PROTEIN vs FIBER -- Advice on Snacking

I eat snack bars for my snacks - it's easiest for me to keep on track.

Should I be eating ones that are high in protien (20g)?

Or should I look for ones that are high in Fiber?

Replies

  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Depends on what you need more. I usually go for protein, but if you struggle with getting your fiber in, go for fiber. I like my fruits and veggies for fiber.
  • reneeb816
    reneeb816 Posts: 60 Member
    On days that I do strength training, I eat the protein ones. Other days I'll eat the fiber ones. Hope that helps. :)
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
    I eat snack bars for my snacks - it's easiest for me to keep on track.

    Should I be eating ones that are high in protien (20g)?

    Or should I look for ones that are high in Fiber?

    Have you developed a Macro plan? If not, then I would advise this first. Any advice without setting up a Macro strategy would be guess work. The best I could offer is, if you need the protein, take the protein bar, if you need the fiber, take the fiber bar...
  • theguy12
    theguy12 Posts: 156
    I only watch calories (not sure what macro is but I don't pay attention to amount of protein or fiber daily - too much for me as a beginner).

    I just want something that will fill me up and keep me satisfied.
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Your macros are your proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

    I think you may want to go to the following calculator and get an estimate of how much protein you should be getting daily, and then strive for that while watching your calories. Protein helps fill me up and keeps me satisfied, which is what you are looking for.

    http://www.proteinsmart.kashi.com/#/calculator

    The calculator gives you a minimum if you are sedentary, or a range if you are more active. It's a great way to start.

    Hope this helps!

    I only watch calories (not sure what macro is but I don't pay attention to amount of protein or fiber daily - too much for me as a beginner).

    I just want something that will fill me up and keep me satisfied.
  • fibre will give you a more increased feeling of satiety!! but a combination would be best! I would recommend something within the 3-5 g fibre range ad making sure the sugar is low!! around 5g
  • Poofy_Goodness
    Poofy_Goodness Posts: 229 Member
    Depends on marco goals and personal preference.

    I find that protein keeps me fuller longer.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I only watch calories (not sure what macro is but I don't pay attention to amount of protein or fiber daily - too much for me as a beginner).

    I just want something that will fill me up and keep me satisfied.

    You might have to experiment a little. Fiber alone or protein alone doesn't keep me full very long, other people are just the opposite. Fat content helps in the "fullness" area as well.

    I would go with the protein bar. I can add fiber all day long with fruits & veggies. If you like veggies....many are so low calorie you can add them anytime.
  • You'll notice progress by just tracking calories and being on a calorie deficit. But for some seriously efficient gains, those trying to minimize lean body mass loss, you need to research about macros. Since you are new, it's good to just get into the game by tracking calories and learn as you go.
  • blgerig
    blgerig Posts: 174 Member
    I try to eat bars that have real ingredients versus added sugars, etc. I really like the Lara bars, and most only have 3-5 ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts.
  • janicebinva
    janicebinva Posts: 99 Member
    I suggest you try both on different days, repeat for some number of days, and figure out what makes you feel best.
  • calories dont mean to much.. if you have the option of getting 100 calories of sugar or 200 calories of protein and fibre go with the 200 calorie option! :)
  • hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Quest bars have both protein and fiber, by the way.

    But I typically go with protein, I'm not too worried about lacking fiber in my diet but my protein goal can be a pain to reach.
  • hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..
  • hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..

    You are going hyperbolic.
    People should get used to an empty stomach.
    Nothing wrong with it. Most of the time, the stomach should be empty.
    Skip a meal. Skip snacking.

    You'll get used to it.

    Don't panic.

    It will be OK.

    Mealtime just around the corner...

    wow .. I feel sorry for the people that you consult...
  • moment_to_arise
    moment_to_arise Posts: 207 Member
    hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..

    You are going hyperbolic.
    People should get used to an empty stomach.
    Nothing wrong with it. Most of the time, the stomach should be empty.
    Skip a meal. Skip snacking.

    You'll get used to it.

    Don't panic.

