Protein Bars

They're just a supplement, a protein shake in bar-form. If you have a difficult time eating a caloric excess, they can help you eat enough because they're so calorically dense. If you have no problem eating enough natural food (chicken, oats, etc.) then they're just an expensive source of protein.

OK but im an athlete who wants to bulk up on muscle............should i stay on a normal diet or should i start eating some protein bars too?

That just depends...when you take into consideration your training intensity/frequency and caloric needs, are you eating enough to gain muscle mass? You'll need an extra 300 calories a day to gain muscle mass without gaining excess fat (or 500 a day if you're not too worried about gaining some fat). Protein bars don't magically 'bulk you up'. They simply provide the extra calories in a form that's fast and easy to eat for someone who can't eat enough. Eat the same healthy foods you're normally eating (I HOPE), just more of them.

I would think a protein powder would be good if your trying to add muscle. My mom had gastric bypass surgery a couple years ago and since your body doesn't get enough nutrients from eating alone right after the doctors told her to use Unjury, it's a high quality protein powder with no fat or cholesterol, it's a little more expensive than the stuff you buy at gnc or the grocery store but it's supposed to be better.

www.unjury.com

I'd try to eat real food or make my own protein bars. Most of the packaged bars are loaded with other crap. Do a youtube search for homemade protein bars. I'm pretty sure there's a nice 'how-to' on there somewhere.

Absolutely! I've made my own before, using oats, whole wheat flour, protein powder, egg white, and milk, and they turned out like corn bread. I knew exactly what was in them, and they didn't contain sugar alcohols or fake chocolate coating or any of that nonsense. I didn't need them for bulk, and actually used them on a cut, but they were perfect for a pre or post-workout meal when I was busy at school. There's no need to buy them, especially when they run about $2 a bar. Most are glorified candy bars when you look at the nutritional info and ingredients.