Protein bar trickery
Replies
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I love Built bars. They are best refrigerated or frozen, but they taste like a candy bar.0
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Edit: Looking through the replies I see that I wasn’t very clear. I travel ALOT I’m rarely home and for meals I would just get junk food. I’m trying to combat that in different ways. I figured protein bars would be a good substitute to a small meal/snack.
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MoiAussi93 wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »There is no magic to protein bars, and many are loaded with sugar. If you want to avoid sugar and have a healthy snack, try almonds. You can bring them anywhere, and they taste good and are good for you.
Another suggestion is plain greek yogurt...lots of protein, no added sugar. You can mix in some natural peanut butter or berries if you prefer flavor.
If the idea is to get in protein, I don't see almonds working out very well. To get 20 grams of protein like a lot of protein bars, it will take roughly 95 grams, with 547 calories. Even a Luna Bar (which isn't really a protein bar) is going to get more protein per calorie at 2.5 bars to get 2 grams for 500 calories.
He didn't say the main goal was to get more protein. He said the idea was to eat healthy and, specifically, to find a snack that was compatible with that goal. He also expressed an interest in avoiding high amounts of sugar. A serving of almonds has 164 calories and 6 grams of protein...not bad at all for a snack. They meet both of his stated criteria, and are useful in supplementing protein.
The Luna bars you mention don't have much more protein than a single serving of almonds...looks like several listed in the mfp database only have 8-10 grams and are close to 200 (several seem to be 180) calories. At least almonds don't have all the sugar!
Even if that's what the OP said (it isn't), "healthy" is very subjective.3 -
RainbowLemon wrote: »Edit: Looking through the replies I see that I wasn’t very clear. I travel ALOT I’m rarely home and for meals I would just get junk food. I’m trying to combat that in different ways. I figured protein bars would be a good substitute to a small meal/snack.
Honestly in terms of bars, I like (and find satiating as a snack) some flavors of RXBars, clif bars, and perfect bars (though those are best refrigerated). I also like kind bars and I used to love Luna bars (I haven't had one in years - I'm sure there are flavors I still like). Unless you have a reason to limit the amount of sugar you're consuming, there isn't a need to avoid any of those due to sugar content. My main "eh do I really want to buy this?" in relation to bars has more to do with cost than anything.2 -
RainbowLemon wrote: »Edit: Looking through the replies I see that I wasn’t very clear. I travel ALOT I’m rarely home and for meals I would just get junk food. I’m trying to combat that in different ways. I figured protein bars would be a good substitute to a small meal/snack.
If you are looking specifically for portable higher protein snacks that aren't protein bars and that are easy to find, try:
jerky/meat sticks (or meatless versions, which are harder to find)
nuts
individually wrapped cheeses (string cheese, Laughing Cow, Babybel, etc.)
individual packets of nut butter
hardboiled eggs
individual containers of tuna
Greek yogurt cups (I like to mix it with protein powder and PB2)
prepackaged protein shakes (may fit your tastes better than bars)
individual bottles of milk6 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »There is no magic to protein bars, and many are loaded with sugar. If you want to avoid sugar and have a healthy snack, try almonds. You can bring them anywhere, and they taste good and are good for you.
Another suggestion is plain greek yogurt...lots of protein, no added sugar. You can mix in some natural peanut butter or berries if you prefer flavor.
If the idea is to get in protein, I don't see almonds working out very well. To get 20 grams of protein like a lot of protein bars, it will take roughly 95 grams, with 547 calories. Even a Luna Bar (which isn't really a protein bar) is going to get more protein per calorie at 2.5 bars to get 2 grams for 500 calories.
He didn't say the main goal was to get more protein. He said the idea was to eat healthy and, specifically, to find a snack that was compatible with that goal. He also expressed an interest in avoiding high amounts of sugar. A serving of almonds has 164 calories and 6 grams of protein...not bad at all for a snack. They meet both of his stated criteria, and are useful in supplementing protein.
The Luna bars you mention don't have much more protein than a single serving of almonds...looks like several listed in the mfp database only have 8-10 grams and are close to 200 (several seem to be 180) calories. At least almonds don't have all the sugar!
