Is a protein bar & shake everyday ok?
Kimblesnbits13
Posts: 369 Member
I know getting protein through real food is best but bars and shakes are so convenient for an extra 40 grams per day. Was wondering if having a protein bar AND a shake everyday would be ok or is that too many processed protein snacks?
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If you don't get bored with it and you're meeting your calorie/macro needs overall, then there's nothing to worry about. Processed food really isn't that big a deal. (Speaking as someone who eats a lot of veggie dogs and Gardein with the occasional bag of Simply Protein chips.)4
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Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
It's not an issue, it only becomes an issue is if your diet is 90% processed crap and 10% healthy or something where the healthy foods are almost non existent.
Eh that's the thing, my lunches are sometimes frozen meals then snacks are protein bar, protein shake, and yogurt with fiber one. Then dinner is anything from chicken/veggies/rice to pizza lol1 -
and then i have dessert...maybe 150-200 cals worth1
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I use them but try not to get more than 50% of my protein from it. Some have lots of fiber as mentioned above. I even mix powder in with my oatmeal.0
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Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
It's not an issue, it only becomes an issue is if your diet is 90% processed crap and 10% healthy or something where the healthy foods are almost non existent.
Eh that's the thing, my lunches are sometimes frozen meals then snacks are protein bar, protein shake, and yogurt with fiber one. Then dinner is anything from chicken/veggies/rice to pizza lol
OP you can eat protein bar and/or shake if you fail to get your protein for the day from food alone. I aim for 105-120 grams a day, and I eat a 20 gr protein/10 gr fiber protein bar every day. If I cannot eat enough protein through food sources I will have to supplement with whey or a pre-made protein drink.
Processed frozen meals are fine as well, most try to watch is their sodium intake from these that's all. You can incorporate plenty of balance that you need just fine with what you are doing. Once you have been doing this for a while you will decide if you need to sub or swap out certain foods if you need to.
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Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
It's not an issue, it only becomes an issue is if your diet is 90% processed crap and 10% healthy or something where the healthy foods are almost non existent.
Eh that's the thing, my lunches are sometimes frozen meals then snacks are protein bar, protein shake, and yogurt with fiber one. Then dinner is anything from chicken/veggies/rice to pizza lol
Your body doesn't care if the food you are eating was previously frozen. Your body only "cares" if you're meeting your nutritional needs and you can do that while eating frozen food.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
It's not an issue, it only becomes an issue is if your diet is 90% processed crap and 10% healthy or something where the healthy foods are almost non existent.
Eh that's the thing, my lunches are sometimes frozen meals then snacks are protein bar, protein shake, and yogurt with fiber one. Then dinner is anything from chicken/veggies/rice to pizza lol
Your body doesn't care if the food you are eating was previously frozen. Your body only "cares" if you're meeting your nutritional needs and you can do that while eating frozen food.
I read this as referring to Atkins, Smart Ones, etc you get from the supermarket, and more of an indictment of eating a lot of processed foods.
Even the ones claiming to be high protein, cap out at ~ 20g a serving .... they tend to be carb heavy, cause its cheaper to manufacture. Barely sufficient if youre eating only the minimum RDA. This can make it hard to hit your target, particularly if your breakfast isn't high protein. Trying to make it up at the end of the day and stay within calories can be difficult.
And that's were supplements come in ( powers & bars ). If they fit your macros, they are no better or worse for you ( from the standpoint of how they are produced ) then, say , Rice-a-Roni or Prego spagetti sauce. Have them in place of Kraft dinner ? Sure ... In place of a pork chop ? No.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »
It's not an issue, it only becomes an issue is if your diet is 90% processed crap and 10% healthy or something where the healthy foods are almost non existent.
Eh that's the thing, my lunches are sometimes frozen meals then snacks are protein bar, protein shake, and yogurt with fiber one. Then dinner is anything from chicken/veggies/rice to pizza lol
Your body doesn't care if the food you are eating was previously frozen. Your body only "cares" if you're meeting your nutritional needs and you can do that while eating frozen food.
I read this as referring to Atkins, Smart Ones, etc you get from the supermarket, and more of an indictment of eating a lot of processed foods.