    It will be OK.

    Mealtime just around the corner...

    hey guess what?
    i eat 3 meals a day.
    and snack in between each meal.
    and i lose weight.
    and i am happy.
    and i don't starve myself.
    and i am able to MAINTAIN my weight loss.
    because i am NOT on a diet.
    i am living a healthy lifestyle.

    ta ta for now! :)
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    Both?
  • hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..

    You are going hyperbolic.
    People should get used to an empty stomach.
    Nothing wrong with it. Most of the time, the stomach should be empty.
    Skip a meal. Skip snacking.

    You'll get used to it.

    Don't panic.

    It will be OK.

    Mealtime just around the corner...

    hey guess what?
    i eat 3 meals a day.
    and snack in between each meal.
    and i lose weight.
    and i am happy.
    and i don't starve myself.
    and i am able to MAINTAIN my weight loss.
    because i am NOT on a diet.
    i am living a healthy lifestyle.

    ta ta for now! :)

    EXACTLY!!! :) thank you!
  • moment_to_arise
    moment_to_arise Posts: 207 Member
    hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..

    You are going hyperbolic.
    People should get used to an empty stomach.
    Nothing wrong with it. Most of the time, the stomach should be empty.
    Skip a meal. Skip snacking.

    You'll get used to it.

    Don't panic.

    It will be OK.

    Mealtime just around the corner...

    hey guess what?
    i eat 3 meals a day.
    and snack in between each meal.
    and i lose weight.
    and i am happy.
    and i don't starve myself.
    and i am able to MAINTAIN my weight loss.
    because i am NOT on a diet.
    i am living a healthy lifestyle.

    ta ta for now! :)

    Congrats.
    You have learned how to control your hunger.
    Most obese haven't.
    In fact ALL of them haven't.
    Learned behavior.

    i haven't learned to control my hunger. i eat when i am hungry.
  • PinkNinjaLaura
    PinkNinjaLaura Posts: 3,202 Member
    I like the Fiber One protein bars - get a little bit of both.
  • hunger signals are very important.. our bodies are smart its important to include snacks between meals so you dont get to hungry... it works the same as thirst .. by the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated its important to fuel your body through the day the same as consistantly drinking water.

    you are so wrong

    where do I begin?

    body hydration and body calorie stores and utilization are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

    The body stores calories very efficiently. That is why if someone stops eating, they can live for weeks if they are hydrated.

    But there is NO way for the body to store WATER. Three days without water and you die.

    Don't equate thirst with hunger.

    By the way, drinking water goes a long way to alleviating hunger. It soothes the savage stomach.


    are you saying that an effective way to lose weight is by starving yourself? and constantly feeling hungry? because i am going to let you in on a little secret.. it is not sustainable to be on a VLC diet.. which is why so many people bounce back gaining more weight then when they first started... constantly feeding your body with the right Macros is what is going to be an effective LONGTERM weight loss solution..

    You are going hyperbolic.
    People should get used to an empty stomach.
    Nothing wrong with it. Most of the time, the stomach should be empty.
    Skip a meal. Skip snacking.

    You'll get used to it.

    Don't panic.

    It will be OK.

    Mealtime just around the corner...

    hey guess what?
    i eat 3 meals a day.
    and snack in between each meal.
    and i lose weight.
    and i am happy.
    and i don't starve myself.
    and i am able to MAINTAIN my weight loss.
    because i am NOT on a diet.
    i am living a healthy lifestyle.

    ta ta for now! :)

    Congrats.
    You have learned how to control your hunger.
    Most obese haven't.
    In fact ALL of them haven't.
    Learned behavior.

    It is actually a fact that most people who are overweight are actually not eating enough.. thats a pretty big statement to say ALL do you have any research to back that up?
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Being hungry sometimes is pretty much unavoidable if you are dieting. You need to experiment to determine which fills you up better (and fits your overall macro/cal targets). Same with meal frequency.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    I second the quest bars. 20 Gs of whey based protein and 17gs of fiber in less than 200 calories. Not cheap though...