Even if that's what the OP said (it isn't), "healthy" is very subjective.
Yes, it is subjective. And I pointed that out. So what is your point exactly?2 -
Better macros than a candy bar.
And storable wherever for when you need food on a ride or after a run and have to be on the way to somewhere else.
I usually go with balance bars (<$1, about 200 calories, enough protein to count as a protein bar) (definitely sweet so probably a lot of sugar, but I don't care). Also Luna and Clif food bars (less protein than protein bars, but still serve the purpose of getting me fed while on the go between running and dancing or in the car on the way to the gym). Yep, sweet.
I personally don't know of any that aren't sweetened, whether with sugar /sugary ingredients or artificial sweetener (they would probably taste pretty bad IMO). You might have preferable options to food/protein bars if non-perishability isn't a requirement depending on your reason for eating the Luna bars.1 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »magnusthenerd wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »There is no magic to protein bars, and many are loaded with sugar. If you want to avoid sugar and have a healthy snack, try almonds. You can bring them anywhere, and they taste good and are good for you.
Another suggestion is plain greek yogurt...lots of protein, no added sugar. You can mix in some natural peanut butter or berries if you prefer flavor.
If the idea is to get in protein, I don't see almonds working out very well. To get 20 grams of protein like a lot of protein bars, it will take roughly 95 grams, with 547 calories. Even a Luna Bar (which isn't really a protein bar) is going to get more protein per calorie at 2.5 bars to get 2 grams for 500 calories.
He didn't say the main goal was to get more protein. He said the idea was to eat healthy and, specifically, to find a snack that was compatible with that goal. He also expressed an interest in avoiding high amounts of sugar. A serving of almonds has 164 calories and 6 grams of protein...not bad at all for a snack. They meet both of his stated criteria, and are useful in supplementing protein.
The Luna bars you mention don't have much more protein than a single serving of almonds...looks like several listed in the mfp database only have 8-10 grams and are close to 200 (several seem to be 180) calories. At least almonds don't have all the sugar!
Even if that's what the OP said (it isn't), "healthy" is very subjective.
Yes, it is subjective. And I pointed that out. So what is your point exactly?
I'm not seeing where you pointed that out actually. So to repeat, my points were that a. "eating healthy" was not mentioned in the first post and b. "healthy" is subjective. A sub point is that c. sugar isn't automatically unhealthy. If you need to avoid it due to a medical condition then ok, but that hasn't been indicated by the OP.0 -
RainbowLemon wrote: »Edit: Looking through the replies I see that I wasn’t very clear. I travel ALOT I’m rarely home and for meals I would just get junk food. I’m trying to combat that in different ways. I figured protein bars would be a good substitute to a small meal/snack.
I wouldn't fret over the sugar if you are meeting recommended fat and protein and aren't getting hungry again shortly after. Peanut butter stores well. I usually have a small supply of bars and single peanut butter tubs with me when out or traveling. Along with yogurt singles for multi - day trips if it won't be anywhere too hot for too long.2 -
Single-cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt, TV dinners, quick oats/other cereal and milk can be gotten at most quickie-marts, and they'll often have a microwave available.1
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I personally like the Power Crunch protein bars. 200 calories, very low sugar, tasty and doesn't upset my stomach.0
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Check out Lara Bars -- date based, probably the lowest total ingredients of any bars out there.1
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I'm not seeing where you pointed that out actually. So to repeat, my points were that a. "eating healthy" was not mentioned in the first post and b. "healthy" is subjective. A sub point is that c. sugar isn't automatically unhealthy. If you need to avoid it due to a medical condition then ok, but that hasn't been indicated by the OP.
Actually, I did point that out. I wrote (I'll paste it again for you...no need to thank me!):
"She started off by saying she was trying to eat more healthy (not defined, so we are free to interpret that the way we think most likely) "
Let me try to make this even more clear for you (I'm in a very helpful mood today...lucky you!): saying someone didn't define how they are using a word and that we are therefore free to interpret it in the way that makes sense to us is, in effect, saying that the word is highly subjective by nature. See, it's there!
