Protein Bars or Shakes - Not trying to bulk up

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lilmiss_sunshine29
lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,
I'm looking for advice please. I'm very new to protein shakes or protein bars.
- I am not trying to bulk up
- I don't lift weights (am yet to introduce strength training)
- I mainly run/jog

I have started adding protein shakes to my smoothies as a means of increasing my protein intake. With food alone I don't seem to meet my target - Lord knows I try.

So what are the better ones to use? (I live in NZ - have so far tried the Horleys shakes and I like the taste of 1. Am yet to try bars from today).
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Replies

  • nikkohli
    nikkohli Posts: 311 Member
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    I like Quest bars. Lots of flavors to choose from!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Never tried Quest bars but they are popular. As long as you avoid the "mass gainer" type products, any protein powder is fine. It will really come down to preference nad availability. Are you buying protein powder online or locally? If locally, write down the brands/types available and look them up for reviews and to compare their nutritional info. IF online, then just do the same but from whichever brands can be shipped to you. I personally look for lower calorie ones simply because I prefer getting cals from solid food when possible, and some brands just don't mix very well so I always look for ones that mix smoothly without grit. The worst brand I've tried so far was Allmax, and the Sangsters (or maybe Now brand) was the 2nd worst. I've used Pure Protein and BodyLogix with success, BodyLogix being the best. I plan on trying Optimum Nutrition maybe, but it is an isolated whey and I do prefer a whey blend.

    Bodybuilding.com would be a decent place to start just to compare brands and nutritional info, VitaCost and IHerb both sell stuff too.
  • lilmiss_sunshine29
    lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
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    Thank you both.

    I am buying in local supermarket. Horley's is reasonably low cals I reckon so it's not causing a dent in my intake for the day.

    "As long as you avoid the "mass gainer" type products" - which are these?

    I'll have a look at the website you have suggested in interim.
  • lor322
    lor322 Posts: 3
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    I like the Pure Protein Bars they have low fat and carbs with 20 grams of Protein in them plus they do not taste like card board. Hope this helps you.
  • martyd_24
    martyd_24 Posts: 6 Member
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    Dymatize Elite from bodybuilding.com is very good tasting, mixes well with water or milk, and is one of the lowest calorie ones. I just recently tried the fudge brownie and it could be a milkshake when you put it in a blender with ice cubes.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    i'm partial to pure protein shakes, both chocolate and vanilla. for unsweetened i like solgar whey to go vanilla (i add my own stevia), and for sweetened with stevia i love bluebonnet 100% natural whey protein isolate. i find that pure protein is cheapest at trader joe's and whey to go costs a lot less on amazon than at my local stores.

    any unsweetened protein powder or one sweetened with stevia or non-caloric sweeteners is going to have about the same calories, as protein has 4 calories per gram. just avoid any meal replacement or bulking stuff - stick with actual protein powder, and when you're not sure, check the label for carbs and calories.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Thank you both.

    I am buying in local supermarket. Horley's is reasonably low cals I reckon so it's not causing a dent in my intake for the day.

    "As long as you avoid the "mass gainer" type products" - which are these?

    I'll have a look at the website you have suggested in interim.

    Usually they will have something like "mass gain" or "gain" on the label, will be much higher calorie as the goal is to gain weight with it. Here are some pictures for a visual idea!

    normal protein: about 170 calories according to the label
    resource-79f76fa0-8258-4a7d-b0a7-b8b223181fcf.jpg.w480.jpg

    gainer: closer to 600 calories! for one serving
    0007431266450_500X500.jpg
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Basically consider/think of whey protein to be a replacement for chicken breast. While this isn't entirely accurate, the point I'm making is that you're basically just choosing this as an alternative form of protein in your diet.

    For most people there will be some form of trade off. Protein powders tend to be tasty and somewhat sweet and they tend to be convenient (prep time is negligible). Most of the better protein products will come in around 22-24g of protein per about 120 calories. When you get a product that has ratios that are much worse than this (I've seen some around 20g protein but 200 calories) you're basically consuming added carbohydrate and/or fats along with the protein. And while this isn't arbitrarily bad in all circumstances, it could be less than favorable since you may prefer to spend those calories elsewhere.

    And on that note, one benefit of increasing your protein intake from non supplemental routes could potentially be increased satiety. So for example if you have a protein target of 100g and you're eating 50g of protein and you're supplementing 50g of protein, MOST people will blunt hunger more effectively by dropping the supplement and adding in another 50g of protein from whole food sources like chicken or fish/etc. That's obviously not true in all cases and I'm in no way suggesting that protein supplements are bad.

    Mass Gainers have a buttload of calories.
  • Acorrineh
    Acorrineh Posts: 17 Member
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    Hi! don't use them. I used to, but I prefer just to eat real food. Your next meal, balanced with healthy protein, carbs and fats (good ones and not too much), will replace what you lost in the workout and what you need for recovery. save the cash.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Hi! don't use them. I used to, but I prefer just to eat real food. Your next meal, balanced with healthy protein, carbs and fats (good ones and not too much), will replace what you lost in the workout and what you need for recovery. save the cash.

    While I don't object to eating more protein from non supplemental sources, most whey proteins are very cost-friendly when you compare grams of protein vs other food sources.

    So for example if I want to get 24g of protein from smartpowders brand I'm looking at roughly $0.60-$0.65 if I go with a 10lb bag, and if my math is correct. Optimum Nutrition 10lb bag on amazon would put that at about $0.75 per 24g protein.

