Protein Bars

I have been getting a lot of questions about how I eat healthy “on the go”. I am out and about a lot during the day so it can be difficult to eat healthy, getting a good amount of quality protein, complex carbs and healthy fat. One thing that you may have noticed on my diet is that I do eat protein bars here and there. This not only helps me to keep to my 5-6 meals per day but it also helps me to hit my caloric intake that I need for my goals while doing P90X.

Although whole foods are always best, it can be very hard to plan meals ahead that can be taken with you. This is where protein bars come in. The only problem with protein bars is that most of them are just as bad as candy bars. It is very difficult to find a good protein bar that has good quality protein with as little fillers as possible. Not all protein bars are created equal so I thought I would share with you some of the ones that I like the best.

Somethings I look for in protein bars are ones that have good quality protein. The bars you eat need to contain whey protein or milk protein. If they contain Whey protein isolate that is even better. Some bars can contain soy, which is fine as long as it’s not a ton. The next thing I look for is something that is low in sugar. There is no point in having a protein bar that is loaded with sugar, it will derail your diet and defeats the purpose of eating healthy. I try to find one that has low sugar and low sugar alcohols. Next is fiber…the more fiber the better. This will help with the bar digesting more slowly so it won’t spike your blood sugar. I also try to find a bar that contains a good fat source…usually from nuts.

Here are some of the bars that I find the best for people trying to get quality protein for their diet or when their going through P90X.

1. 2:1 Protein Bars. Most of these bars are great because they are high in protein (30 grams), low in carbs (24g – 15g) and are mostly very low in sugar and have around 5g of fiber.  Try the Peanut Butter Browie, Oatmeal, Granola Oatmeal or cookies and creme.

2.  Quest Bars: I recently discovered these and really enjoyed them.  They are very low in fillers.  Have great quality protein (20 grams) , have low carbs (20 grams) and get all their fat from nuts.  They are also very low in sugar.  Most of the carbs come from fiber soursse so you have over 17grams of fiber per bar.  They are also Gluten Free.  Very good if you heat up in a microwave for 10 secs.

3.  PowerCruch Bars. PowerCrunch bars are very inexpensive and pack a great source of protein.  They use 14grams of ProtoWhey which is a Hydrolyzed whey protein.  They also are low in sugar (5g) and low in carbs (10 gram).  They are kinda like a wafer cookie…very tasty.

4.  Jay Robb Bars. These bars are great because they are gluten, wheat, MSG, Hydrogenated Oils, TransFat, Artificial Sweetner FREE.  They have Whey protein isolate as their protein source and are sweetened by natural agave nectar.  They are based from almond butter and have a very satisfying density.  Around 14g of protein and 24 grams of carbs, they have 6 grams of fiber as well.

5.  Pure Protein Bars. Pure protein bars come in a large and small size depending on how many calories you want.  They also contain a decent amount of protein and carbs.  They are lower in sugar but a little high on the sugar alcohol side.  They taste great but are a little bit low on the “clean” scale.  Still a decent choice.

6.  P90X Protein Bars. What I like about the P90X bars is that they are great for pre and post workout because they are a little high in the sugar category.  They are reletively high in protein (20g) with most of the protein coming from Soy protein Isolate.  For those of who you who would rather get soy than whey.  They also taste awesome.  They are gluten free as well and they seem to improve them as time goes on.  This latest batch has more protein and lower sugar.
So try for yourself and see.  Hopefully you can use these tips to help determine whether a protein bar is good for you or bad.  A protein bar can help you stay on track and keep you satisfied when you need something on the go.  This will help you get better results with your fitness program like P90X and will keep your diet on track.  These are all my favorites so far but I will update this list as I find more.

Do you agree with my choices?  What are your favorite protein bars?

Related Posts

New Vanilla Shakeology!

Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Whey Isolate or Concentrate?

Foods That Fool You!

Omega 3s Benefits

Are Cheat Meals Ok?

Losing Belly Fat

Eating Healthy On The Road

Measuring Body Fat

Protein Powder: Part 1

P90X Foods

P90X Nutrition: What Foods Do I Eat?

Creatine: What you Need to Know

My Fat Burning Diet

Nutrition 101: How to Eat for Results

QuestBar Review

Tropical Shakeology Ingredients

Give the Gift of Fitness

Healthy Holiday Tips

Holiday Shakeology Recipes!

prev next