As to your new issues:
a) You're mistaken again! Eating healthy was mentioned by the OP in the very first post in this thread. She said "Hi! I’ve recently gotten much more serious about eating healthy "
b) We've already covered this. Yes, eating healthy is subjective. I agree. I pointed that out TWICE for you! See, we agree!
c) I never said that sugar is unhealthy (this too is subjective, btw. Many people do see it as unhealthy. Just like "healthy", it is up for debate) so I'm not sure (again!) why you even bring this up. Also, OP in her FIRST POST specifically said the following about the protein bars that taste good:
"The only problem is apparently they have a pretty high amount of sugar".
This very strongly implies that she...for some reason ...does view sugar as unhealthy, or even if she doesn't, for some reason she prefers not to eat a lot of it. There is nothing wrong with that. Since she CLEARLY desires to not eat a lot of sugar, most people here are giving suggestions that work with that desire. So, once again, I am really not sure what your problem is.5 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »I'm not seeing where you pointed that out actually. So to repeat, my points were that a. "eating healthy" was not mentioned in the first post and b. "healthy" is subjective. A sub point is that c. sugar isn't automatically unhealthy. If you need to avoid it due to a medical condition then ok, but that hasn't been indicated by the OP.
Actually, I did point that out. I wrote (I'll paste it again for you...no need to thank me!):
"She started off by saying she was trying to eat more healthy (not defined, so we are free to interpret that the way we think most likely) "
Let me try to make this even more clear for you (I'm in a very helpful mood today...lucky you!): saying someone didn't define how they are using a word and that we are therefore free to interpret it in the way that makes sense to us is, in effect, saying that the word is highly subjective by nature. See, it's there!
As to your new issues:
a) You're mistaken again! Eating healthy was mentioned by the OP in the very first post in this thread. She said "Hi! I’ve recently gotten much more serious about eating healthy "
b) We've already covered this. Yes, eating healthy is subjective. I agree. I pointed that out TWICE for you! See, we agree!
c) I never said that sugar is unhealthy (this too is subjective, btw. Many people do see it as unhealthy. Just like "healthy", it is up for debate) so I'm not sure (again!) why you even bring this up. Also, OP in her FIRST POST specifically said the following about the protein bars that taste good:
"The only problem is apparently they have a pretty high amount of sugar".
This very strongly implies that she...for some reason ...does view sugar as unhealthy, or even if she doesn't, for some reason she prefers not to eat a lot of it. There is nothing wrong with that. Since she CLEARLY desires to not eat a lot of sugar, most people here are giving suggestions that work with that desire. So, once again, I am really not sure what your problem is.
How lucky I am! You, clearly, are the kindest of people
You're even coming close to reading my mind in your addressing of my third point. 3 -
I quite like the Herbalife ones, much as I’m not keen on their business model, I just buy a box off a friend, no strings, every now and then. For the money and macros I think they make a good post-run treat. I like the vanilla-almond flavour.0
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I like quest bars, but the artificial sweetener upsets my stomach. So I usually defer to protein shakes these days. When I am picking up a bar, it's typically the Snickers protein bar. It has real (reasonable) carbs, and is fairly balanced between carbs and protein. Have you looked into these?
IMO a bar with 6g protein isn't worth eating, unless I was just trying to get the calories in.
Perhaps you would be happier doing some meal prep for items that are easily transportable in baggies or containers, instead of relying on bars.
(no shade in this comment... some people don't consider taking containers along with them until someone else reminds them that it's not as hard as it seems). 0 -
I love Quest bars. And they are so high in fiber. My dietitian recommends them.0
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Back to the topic at hand. Outside of what I already listed, I am also a big fan of applesauce as a snack (or raw apples, but I prefer applesauce). I'll make a large batch every few weeks and add whatever flavors I like. If think it'll take more than a week to get through I'll can it in half pint jars, if not I'll stick it in the fridge.
In general snacks are challenging for me as I don't like most dairy products, am not a big fan of most nuts, don't like nut butter (even if it's from nuts that I like), etc. In short - snacks are where I'm picky. I've found over the past few months snacks have been apples, apple sauce, clif bars, or RX bars.
