Protein bars...good or bad?

[opsman]

I have recently started eating PowerBar protein bars as my mid-afternoon meal, usually with a piece of fruit as well. They're great for protein content and only have 1gram of sugar, but the fat worries me. Each bar contains 11g of fat and 7g of that is saturated fat. It also has 32g of carbs, of which 29g is sugar alcohol. Is this something I should be eating or would I be better off without it?

OPSMAN

[Doug]

Originally Posted by opsman

I have recently started eating PowerBar protein bars as my mid-afternoon meal, usually with a piece of fruit as well. They're great for protein content and only have 1gram of sugar, but the fat worries me. Each bar contains 11g of fat and 7g of that is saturated fat. It also has 32g of carbs, of which 29g is sugar alcohol. Is this something I should be eating or would I be better off without it?

OPSMAN

Hi, I would bin the bar and maybe eat the wrapper....

The 11g of fat is about right for a meal, but with 7g of saturated fats that is a bit high for a meal (approx 70% sat fat)

Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than “regular” sugar (sucrose). And are popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets. However, as for many other incompletely digestible substances (such as dietary fiber), overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine. Some individuals experience such symptoms even in a single-serving quantity. With continued use, most people develop a degree of tolerance to sugar alcohols and no longer experience these symptoms.

If you want to use bars then find one that contains just protein and take with a carbohydrate drink.

[Stovebolt]

Can anyone recommend a good solid protein bar? It's very easy to munch on the wrong one by mistake...

[Saurus]

I find both USN and ESN have a good range of bars. (I'm sure the others do, too, but I don't really know them.)

I normally use USN's "Pure Protein" which has 25g protein, 30.2g carbs and 6g fat per bar.

That being said, I only ever eat them when I'm on the road and can get neither a meal or a shake in, which is very rare.

[opsman]

So, the feeling I get about these is, eat them only if you have nothing else to eat and don't make them a normal part of my daily diet. Is that correct?

OPSMAN

[Doug]

Originally Posted by opsman

So, the feeling I get about these is, eat them only if you have nothing else to eat and don't make them a normal part of my daily diet. Is that correct?

OPSMAN

Your quite correct,