Opinions on Raw bars & Protein Bars

Laura_buthlay
Laura_buthlay Posts: 34 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
What are people's opinions on Raw Bars and Protein Bars? I love the Cashew Crush bars from Aldi but they seem very oily and have 8g Fat, 12g sugar and 16g carbs! Surely these aren't as healthy as they seem? Also opinions on the Trek Protein Bars and Fiber One Bars? Looking for something as a mid morning snack or pre workout snack. Thank you :)

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Laura_buthlay wrote: »
    What are people's opinions on Raw Bars and Protein Bars? I love the Cashew Crush bars from Aldi but they seem very oily and have 8g Fat, 12g sugar and 16g carbs! Surely these aren't as healthy as they seem? Also opinions on the Trek Protein Bars and Fiber One Bars? Looking for something as a mid morning snack or pre workout snack. Thank you :)

    i quite regularly eat raw bars, or protein enriched 'natural' bars, like trek. i find their macros better than a normal flapjack or chocolate bar and they are more filling for me.

    i have the fibre 1 brownies as a sweet treat as they are low calorie.

    i am not touching how 'healthy' they are - that term is far too subjective, but a lot of the raw bars (nakd ones for example) are one of your 5 a day which cant be a bad thing.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    What does healthy mean to you? To me, healthy constitutes more than calories - all food has calories, healthy food can be calorie dense or not, just like less nutrient dense options.

    Calories/macros are important for weight loss. Nutritional quality (of your overall diet, not individual foods or ingredients) is important for health. Fat is not bad, carbs are not bad...

    Does the food fit your calorie goal? Does it taste good? Does it satisfy you? Does it fit whatever you deem healthy/appropriate to include in your diet?
  • Laura_buthlay
    Laura_buthlay Posts: 34 Member
    Thank you, yes I find them quite filling which is why I like them and obviously they have got to be better than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps! Was just worried about the fat content and sugar content mainly. Would really like to try the whole Macro thing, I have heard great things but can't get my head around it as I am used to calorie counting!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Laura_buthlay wrote: »
    Thank you, yes I find them quite filling which is why I like them and obviously they have got to be better than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps! Was just worried about the fat content and sugar content mainly. Would really like to try the whole Macro thing, I have heard great things but can't get my head around it as I am used to calorie counting!

    macros are just carbs, fat and protein, and how much of each makes up your calories. not sure what there is to 'get'?

    in terms of what are good macros, the following are often suggested:

    protein 0.8g per lb of bodyweight
    fat 0.3-0.4 per lb of bodyweight
    carbs the rest.

    or just see your mfp fat and protein goals as minimums.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Laura_buthlay wrote: »
    Thank you, yes I find them quite filling which is why I like them and obviously they have got to be better than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps! Was just worried about the fat content and sugar content mainly. Would really like to try the whole Macro thing, I have heard great things but can't get my head around it as I am used to calorie counting!

    Mostly focus on calories.
    Eat enough fat and protein -- ok to go over
    Eat how every many carbs you want as long as they fit your calories -- some people go over. Others choose to go under.

    This is more or less what your macros could look like. Each day can be different.
    1. Carbohydrates: 45-65% of calories
    2. Fat: 20-35% of calories
    3. Protein: 10-35% of calories

  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
    I love the nak'd cocoa orange bars (and most of their other ones too!) - that one tastes amazing, they have a nice texture and they're just fruit and nuts and the odd smidge of things like cocoa.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,147 Member
    Rosemary7391 wrote: »
    I love the nak'd cocoa orange bars (and most of their other ones too!) - that one tastes amazing, they have a nice texture and they're just fruit and nuts and the odd smidge of things like cocoa.

    I love them too! Cocoa Orange & Cocoa Mint are my faves also like the little bite size snack bags they do to.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    Special K cereal bars are around 90 calories and not too sweet. I do like lots of the others but refuse to use up that many calories for a snack on a daily basis.
  • Squish815
    Squish815 Posts: 150 Member
    I am currently obsessed with the Brownie Fibre One bars - if I get the craving for something sweet (especially at lunch time), they are my go to. I have a Nakd cocoa mint bar indoors I'm waiting to try too! As for healthy, as others have said it depends on your definition.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Laura_buthlay wrote: »
    What are people's opinions on Raw Bars and Protein Bars? I love the Cashew Crush bars from Aldi but they seem very oily and have 8g Fat, 12g sugar and 16g carbs! Surely these aren't as healthy as they seem? Also opinions on the Trek Protein Bars and Fiber One Bars? Looking for something as a mid morning snack or pre workout snack. Thank you :)

    my answer: whichever fit the macros best that you come up short on with roughly the number of calories you want in that time period.

    I usually just go with Clif bars (not the 'protein' ones)(less protein, but much cheaper, more fiber than most protein bars, and a bit more fat - which tends to be low on my lower calorie days, and at 250-270 calories-half the bar with either yogurt or peanut butter brings me up to the ~250-300 calories I want for breakfast or post-workout snack with saving the other half for next time).
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    It's better than eating a muffin.
  • MommaGem2017
    MommaGem2017 Posts: 405 Member
    Squish815 wrote: »
    I am currently obsessed with the Brownie Fibre One bars - if I get the craving for something sweet (especially at lunch time), they are my go to. I have a Nakd cocoa mint bar indoors I'm waiting to try too! As for healthy, as others have said it depends on your definition.

    I put my Brownie Fibre One bars in the freezer so they're nice an chewy. Yummy snack!

    For OP, the macros wouldn't bother me, but I would mostly look at the calories. I won't eat a snack bar that's over 150cal. It just doesn't fit into my snack budget.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    When I need a snack bar, I get something that is around 200 calories with at least 20 grams of protein. So I usually end up with Quest, One or Fit Crunch.
  • Laura_buthlay
    Laura_buthlay Posts: 34 Member
    ritzvin wrote: »
    Laura_buthlay wrote: »
    What are people's opinions on Raw Bars and Protein Bars? I love the Cashew Crush bars from Aldi but they seem very oily and have 8g Fat, 12g sugar and 16g carbs! Surely these aren't as healthy as they seem? Also opinions on the Trek Protein Bars and Fiber One Bars? Looking for something as a mid morning snack or pre workout snack. Thank you :)

    my answer: whichever fit the macros best that you come up short on with roughly the number of calories you want in that time period.

    I usually just go with Clif bars (not the 'protein' ones)(less protein, but much cheaper, more fiber than most protein bars, and a bit more fat - which tends to be low on my lower calorie days, and at 250-270 calories-half the bar with either yogurt or peanut butter brings me up to the ~250-300 calories I want for breakfast or post-workout snack with saving the other half for next time).

    Thanks Ritzvin, where can I get the Clif bars from?
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