Protein Bar Questions

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  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    That app us kinda quackish.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,209 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    That app us kinda quackish.

    Yeah, the orange 'avatar' with that lovely 1970's workout headband is a bit creepy. LOL
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 79 Member
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    I think my trainer didn't like the Think Thin bars because of soy being in them, but I'm not positive. I still eat them from time to time, I like the creamy and crunchy peanut butter ones. I will grab protein bars here and there, usually Quest bars, if I am on the go. Or if I really just need a dessert fix at night and don't want to do any worse damage. Quest bars do seem to mess with my stomach if I have them too often.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    edited September 2016
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    kristynemcfarlin23 wrote: »
    i prefer Glukos whey protein bars. my trainer said that you should try to keep protein bars to have less than 10g of sugar. Glukos has lots of protein and like 5g of sugar, great for pre or post workout

    I really really wanted to like these, but they have a weird aftertaste to me :s I love the caramel fudge Think Thin bars, and Luna bars (anything chocolate or peanut butter). I have celiac disease like a poster above and am so thrilled that there are so many good-quality gluten-free bars out there now.
  • Derpy_Hooves
    Derpy_Hooves Posts: 234 Member
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    I'm not sure if I can be trusted with protein bars, the Vitality cookies and cream one is just absolutely delicious! I could easily eat 3! :D

    I really try to only have one if I don't have time for lunch/dinner.
  • Carol_
    Carol_ Posts: 469 Member
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    As for me...I can NOT be trusted around Protein bars. I promised myself today if I ate more than one..I would throw them away and never buy them again. So now, they are way across the yard all crumbled in small pieces in the grass waiting for the morning crows!
  • bearr996
    bearr996 Posts: 3 Member
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    Be careful with protein bars. Most are undercover candy bars. Some have sugar content as high or higher than 30 per bar. Carb to protein ratios off, artificial sweeteners, horrible sources of protein (beyond soy). In a pinch sure, a bar isn't awful every once in a while, buy definitely not something I'd replace a meal with, or have more than once or twice a week. You're likely not doing yourself any favors but chewing on the denatured gelatin protein bar before bed. Not all bars are created equal and there are far too many to go through here. Just do research about what ingredients are in whatever bar you choose. Most of the major brands and ones you find on the shelf at big box stores aren't worth buying.
  • jondspen
    jondspen Posts: 253 Member
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    1 - Don't c why not.
    2 - Never had them.
    3 - I eat the Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe, b/c they were the best value at wal-mart.

    I typically have one in the morning after my workout with 2 scoops of Body Fortress. I'm on a low carb diet, with cardio/calisthenics 3 times a week. My diet ratio is 50% protein, 35% fat, and 15% carbs. I'm trying to lose 30 lbs but build muscle at the same time, so need high protein.
  • jessicashelton310
    jessicashelton310 Posts: 1 Member
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    Pure Protein Smores and Zone Perfect Fudge Graham.
  • lmkt1
    lmkt1 Posts: 13 Member
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    I agree, a lot of the bars are really candy. The bar that I find works best for me as a meal replacement, is made by Genuine Health; "Fermented Vegan Proteins", the lemon coconut flavour is very good. It has 210 cal, 9 gr of fat, 10 gr of fibre, yes 10! and 14 gr protein. If I want it as a snack, I eat only half. Its helped my digestion and my hubby eats one as well before swimming in the morning. Its light and fills him up. You can find them online, (I've seen it at Vitasave.ca but I'm sure others have it) also at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. If you can get the Senior's discount you can get an extra 20% off, (just make sure that they are eligible on Seniors Day, as they sometimes put them on "sale" to avoid giving u the discount : (
    They have other flavours but I haven't tried them.
    Hope this helps!
  • smotheredincheese
    smotheredincheese Posts: 559 Member
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    I'm a Quest bar devotee but I've just ordered a box of Think Thin cookies and cream based on the recommendations on this thread. I eat a protein bar most days after lunch because I find them satisfying, but they can be pretty expensive.
  • pasewaldd
    pasewaldd Posts: 24 Member
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    heyitslexi95 wrote: »
    Hey everyone,

    I am new to protein bars & am a little curious about a few things....
    1. Can you have protein bars about 2-3 hours before you go to bed?
    2. For QuestBar eaters, what are you favorite flavors? If you heat them up, for how long?
    3. Other than Quest, what are your favorite protein bars?