When I was living in Germany it was bread instead of the bars, but I also lived walking distance from multiple good bakeries at the time so making sure I had a few good bread rolls on hand wasn't hard.0 -
Katiebear_81 wrote: »I like quest bars, but the artificial sweetener upsets my stomach. So I usually defer to protein shakes these days. When I am picking up a bar, it's typically the Snickers protein bar. It has real (reasonable) carbs, and is fairly balanced between carbs and protein. Have you looked into these?
IMO a bar with 6g protein isn't worth eating, unless I was just trying to get the calories in.
Perhaps you would be happier doing some meal prep for items that are easily transportable in baggies or containers, instead of relying on bars. (no shade in this comment... some people don't consider taking containers along with them until someone else reminds them that it's not as hard as it seems).
Hmm, I don't recall that the sucralose in the Quest bar I ate upset my stomach, but I sure did find the taste to be nasty.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Katiebear_81 wrote: »I like quest bars, but the artificial sweetener upsets my stomach. So I usually defer to protein shakes these days. When I am picking up a bar, it's typically the Snickers protein bar. It has real (reasonable) carbs, and is fairly balanced between carbs and protein. Have you looked into these?
IMO a bar with 6g protein isn't worth eating, unless I was just trying to get the calories in.
Perhaps you would be happier doing some meal prep for items that are easily transportable in baggies or containers, instead of relying on bars. (no shade in this comment... some people don't consider taking containers along with them until someone else reminds them that it's not as hard as it seems).
Hmm, I don't recall that the sucralose in the Quest bar I ate upset my stomach, but I sure did find the taste to be nasty.
I am sensitive to some of the fibers like oligosaccharides and erythritols. I can have one on a rare occasion, but regularly means I better cancel my workout and stay home.
Sucralose in reasonable amounts, and without the fiber listed above, doesn't cause me GI upset very often.1 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »I'm not seeing where you pointed that out actually. So to repeat, my points were that a. "eating healthy" was not mentioned in the first post and b. "healthy" is subjective. A sub point is that c. sugar isn't automatically unhealthy. If you need to avoid it due to a medical condition then ok, but that hasn't been indicated by the OP.
Actually, I did point that out. I wrote (I'll paste it again for you...no need to thank me!):
"She started off by saying she was trying to eat more healthy (not defined, so we are free to interpret that the way we think most likely) "
Let me try to make this even more clear for you (I'm in a very helpful mood today...lucky you!): saying someone didn't define how they are using a word and that we are therefore free to interpret it in the way that makes sense to us is, in effect, saying that the word is highly subjective by nature. See, it's there!
As to your new issues:
a) You're mistaken again! Eating healthy was mentioned by the OP in the very first post in this thread. She said "Hi! I’ve recently gotten much more serious about eating healthy "
b) We've already covered this. Yes, eating healthy is subjective. I agree. I pointed that out TWICE for you! See, we agree!
c) I never said that sugar is unhealthy (this too is subjective, btw. Many people do see it as unhealthy. Just like "healthy", it is up for debate) so I'm not sure (again!) why you even bring this up. Also, OP in her FIRST POST specifically said the following about the protein bars that taste good:
"The only problem is apparently they have a pretty high amount of sugar".
This very strongly implies that she...for some reason ...does view sugar as unhealthy, or even if she doesn't, for some reason she prefers not to eat a lot of it. There is nothing wrong with that. Since she CLEARLY desires to not eat a lot of sugar, most people here are giving suggestions that work with that desire. So, once again, I am really not sure what your problem is.
How lucky I am! You, clearly, are the kindest of people You're even coming close to reading my mind in your addressing of my third point.
I'm happy to help! Have a great evening.2 -
I like Quest bars. Think thin has a lower calorie bar if you are just eating it as a snack and not meal replacement. Unfortunately none of them will give you the satisfaction like real food.1
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From: http://www.sugar-and-sweetener-guide.com/isomalto-oligosaccharide.html
Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) is a moderately sweet carbohydrate that occurs naturally, though in small quantities, in honey.
