Protein bar, how do you stomach them?!

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  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    ThinkThin and Cliff Builder bars are good...20g protein in them, I would not bother with protein bars with less than 20g, personally.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    You grabbed the wrong brand! Those are like eating dirt! Try Cliff bars, Zone Perfect, or Go Lean.

    This exactly. I'll add that the Luna brand bars are pretty tasty and Nature Valley has one that's okay. Stay away from the pure protein stuff unless you don't care about taste. I'll eat them from time to time since they're good for nutrition but to say they taste good is a stretch.
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    Quest Bars are fair...but can be a bit chewy unless heated up, but the downside of them is that you typically must order them online...I have not seen them in any stores. I don't find them worth all that hassle, personally.
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    Also, if the protein bar you're eating has 10g or less of protein...you'd be better off just drinking a glass of milk, or having some Greek yogurt...
  • atichnell
    atichnell Posts: 18
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    Thank you to everyone who responded. I'd love to just get my protein from regular foods, but I'm finding it hard to keep the fat or carbs low enough. I'm still trying to figure out a way that works for me without having to eat nothing but meat. The doctor recommended trying to hit 40-50% protein then evenly divide the rest between carbs and fat. So I'm having issues getting that balance and still being close to calories...

    Cliff bars seem to be the front runner, and I know I can buy them individually around here, so that's good. Good to know about GNC letting you return things too. I have one of those up the street, I'll have to go ask what their policy is. :)
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    Protein bars. . . meh.

    Kashi Go Lean are kind of dry

    MetRx Colossal 100 are ok, But chicken is cheaper. Egg whites, not so much, but still.
  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    Luna bars and zone perfect bars are my favoraite. They are delicious!!!!!!!!!
  • ohmykai
    ohmykai Posts: 210 Member
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    I love the Pure Protein Bars! They taste good to me, lol!
  • StevenV84
    StevenV84 Posts: 19
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    I love the Pure Protein Chocolate Bar!!! 20 grams of protein for 180 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. I have found that most other protein bars are high in fat and calories. I want my protein with as little fat as possible (don't understand some that have 12 or 14 grams of fat for the same amount of protein). I don't always have time for a lean protein source, so my on-the-go choice for protein is either a muscle milk light drink or a pure protein bar.
  • vrutwind
    vrutwind Posts: 25
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    I agree with the suggestion for Think Thin, they are delicious!
  • debbie1012
    debbie1012 Posts: 2
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    try breaking it up, cut up bananas, strawberries and blueberries...add 1% milk artificial sweetener if you need too...eat it like cereal.
    I'm not big on protein bars, but the fruit and milk might help it go down better.
  • smtillman2
    smtillman2 Posts: 756 Member
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    You can buy protein shake mixes in all kinds of flavors that come in packets. I've never used them but I see them in my local health food store and I'm fairly certain I have seen them at GNC as well.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    If you're looking for high protein and low carb stay away from all of the following:

    Think Thin
    Luna Bars
    Clif Bars
    Lara Bars
    SoyJoy
    Luna Protein
    Nature Valley Protein

    The amount of carbs and sugar in all of those basically make the minimal amount of protein that you are getting pointless. They are better classified at nutrition bars since they do at least tend to have natural ingredients and are of higher nutritional value (fiber, some protein, vitamins, etc) than just eating a candy bar.

    Pure Protein and PowerCrunch bars are going to get you higher protein amounts, but are filled with sugar alcohols to keep the carbs low, so it's a definite trade off of nutrition and protein amount there.

    Rise protein bars and Clif Builders bars are both going to be more natural but are also still a bit higher in carbs, though they're highly offset by the protein amounts. And they are also definitely more like meal replacements, mostly coming in at 250+ calories.

    Quest bars are mostly natural, have high amounts of protein, lots of fiber, and a really good carb amount. (if you believe in the whole "net carbs" thing, where you deduct the amount of fiber, they are really low, but I don't do that, so I just look at the actual carb amount). They do still have artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols in them, depending on which style you get, so if that's an issue for you, they won't be a good option.

    There are also Balance Bars. But some of those are better than others. They market themselves as being 40/30/30 for carbs/protein/fat, but most of their line are more carb heavy than that in the actual breakdown. Plus almost all of their bars have fake sweeteners and/or sugar alcohols. But they do have two flavors that are in their "BARE" line, which are all natural and almost an exact 40/30/30 breakdown.

    I've eaten all of the above other than the Quest bars (too expensive for me to justify ordering online when they have artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols in them) and the Nature Valley ones (just never saw a purpose for them) and tend to cycle through Clif Builders, Luna, Luna Protein, Rise, and Balance BARE, depending on my needs (often I am actually looking for the carbs and natural sugars since I was training for a couple of half marathons this year).

    But I also make my own bars at home. I just play with mixes of nuts, plain protein powders, textured vegetable protein, flax seed, psyllium husk, rolled oats, chia seeds, and a touch of dried fruit for flavor and make either 40/30/30 bars or higher protein bars, depending on what I'm looking for at the time I make them.
  • carlsoda
    carlsoda Posts: 3,422 Member
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    Balance bars are awesome!!! I love Chocolate Craze, Chocolate Mint, Cookie Dough!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    TBH protein bars aren't much cop. They are generally poor protein choices (recovered from bone/bone marrow and the like) and the carbs are generally sugar alcohols and far too calorific for what you get. Stick to proper food IMO.

    Love the taste tho!
  • CoronerKris
    CoronerKris Posts: 57 Member
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    If you have a whole foods near you they have a bunch of sample protein powders, thats how I found the one I like. Some GNC's also carry single serving protein powder.
  • olgitarosales
    olgitarosales Posts: 1
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    Great point! I get my protein from bacon. I'm also on a pretty strict Paleo diet so I'm not allowed protein bars to begin with. The trick for me has been getting of the sugar high! And most bars have a ton of sugar...

    I would avoid them all and get some jerky!
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    A lot of them are just glorified candy bars anyway. . .

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