    Thank you ahead of time for all responses! :-)

    I like the Kirkland protein bars with 21gr protein. For the quest bars I like the raspberry ones. I eat the bars before bed if I am hungry or a protein shake. And if I wake up in the middle of the night hungry... I eat a half of one (sometimes a whole one) and I don't gain weight from that. If I ignore being hungry before bed, I end up being really hungry when I wake up. Which means I didn't eat enough protein the day before. Or at least that is what I have read.
    I also make a lot of my own protein bars. I look on pinterest and find protein bars, etc and make my own versions. Hope this helps.
  • vnb_208
    vnb_208 Posts: 1,359 Member
    edited September 2016
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    http://www.gnc.com/GNC-Total-Lean-Advanced-Advanced-Protein-Bar-Peanut-Butter-Banana/product.jsp?productId=58584526
    22G OF PROTEIN 18G FIBER 6G NET CARBS 2G SUGAR AND NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS ZERO SUGAR ALCOHOL- COMPARABLE TO QUEST !
  • lyndaaaaaaa
    lyndaaaaaaa Posts: 11 Member
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    EDollah wrote: »
    I've tried pretty much every brand I've ever seen for protein bars. Quest is rather average, maybe a notch above average. For that particular brand, Cookies & Cream is my preference.

    MP Combat Crunch is by far #1 for me. Cinnamon Twist, Chocolate Cake, and Chocolate Peanut Butter are notable.

    I recently tried the brand B UP and rather liked the bars I bought. This brand looks like it has the highest fibre content (20 g typically) in this category.

    I dig MuscleTech Mission1 bars.

    Pretty good, but not notably so - FitJoy, Oh Yeah One, Quest.

    Meh - Power Crunch, Robert Irvine's Fitcrunch, Ahhhnald's bar (whatever it's called), Think Thin tastes ok but has mediocre macros/calorie.

    Pure Protein is good but provides very little fibre compared to the others listed. I see they have a product called "Pure Protein Plus" that does offer decent fibre (15ish g), but I haven't tried this yet. If it taste as good as the regular bars, then I'd move them up.

    Awful, awful, awful and should never be consumed by humans ever - BPI Protein Bars. I don't know how these ever left some taste tester's approval.

    One note I'd like to add is that many of these products are cost prohibitive from a brick & mortar store. I buy in bulk online from whoever has a great sale and it makes a big difference. If you walk into a GNC, the Combat Crunch bars will cost at least $30 USD (whatever that converts to in your currency) but I end up paying around $20 a box, including s&h.

    Wondering if you have tried anything from Bariatric Choice online? I ate their Wonderslim bars for a long time after my weight loss surgery, but then found they had stuff in them that wasn't great. Moved to the Bariwise bars. I loved the chewy ones. Mainly peanut butter and rocky road. They are great because they are 15 grams of protein, sugars are around 6 grams, and only 170 calories.

    I had to stop though because I was kind of addicted to them and ate too many .. LOL.

    Now I use the Zone Perfect bars, and the Luna Whole Nutrition Bars (dark chocolate hazelnut and dark chocolate mocha almond.) The luna bars are lower sugar, calories, and protein, but perfect for a snack when I have the room (pretty much every night).
  • hillaryjess
    hillaryjess Posts: 39 Member
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    heyitslexi95 wrote: »
    Hey everyone,

    I am new to protein bars & am a little curious about a few things....
    1. Can you have protein bars about 2-3 hours before you go to bed?
    2. For QuestBar eaters, what are you favorite flavors? If you heat them up, for how long?
    3. Other than Quest, what are your favorite protein bars?

    Thank you ahead of time for all responses! :-)

    Let me preface that I'm no expert as I'm also catching the protein bar wave, but here's what I've learned so far:
    1) I shoot for a 12 hour nightly fast (usually 8:30p-8:30a) to help give my digestive system a break. I can typically eat one near the close of the feeding period before bed around 10:30 and go to bed feeling satisfied. I will say though, that I tend to wake in the middle of the night overheated more so on days I consume a larger amount of protein before bed. Not sure if this has anything to do with the higher thermogenic effect of protein (vs. carbs and fat) or what. I need to research this more. Also, I'd say timing will have to do with individual tolerance of the ingredients of the bar.

