Protein bars..good or bad?

FitnessBree__

So I Was wondering what people think about protein bars..they're something that I hear a lot of mixed reviews about! I actually don't get that much protein in my diet..I only really eat tuna and sometimes chicken or turkey but not often... I've just never been a big meat fan. I work out a lot..6x a week I burn anything from 300-800cals doing cardio (mixture of running and fitness classes) and on top of that I do weights. I eat very healthily (oatmeal for breakfast with fruit, lunch and dinner is always some variation of salad and veggies with either tuna, chicken, tofu etc...) and I rarely go above 1000 cals a day.
So in terms of protein bars..is it ok if I eat one a day? At around 200 cals? Should I eat them as a snack or a meal repalcement? I'm never sure and always feel a little guilty after I've eaten one like I've just eaten something really bad!! Sometimes I'll just have one isntead of a meal. What are people's opinions?

now_or_never12

Protein bars can be good. THey are great if either you don't get enough protein from your diet, need an after workout boost or need to add a lot of calories without a lot of food.

I would add one in as a snack since you said you only eat about 1000 calories which is definately not enough to live on. Go for a higher calorie bar with a decent amount of protein in it. Or you can make your own.

I have made my own using chocolate protein powder, wheat germ, chocolate chips, oatmeal and a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Get those power crunch bars if you want a protein bar. Thoses are good. I don't eat protein bars very often anymore. I just buy those 2lb tubs of whey protein and put it in stuff. Since you said you eat oatmeal in the morning, you should try doing what I do and just add a scoop of whey protein. I use nectar by syntax. 100 calories, pure protein. Zero carbs, sugar, and fat. I call this creation "proatmeal" and it's amazing.

kellyscomeback

The down side of a lot of protein bars is the sodium content. I do whey protein with ice cold water or blended with frozen berries/fruit for a post work out shake or to up my protein.

I also do the same as justsomerando, add a scoop to my oatmeal and about 1/8 c of fat free milk to give it a creamy consistency.

Another good source of protein is greek yogurt and cottage cheese.