Protein Bars 101

In our fast paced society, we don’t always have time to prepare a meal to take with us. The temptation is to just skip a meal or to stop for fast food. Neither is a healthy choice. Many of us are also looking for healthy ways to lose weight. But again, it takes time to plan and prepare the nutritious, healthy meals that will help us meet our weight and health goals. Still others are looking for supplements to achieve body--building goals .A simple answer seems to be grabbing and consuming a protein bar. A protein bar should be healthy, right? Maybe. Maybe not! There are multiple choices on the shelves with a large variety of ingredients. So how do you choose which bar will produce the results you want?

I can’t recommend the best protein bar. You will have to do some label comparisons to determine what bar on the market is best for you. I can tell you that a lot of the protein bars out there are very high in both calories and fat content, as well as sugars since sugar will give you a temporary energy burst. There are several categories of protein bars:

• Healthy protein snack
• Meal replacement
• Body building

You can find protein bars with a fat level as high as 50 percent. What you want to look for are bars with high levels of protein and fiber and low levels of carbs with less than 15 grams of sugar. For weight loss purposes look for 280 calories or less, 25 grams of carbs or less, 25 grams or protein or more and at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber or more. Also compare vitamins and minerals. Rule out bars with hydrogenated fats and palm oil. Last, but important, you will want to find a bar that tastes good. It will take some time initially to study labels and do a taste test, but once you find several that you like, you can stick with those brands. If you have a friend or two with the same interest, you can share statistics and test bars and save time and money.

Whey Protein Bars

Protein bars usually contain a protein powder, usually a soy protein or a whey protein. Whey is a by- product of milk and is considered the best type of protein powder. I did find an article about a study of the two types on men working on bodybuilding. In this study, Soy protein was found to have several advantages. For women, especially those attempting to lose weight by replacing meals with protein bars, whey protein seems to be recommended the most. When looking at protein bar labels, you will find two types of whey protein listed. Whey isolate is 90 per cent whey protein. Whey protein concentrate contains 29 to 89 percent fats and lactose. Most bars have a combination of the two.

One of the benefits of eating whey protein bars is the convenience of grabbing the “meal” and running without having to plan and prepare. It is recommended that you eat at least one well-balanced meal a day. Other benefits include increased energy, increased metabolism, increased lean muscle mass, and aid in osteoporosis prevention. You can find a great source for purchasing protein bars on the web. You can also find recipes for making your own protein bars just by Googling “recipes for protein bars. I have found some great ones I am going to try. The web is also a great source for finding protein powder to use in baking or for protein shakes.

High Protein Bars

High protein bars (bars containing a significant amount of protein powder) hit the market several years ago. They can be found at many athletic clubs and are popular with the bodybuilding set. The whey protein bars especially are helpful to consume while attempting to lose weight. However calories must be subtracted from total calorie intake. Look for bars with 25 or more grams of protein.

Pure Protein Bars

A pure protein bar is a specific brand of protein bar. The specific name is Organic Food Bar—Pure and Powerful Protein Bar. If you can’t find this on the shelves of your local store, you can get it on line by Googling the name.

Low Carb Protein Bars

When protein bars first came on the market, they often contained high carbs, mostly simple carbs and low in complex carbs. With people now being so aware of carbohydrate intake, producers of protein bars have begun marketing bars with moderate carb ingredients. Most bars contain oatmeal, wheat germ, and nuts along with various dried fruits to accompany the protein

Spend some time reading labels. These bars can be expensive, so when you find brands that you like, check the Internet for discounted rates. Make protein bars part of a healthy lifestyle.