Are Protein Bars "Healthy" ?

kiela64

Thanks again for all your comments here. I just got a mini intervention because my mom caught me eating a bar after exercise, because she thinks “fake food” will do “more harm than good” and she is “seriously concerned” about my “health and well being”. So I was glad I’d already looked into this. It’s not like I eat more than one a day, or even have one every day. I ate half before exercise and half after, so I was still eating some when I got home. It’s usually something that I’d do when out. Just rereading the replies here.

scarla67

Have you tried Epic bars (Bison are good) - real food, ready to eat, very filling, few ingredients, no nitrates, 7 g protien, 130 calories.

kiela64

scarla67 wrote: »

Have you tried Epic bars (Bison are good) - real food, ready to eat, very filling, few ingredients, no nitrates, 7 g protien, 130 calories.

For 7g of protein in 130 calories, I might as well have a slice of bread. 6 in 120. Thanks though.

ceiswyn

vallary14 wrote: »

But you can just as easily carry some almonds and dried fruit in your purse, protein, fiber, calcium, good fat and carbs.

The OP could carry a newspaper too, and that would be about as much use.

The OP needs protein. How much protein is in that dried fruit? How much protein is in those almonds? Go and take a look at the actual figures. I think you’ll be surprised at how poor a protein source nuts actually are.

amusedmonkey

The best thing I have done for my protein intake was to introduce protein powder. I don't do protein bars because I like the cal/protein of powders better, but it's the same principle. I stopped worrying about how much protein I get, and I just fill any gaps with powder. I used to have to make food choices that I like less in order to get more protein which made dieting more work than it needed to be.

Protein bars are healthy when they make it easier for you to eat a healthy and balanced diet, and they're unhealthy when they serve like candy bars that take you over calories consistently when you're trying to lose weight. Context is always important.

P.S: most of my protein intake is from dairy and I haven't had any issues with that.

P.P.S: carrying almonds and dried fruit around would be the unhealthiest thing I could ever do to my diet. I'm not satisfied by small amounts of them and I'm very prone to overeating them. That's why I only have them in a very controlled manner. Another example how context is important and you can't call any single food healthy or unhealthy without it.