Not all protein bars are created equal.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And \u2014 if we\u2019re being blunt \u2014 most bars that are labeled as being \u201chealthy\u201d have more in common with a candy bar than a handful of kale or a protein shake.<\/p>\n
This is the health industry, where it\u2019s much easier to slap buzzwords on a label than, you know<\/em>, actually provide you with what you need.<\/p>\n But rather than let you be frustrated by marketing tactics (they exist in every business and with every product), we want to make your life easier.\u00a0Because there are many good protein bars on the market.<\/p>\n We\u2019re here to make it easy for you to identify the real deal from the real duds. This rules seems obvious, but here\u2019s why it\u2019s so important:<\/p>\n 1. Most people don\u2019t look at the actual ingredients. They just scan things like \u201ccalories\u201d or \u201cprotein.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Most people don\u2019t know the order of ingredients reflects the quantity in a product. If sugar is first, that means there\u2019s more sugar than any other ingredient.<\/p>\n 3. Sugar has lots of different names so it\u2019s easily to be fooled. So if the first ingredient is dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or turbinado, well, that means \u201csugar.\u201d<\/p>\n And don\u2019t think that just because a bar looks like it\u2019s made up of whole foods that it\u2019s lighter on the sweet stuff.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if you see these nuts and raisins through the label, the bar [can have] a sugar coating,\u201d says Valerie Goldstein, a registered dietitian and owner of Eating to Fuel Health<\/a>. \u201cIt just looks like a glob of nuts, so it looks very innocent. But even these \u2018whole food\u2019-looking bars have to be held together by something. Usually that\u2019s sugar syrup.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to make sure the bar really is healthy, the bar\u2019s primary ingredients should be a protein source, a fruit or vegetable, or healthy fat source like nuts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Protein, fat, and carbs consumed with fiber (which you\u2019ll get from fruits or grains) all take longer to digest than simple sugars, so they\u2019ll keep you feeling fuller, longer. That means you don\u2019t need sugar to be energized; you just need a good source of fuel.<\/p>\n The benefits of having good \u201cprimary\u201d ingredients (the proteins, fruit\/vegetable, or healthy fat source) are part of what distinguishes a good protein bar from a snack bar. Those nutrients have been shown to have a beneficial effect on your weight and waist line too.<\/p>\n For every 10 grams of fiber you eat, you\u2019ll have as much as 4 percent less fat <\/a>around your belly. Monounsaturated fats, like those found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish, have been shown to help people lose belly fat, according to a 2013 study<\/a>. And a research review published in Nutrition<\/em> in 2015<\/a> found that Americans who eat a high-protein diet have lower BMI and waist circumferences.<\/p>\n [prompted-search initial-state=”open” \/]<\/p>\n This rule comes with what should be an obvious \u201cif.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using the bar as a protein supplement or meal replacement, you want at least 10 grams\u2014or, ideally, even more,<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing I tell people is, \u2018Know how you plan to use the bar,'”\u00a0says Anthony D\u2019Orazio<\/a>, director of nutrition and physique at Complete Human Performance, LLC. “If I\u2019m looking to replace protein specifically, I\u2019m looking for around 20 grams of protein,\u201d<\/p>\n That means the bar\u2019s first ingredient will likely be a protein source. Whey isolate, casein, pea, or egg protein are all high-quality choices.<\/p>\n Soy crisps will appear on a lot of protein labels and \u201ccount\u201d as protein, but they aren\u2019t the highest quality source. So if \u201csoy crisp\u201d is the first ingredient, even though a bar might have a high amount of protein, it\u2019s probably not the best choice.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not using the bar as a protein supplement, you can get away with having the lower protein total. In fact, D\u2019Orazio sometimes supplements his breakfast with a lower-protein bar that\u2019s higher in fat and carbs. Why?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m using it as a quick source of healthy fat<\/a>,\u201d D\u2019Orazio says. \u201cThe main ingredients are peanut butter, rolled oats\u2014ingredients people would recognize.\u201d<\/p>\n Remember how we said many protein bars are really just candy bars disguised as something good for you<\/a>?<\/p>\n Well, here\u2019s the proof.<\/p>\n Did you know that Gatorade\u2019s Whey Protein Bar has 29 grams of sugar? And CLIF Builder Bars<\/a> have 1 more gram of sugar 21g) than they do protein (20g)? Compare that to the Met-RX Big 100 Colossal bar<\/a>. Lots of protein (30g). But loads of calories overall (400), and 32g of sugar.