter, I’m sure you know what’s coming…that’s right, a blendacano! When you go to Starbucks, simply ask for a Venti blended Americano with sugar free syrup (which ever flavor you choose). They may try to add milk, but I always tell them no milk and I also add a scoop of protein powder. Then, I add some Splenda and cinnamon, and voila! A delicious blendacano!
Peace, Love, & Strength,
Jayme
Here are some tips for the next time you go looking to stock up on those protein bars or you want to grab something quick while in line somewhere. You want to look and see what is the #1 ingredient and is it a real food and NOT sugar. They shouldn’t contain more than 5-7g of sugar per bar. I would avoid soy protein isolate and instead try to look for whey protein.
Finally, remember- you should ALWAYS try to use REAL food to supply your macro needs and really shouldn’t use these bars as meal replacements.
I also recommend a free app called fooducate. This app is pretty awesome- you can search for any food and it will rate it. Most bars are not going to be greater than a B+ because, let’s be real, it’s not real food, so I try to stick to those that have that B+ rating—check out my “Jayme’s Picks” page for protein supplements I like to stick with.
And last but not least—I thought I would include a little icing on the cake so to speak. On long days, which happen all too often, I like to supplement my protein bar with a little caffeine and if you follow me on Instagram or twitter, I’m sure you know what’s coming…that’s right, a blendacano! When you go to Starbucks, simply ask for a Venti blended Americano with sugar free syrup (which ever flavor you choose). They may try to add milk, but I always tell them no milk and I also add a scoop of protein powder. Then, I add some Splenda and cinnamon, and voila! A delicious blendacano!
Peace, Love, & Strength,
Jayme