Quest candy bars.

Is there any difference between a quest protein bar and a whey protein shake?

I was a bigger fan of them until I actually calculated the macros on them and the calories listed on the label are way off. Most bars average around 240 calories, so not really the great calorie saver "treat" I once thought they were.

Take cookies and cream just as an example since its the new craze:
Labeled Calories: 180

Macro Breakdown--> protein: 21g (21 X 4 = 84), Fat: 7g (7 X 9 =63), Carbs: 22 (22 X 4 =88)

84 + 63 + 88 = 235 Calories, not 180 that’s a discrepancy of 55 calories, yes this occurs will a lot of our American food products because technically fiber calories are subtractable but this has turned me off from the brand completely. I guess I'm just glad I always count macros and not calories.

I can not thank you enough for this. I have found that pretty much every label is incorrect and NOT in my favor! Huff!!

The labeling is not incorrect at all. In the US, companies subtract a portion of the carbohydrates that come from fiber from the calorie count. It's not intended to be misleading and it is not the fault of the brand; EVERY label is calculated this way. Fiber is good for you, and is only partially digested. Hence, you really do not absorb 4 cal/g from fiber as you do from other carbs. The fiber used in Quest bars is used to bulk and bind the bar and really doesn't make them "high in carbs" like a traditional protein bar that is full of sugar.

I don't know, there's something off about them. The numbers look good on paper, but I tried 3, on 3 separate days and each time they spiked my blood sugar by 50 points. Eating pancakes and syrup doesn't spike my blood sugar that high.

That is a ton of carbs for a protein bar?

Yup. I'm sorry, I must not have been clear.

That is an excessive amount of carbs for something being marketed as a protein source. Which is why, in my consideration, they are essentially candy. The Quest bars seem to be the best of the bunch though, which is why for the moment, until I find something better they get the nod over another candy product, Gu for what I'm doing. I invite you to take a look at the labeling of "protein bars", if protein isn't the largest macro, it's pretty much not a protein bar.

Some information from the Quest Bar Lawsuit:
http://www.strengthsociety.com/quest-bar-nutrition-lawsuit/

Merely a civil lawsuit by one man accusing of false labeling its fiber content. Anyone for that matter can open a civil lawsuit against a company and make a claim as such. Isomaltooligosaccharide or IMO (for short) is a multifunctional health molecule which exerts positive effects on human digestive health. There are numerous scientific papers available about the role of IMO as prebiotic, least flatulence (i.e., generating least gas), low Glycemic index, and Anti-caries Activities. In the state of California you can count this as the total dietary fiber content of a product. In general this "civil lawsuit" is merely an accusation by one man. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quote by QuestNutrition:
“Quest has been named in a lawsuit regarding our fiber count. It is our belief and conviction that this lawsuit is without merit. The things a plaintiff states in a lawsuit are just that — – his statements. He doesn’t have to prove them to put them in the lawsuit. He just needs to write them down. Proof is another matter. We believe that what is written in this lawsuit results from not understanding the current state of fiber science. We are fighting this case to make it clear to our customers and partners that our label information is 100% accurate.
Make no mistake, Quest Nutrition will not back down in the face of what we believe are attacks based on lack of good information. The outpouring of support from our customers and supporters on this issue has been overwhelming. We’re very grateful for the support, and we want to assure everyone that we are committed to bringing the highest quality products to our loyal fan base. We have nothing to hide and we look forward to a very visible public refutation of these unfounded claims.”

Some information from the Quest Bar Lawsuit:
http://www.strengthsociety.com/quest-bar-nutrition-lawsuit/

Merely a civil lawsuit by one man accusing of false labeling its fiber content. Anyone for that matter can open a civil lawsuit against a company and make a claim as such. Isomaltooligosaccharide or IMO (for short) is a multifunctional health molecule which exerts positive effects on human digestive health. There are numerous scientific papers available about the role of IMO as prebiotic, least flatulence (i.e., generating least gas), low Glycemic index, and Anti-caries Activities. In the state of California you can count this as the total dietary fiber content of a product. In general this "civil lawsuit" is merely an accusation by one man. Nothing more, nothing less.

Quote by QuestNutrition:
“Quest has been named in a lawsuit regarding our fiber count. It is our belief and conviction that this lawsuit is without merit. The things a plaintiff states in a lawsuit are just that — – his statements. He doesn’t have to prove them to put them in the lawsuit. He just needs to write them down. Proof is another matter. We believe that what is written in this lawsuit results from not understanding the current state of fiber science. We are fighting this case to make it clear to our customers and partners that our label information is 100% accurate.
Make no mistake, Quest Nutrition will not back down in the face of what we believe are attacks based on lack of good information. The outpouring of support from our customers and supporters on this issue has been overwhelming. We’re very grateful for the support, and we want to assure everyone that we are committed to bringing the highest quality products to our loyal fan base. We have nothing to hide and we look forward to a very visible public refutation of these unfounded claims.”

http://www.strengthsociety.com/quest-bar-lab-results/

Um, yeah. Check out the lab’s website and scroll down to their available dietary fiber assays. http://www.medallionlabs.com/TestOfferings/Fiber.aspx

You’ll notice that they have a separate assay for products with significant oligosaccharide content–Quest Bars are over 30%. The test used here is, perhaps purposefully and maliciously, entirely the wrong test to use. The reason this is important is that the standard dietary fiber assays use old AOAC practices that don’t mimic at all how oligosaccharides get digested in humans. The old standards involve letting the samples sit in amylase for 16 hours, which is *way* longer than the bolus is going sit in your small intestine. Wrong methodology, bad results, probable fearmongering.

Arguments can be made for both sides. All I know is that every time I introduce those bars into my diet I don't lose and often times even gain. I have also seen the massive blood sugar spike and the calorie differential is just way to large. If they work in your diet more power to you I actually really enjoy them. However, if you aren’t getting results I would take them out of your diet and stop paying a premium price for a product that is not helping you reach your goals.