It is also found in fermented foods such as miso and soy sauce.
It has certain beneficial properties similar to Oligofructose and Inulin. Like these it is made up of carbohydrate chains that are resistant to digestion, and therefore low in calories. However it differs in that the carbohydrate in the chain is glucose not fructose.
It consists of usually 3 to 6 glucose molecules bound with an indigestible glycosidic linkage. The stomach is unable to break the linkage to free the glucose, so it passes into the colon without being metabolized. It is therefore characterized as a soluble fiber.
It has a good taste and about half the sweetness of sugar.
Uses:
It is mainly used in protein bars and health bars. It can be used as a bulking agent and as a sugar substitute, though intense sweeteners are usually needed to impart the required flavor.
Benefits:
It has about half the calories of sugar. It has a low glycemic index, though at about 35 it is not really suitable for diabetics. It adds fiber to the diet. It is prebiotic and has been shown to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon. It has also been show to assist the body's ability to absorb minerals from food. It adds bulk and texture to processed foods.
It has also been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides.
See: NCIB treatment of lipid profiles with IMO
Like Xylitol and Erythritol it appears to help reduce the development of tooth decay by protecting the enamel.
Concerns:
Isomalto-oligosaccharide has a mildly laxative effect. It is a fiber and this can have beneficial effects but can cause cramps etc if consumed to excess. Probably best not to consume more than 30 gm per day. (About 7 small teaspoons) For this reason it is a good idea to be aware of its presence in processed foods and 'health foods'.
It has great benefits, but may not suit everyone.
Safety Guidelines:
The FDA has issued a guideline of 30gm per day. It would be well to start below this level. Over time the body habituates to use and the amount can be safely increased.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest give a SAFE rating for Inulin and Oligofructose. Though they do not specifically mention IMO, it is almost identical in it's effects.
Production:
Though it is naturally occurring, it is not economically viable to extract it. Instead It is produced from starch. Any type will do though wheat, corn and rice are most commonly used. The starch is converted into maltose syrup using enzymatic hydrolysis. This maltose syrup is then treated further with enzymes to convert the glycosidic linkages into a non digestible form containing 3 to 6 glucose molecules. Although it has health benefits, it is a pure chemical substance, and like white sugar is devoid of all nutrients.
Interesting facts:
Isomalto-oligosaccharide is a carbohydrate made up of glucose molecules joined in a particular type of glycosidic linkage which cannot be broken down by saliva or digestive enzymes.
It is rather unfortunate that it was named by an unimaginative scientist. It is probably rather unsettling for most people to see this complicated and peculiar name on the ingredient list of a product they are about to consume. However it is a safe and natural substance!
Though it occurs in nature, in is not found in large concentrations, so although it has beneficial effects, moderation is advised.11 -
Yep, prefer dates 😂7
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To each their own. But neither one needs to be denigrated as "junk".9
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I've tried Lara bars and RX Bars. I'd unequivocally rather go hungry.
The only bar I care enough to eat because it actually tastes good is Power Crunch red velvet. But I'm not fooling myself; it's just a tiny step up nutritionally from a Kit Kat
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dulcitonia wrote: »
So it seems that the issue here is that some things are typically known by, entered into ingredients lists as, or only have a scientific name and some people really. don't. like. that they can't pronounce those words. Never mind, of course, that those words are mundane things.
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I'm not actually a fan of Larabars or Quest bars -- both are edible and not IMO terrible, but I can think of a lot of tastier ways to spend the calories (for me) with nutrition that is at least as good.
Don't see any issue with sugar alcohols, though, unless you have a negative reaction to them, which I do not. I mostly think foods with actual sugar (including most fruits) taste better, but I'm not a big fan of dates, so I'll take plain greek yogurt with some raspberries if we are playing foods I'd personally rather eat (and like the Quest bar that choice has a lot more protein than a typical Larabar). I'd be silly to claim my preference is inherently superior to someone else's though -- if one really likes Quest bars (or Larabars), there's nothing wrong with them.4
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