<\/p>\n What in the what?<\/p>\n Before you freak out about sugar, know that it\u2019s not the terrible villain it\u2019s made to be. And there are many great bars out there (RX Bar comes to mind) with more than 10 grams. The catch? If the bar contains more than 10 grams of sugar, most of that should come from fruit or other natural sugar sources like lactose.<\/p>\n Why are natural sugars better<\/a>?<\/p>\n Lactose from milk products and fructose from fruits, like all sugars, contain 4 calories per gram. But unlike refined sugars, these natural sugars come paired with the other nutrients you get from fruit or dairy\u2014things like Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, Vitamin D, and other things that help your body function.<\/p>\n Good protein bars are oftentimes defined by their nutrients. It’s what helps separate a healthy bar from a candy bar. And refined, added sugars don\u2019t deliver the added nutrients.<\/p>\n Added sugars also can hurt you in the long run. People who consume more than 21 percent of their daily calories from added sugars have double the risk of death from heart disease compared to people who consume just 10 percent of their calories from added sugars, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine.\u00a0<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Sugar what?<\/p>\n No, the bars don\u2019t have booze in them. Sugar alcohols are a category of artificial sweeteners.<\/p>\n They have names like xylitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and glycerol<\/a>. You\u2019ll find them in all kinds of things labeled \u201csugar-free.\u201d And for some people, they can lead to a pretty unhappy stomach, depending on how you react to them.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s real person-specific. I personally don\u2019t have an issue with them, but they can give other people digestive issues,\u201d D\u2019Orazio says.<\/p>\n Just as with the whey concentrate, he says, you have to pay attention to how the ingredient affects you. If the bar produces something less like a feeling of fullness and more like a feeling like you have to run to the bathroom, then you\u2019re going to want to steer clear of it.<\/p>\n Good protein bars are supposed to be supplements\u2014something you use to shore up a weak spot in your diet, just like protein powder<\/a> or a multivitamin<\/a>. They\u2019re meant to supply nutrients, protein, or calories you might not otherwise get from your diet, or if you find yourself busy and missing meals.<\/p>\n When a bar weighs in at 400 calories or more, that\u2019s more calories than you\u2019d get from eating a Whopper, Jr. or half of a Chipotle bowl. And a bar isn\u2019t necessarily \u201chealthier\u201d than those options.<\/p>\n For example, some popular bars have 200 calories only deliver 6 grams of protein, but a hard-boiled egg will give you 7 grams! And it\u2019s less than 80 calories. So if you can eat whole food, eat whole food. But of course that might not always be possible.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s difficult to pack a meal because you\u2019re on a job site and don\u2019t have access to a refrigerator,\u201d D\u2019Orazio says. In those cases, bars do offer you some advantages. \u201cThey\u2019re portion-controlled and pre-measured. They supply the sort of nutrition you might not get at a drive-thru window.\u201d (But even then, the 400-calorie \u201crule\u201d is still a good guideline to follow.)<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to overeat if you only bring what\u2019s necessary. If you plan to eat two bars\u2014and you bring two bars\u2014you can use them as a tool to help control yourself. You control your intake with a mobile package of food.\u201d<\/p>\n What is the Best Protein Powder?<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThat doesn\u2019t mean you have to earn a Ph.D. in nutrition. Just follow these five rules and no matter what bar you select, you can feel good that you aren’t wasting your time (and calories) on a crappy candy bar.<\/p>\n5 Rules for Identifying Good Protein Bars<\/h2>\n
![\"Not-so-healthy](\"https:\/\/www.bornfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sugar-coated-health-bars-born-fitness.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRule #1: Sugar is NOT the first ingredient of a good protein bar<\/h3>\n
Rule #2: Good protein bars have 10 grams of protein — or more.<\/h3>\n
![\"Some](\"https:\/\/www.bornfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/sugar-coated-health-bars_v2-born-fitness.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nRule #3: Aim for less than 15 grams of sugar<\/h3>\n
Rule #4: Watch out for sugar alcohols<\/h3>\n
![\"Six](\"https:\/\/www.bornfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/good-protein-bars-several-born-fitness.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nRule #5: Look for protein bars with fewer than 400 calories.<\/h3>\n
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