Even the ones claiming to be high protein, cap out at ~ 20g a serving .... they tend to be carb heavy, cause its cheaper to manufacture. Barely sufficient if youre eating only the minimum RDA. This can make it hard to hit your target, particularly if your breakfast isn't high protein. Trying to make it up at the end of the day and stay within calories can be difficult.
And that's were supplements come in ( powers & bars ). If they fit your macros, they are no better or worse for you ( from the standpoint of how they are produced ) then, say , Rice-a-Roni or Prego spagetti sauce. Have them in place of Kraft dinner ? Sure ... In place of a pork chop ? No.
If a particular frozen meal doesn't fit well into someone's day, then it probably isn't good for a regular choice. I'm referring more to disregarding a meal simply because it is frozen or processed -- that doesn't make sense to me. It's relatively easy for someone to flip a box over, check out the ingredients and nutritional facts, and see how it fits into their plan.2 -
Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »I know getting protein through real food is best but bars and shakes are so convenient for an extra 40 grams per day. Was wondering if having a protein bar AND a shake everyday would be ok or is that too many processed protein snacks?
There's no right answer to this. What's OK for you may or may not be OK for anyone else... so it depends on where you draw your line.
I eat similarly to what you're proposing... a shake and a quest bar for lunch, frozen pizza or chicken nuggets or similar for dinner, then whatever else to fill in the rest of my cals/macros. I think of myself as "micro aware, but not micro focused" so I don't get very hung up on micronutrients. I do try to take a multi most days, but that's me. What you do or how you prioritize could be completely different.0 -
It all depends on what works into your calories, and if you enjoy them.
I personally drink 2 protein shakes a day...almond milk and a low sugar/carb powder from Optimum Nutrition. This works best for me as I am on the go a lot and most of what I bring with me is fruits and vegetables to snack on. I also do lower carb, so my protein intake may be higher than others.
Most days look like this:
Breakfast - Coffee and a shake
Lunch - Baby carrots, cucumbers, an apple, & turkey sticks (2) from Old Wisconsin and a string cheese
Snacks - protein shake around 2 pm
Dinner - usually lean meat, veggies, starch
This is what works for me...I get lots of whole foods in, I feel great consuming this, and still use the help of protein shakes to get me to where I need to be!
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Yes it's ok and a good way to meet your protein macro, in addition to regular food.0
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I have a protein shake and bar at the same time most days.0
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Kimblesnbits13 wrote: »I know getting protein through real food is best but bars and shakes are so convenient for an extra 40 grams per day. Was wondering if having a protein bar AND a shake everyday would be ok or is that too many processed protein snacks?
It's okay, along with your other proper meals.0 -
fritch_gets_fit26 wrote: »It all depends on what works into your calories, and if you enjoy them.
I personally drink 2 protein shakes a day...almond milk and a low sugar/carb powder from Optimum Nutrition. This works best for me as I am on the go a lot and most of what I bring with me is fruits and vegetables to snack on. I also do lower carb, so my protein intake may be higher than others.
Most days look like this:
Breakfast - Coffee and a shake
Lunch - Baby carrots, cucumbers, an apple, & turkey sticks (2) from Old Wisconsin and a string cheese
Snacks - protein shake around 2 pm
Dinner - usually lean meat, veggies, starch
This is what works for me...I get lots of whole foods in, I feel great consuming this, and still use the help of protein shakes to get me to where I need to be!
For someone doing lower carb, you eat an awful lot of carbs and not much fat.
OP - protein supplements are fine if you struggle with getting sufficient protein. I don't, but tend to avoid bars because they have excess macros I would rather spend on something else (like I'd rather eat fruit and vegies than spend the carbs on a protein bar)0 -
As somebody who's trying to lose weight while maintaining strength for lifting, I find protein powders useful for hitting higher protein counts while not going over calories. I try to avoid the really carb-heavy sugar-heavy ones, though.1
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I personally eat a protein shake and bar almost everyday while I'm at work. But it's because I like them and want them and they fit in my calories and macros. I don't really worry about it being too much processed food but that's not something I'm concerned with for myself and I meet all of my other nutritional needs still.0
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Do you enjoy them? Do they fit your goals? If so, then yes.
I often use both of them during the course of a work day.0
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