    2) I'm currently experimenting with Quest bar flavors. So far Quest kills it on the Cookies & Cream, Blueberry Muffin. For heating I ate the Cookies & Cream after it sat in a hot car for about an hour and it was delish. If you have the time I suggest tossing the Blueberry Muffin bar in the toaster oven instead of the microwave. Just a few minutes to heat/soften but also to get just a little toasting to bring out the muffin quality--top with a couple splashes of spray butter and it's AMAZING. Cookie Dough and Smores were pretty good. AVOID the cinnamon roll if you like real cinnamon rolls at all. It is very disappointing. Also, is there really a substitute for a really good cinnamon roll? No, no there is not!

    3) I've been experimenting with other bars, too. Comparable to Quest in macro composition is the Oh Yeah! brand. Also desserty flavors, but more sugar alcohols (if that makes any difference to you). These are overall way softer out of the package than Quest and don't need any heat to be edible and delicious. I <3 the birthday cake flavor along with most people who seek these things to satisfy their inner fat kid while keeping lean! White Chocolate Raspberry is killer, too. I'm dying to try to chocolate birthday cake one tonight. The Special K dessert-inspired meal bars are okay, though they have less than half the protein in them as a Quest or Oh Yeah!. They're more "kinda healthy" candy bar than meal replacement. I'd avoid unless you catch a killer deal and just really want some chocolate mint flavor.

    Overall, if you're tracking your macros and are short on protein but getting close on your fats yet really want some dessert it's tough to beat a good protein bar. If it helps, I've started tracking my protein bar quest by posting no B.S. reviews on my Instagram. Feel free to follow along @nerdragefit and weigh in with what you come up with! Best of luck.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    The two best tasting bars I've found are Fit Crunch by Robert Ervine (Peanut Butter FTW!) and Met-RX Big 100 (I like the Cookie Crunch) bars. Both are the bomb. Pure Protein bars taste too much like artificial sweeteners to me, and Quest are simply taste like play dough with sweeteners. Granted these bars likely aren't as 'good' for you as others, but the taste is outstanding. I also use Lenny and Larry's Complete Cookies, although they don't have as much protein in them as I'd like. Keep in mind all of these bars, full size anyway, that I've mentioned are 380-410 calories so they are considered a meal replacement bar and have around 30-32g of protein except for the cookies which are 16g. I've changed to eating 5x a day, three meals plus two snacks, so I eat one of the bars for a mid-morning snack and then a cookie or a second bar for an afternoon snack. It's helped keep my metabolism ramped up all day, and keep my hunger down since I exercise about 90 minutes a day six days a week. I believe the Fit Crunch bars can be purchased in snack size which are 190 calories and around 16g protein.
  • jprewitt1
    jprewitt1 Posts: 264 Member
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    Fit and Active Protein Bar. I buy them at Aldi and I love them. I usually have one a day to help with cravings and my sweet tooth. 180 calories, 10g of protein, and several flavors. Super cheap too. I prefer the chocolate chip version myself, but the peanut butter one is good too.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 79 Member
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    3) I've been experimenting with other bars, too. Comparable to Quest in macro composition is the Oh Yeah! brand. Also desserty flavors, but more sugar alcohols (if that makes any difference to you). These are overall way softer out of the package than Quest and don't need any heat to be edible and delicious. I <3 the birthday cake flavor along with most people who seek these things to satisfy their inner fat kid while keeping lean! White Chocolate Raspberry is killer, too. I'm dying to try to chocolate birthday cake one tonight.

    Oh you MUST report on the chocolate birthday cake flavor, I have been dying to try!
  • phildog50
    phildog50 Posts: 31 Member
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    Don't microwave Quest bars in the package... put them on a plate. (Foil lined)
  • MsBuzzkillington
    MsBuzzkillington Posts: 171 Member
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    nelsunnie wrote: »

    I've heard good things about the one Robert Irvine makes as well as the Complete Cookie, but I'm not sure of the protein content in those. I've also heard Combat Crunch is great but I think it has more calories.

    I have had different ones from Robert Irvine, all of them are very good. The birthday cake one is delicious. But they are like 380 calories and 27c or something. Same with the complete cookie, it's about 380 I think for the whole cookie. So while they are very delicious I feel like they aren't good choices if you are trying to cut calories. Not that this thread is about cutting calories, just saying.

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