    Getting 24g of protein from any other food source would probably be more than that I would think. Tuna and eggs are probably close.
  • lilmiss_sunshine29
    lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
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    Thank you both.

    I am buying in local supermarket. Horley's is reasonably low cals I reckon so it's not causing a dent in my intake for the day.

    "As long as you avoid the "mass gainer" type products" - which are these?

    I'll have a look at the website you have suggested in interim.


    thanks
    Usually they will have something like "mass gain" or "gain" on the label, will be much higher calorie as the goal is to gain weight with it. Here are some pictures for a visual idea!

    normal protein: about 170 calories according to the label
    resource-79f76fa0-8258-4a7d-b0a7-b8b223181fcf.jpg.w480.jpg

    gainer: closer to 600 calories! for one serving
    0007431266450_500X500.jpg
  • lilmiss_sunshine29
    lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
    Options
    Basically consider/think of whey protein to be a replacement for chicken breast. While this isn't entirely accurate, the point I'm making is that you're basically just choosing this as an alternative form of protein in your diet.

    For most people there will be some form of trade off. Protein powders tend to be tasty and somewhat sweet and they tend to be convenient (prep time is negligible). Most of the better protein products will come in around 22-24g of protein per about 120 calories. When you get a product that has ratios that are much worse than this (I've seen some around 20g protein but 200 calories) you're basically consuming added carbohydrate and/or fats along with the protein. And while this isn't arbitrarily bad in all circumstances, it could be less than favorable since you may prefer to spend those calories elsewhere.

    And on that note, one benefit of increasing your protein intake from non supplemental routes could potentially be increased satiety. So for example if you have a protein target of 100g and you're eating 50g of protein and you're supplementing 50g of protein, MOST people will blunt hunger more effectively by dropping the supplement and adding in another 50g of protein from whole food sources like chicken or fish/etc. That's obviously not true in all cases and I'm in no way suggesting that protein supplements are bad.

    Mass Gainers have a buttload of calories.

    thanks very much.
    you're right - it's mainly the convenience that comes with protein shakes - figured i already enjoy smoothies why not add protein to them. then the snack bars; around 3/4pm i need some snack of sorts to carry me to dinner time (6.30ish pm) - that way im not ravenous when I get in and eat everything in sight before dinner.
  • eric5577
    eric5577 Posts: 65 Member
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    I use Muscle Tech protein bars. I never used them before. These actually taste good and the price is around 12.00 for a box of 18. They have 3 flavors in the box. 200cal. 20g of protein. I use to eat a PB sandwich in the middle of the day and it was around 300cal. Not any more. I eat one of these and drink a big glass of water. I am usualy good for another 2hrs.

    http://www.muscletech.com/
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    GNC lean shake 25. It is a meal replacement but has 25 grams of protein. It is not considered a protein drink. In 25 days I have lost 10.5 pounds drinking this in replacement of what are potentially my worst meals of the day (mid morning hunger and home from work)
  • WombatHat42
    WombatHat42 Posts: 192 Member
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    So far the only protein powder/bars/etc I have actually liked have come from myprotein.com they have a UK site and a US site but not sure if they have a NZ one or not. Guess just google myprotein new zealand its all I did when I returned to the US from UK. Plus a lot cheaper, i have found, than my local GNC store. impact whey is what I prefer, not too big on the bars though find most too chalky.
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
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    Idk if this helps. I use to drink ensure (hate it now. Slim fast boost. Now I see Special K has "shake" like supplements. The Whey Protein is really good. I love the protein bars (names idk) but they are too costly sadly for me
  • shortt123
    shortt123 Posts: 39 Member
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    Hi!
    I just recently started having vega sport protein in chocolate. This protein blend is all natural, gluten and dairy free which is perfect for me. It doesn't taste like a chocolate milkshake, but it does taste very good, not chalky and gritty like many natural protein blends I've tried, and the bonus is that this vega sport protein shake is so good for you! I love it!
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
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    honestly, protein bars and shakes are not necessary if you are eating properly.

    its a huge industry that makes people think it is needed.

    protein supplements are rarely needed by healthy people.

    usually protein supplements are high in calories and will not keep you full

    they will not help anyone build muscle (i know you said you dont want to, just saying)

    if you like the bars and shakes that is great, but you dont need them.
  • Daiako
    Daiako Posts: 12,545 Member
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    honestly, protein bars and shakes are not necessary if you are eating properly.

    its a huge industry that makes people think it is needed.

    protein supplements are rarely needed by healthy people.

    usually protein supplements are high in calories and will not keep you full

    they will not help anyone build muscle (i know you said you dont want to, just saying)

    if you like the bars and shakes that is great, but you dont need them.


    Lots of people actually find protein to be very satiating and it protein shakes can be fairly low in calories for the amount of protein you get (ON is 110-130 calories for 24g of protein, which means 96 of those calories come from protein.)
  • eric5577
    eric5577 Posts: 65 Member
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    I tend to disagree. Protein bars keep me full for hours. I eat them before the gym, after the gym. Before I run out to do erands for the next few hrs. I use the shake also, esp after working out. It helps you recover faster, and I tend to notice the differnce. After a long work out and I am completly dead and muscles are tingling, this helps me get back on track and gets me ready for the next day.

    We are all entitled to are opinions, I just happen to think protein works, and it has certainly helped me. As I said before. I can eat a PB sandwich for just under 300cal and get less protein, than I can eating a 200cal, 20g protein bar. I tend to last longer on the bar.

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