Convince me to stop eating so many protein bars.

[edro]

I have been tracking my macros closely and essentially cutting for about 6 months now.
I have gone from ~190 to ~165.

I have fallen in love with Quest Bars (and other companies have similar products I like).
They taste great (some flavors), are super convenient and have a good shelf life.

$2
190 cal
9g Fat
20g Carbs (4g net)
21g Protein (Milk Protein isolate and Whey Protein isolate)

Their fiber source has come under scrutiny in the past, so they switched from ISO to Soluble Corn Fiber.

The problem is, I eat 2 a day, 5 days a week.
It can't be healthy... can it?

I know I should be eating more real food for my in between meals.

What are your opinions on the matter?

 

[SlitheryDee]

I doubt it's a problem. You're doing more positive things for your health by controlling your overall calorie and sugar intake than whatever deleterious effects 10 protein bars a week might have. They're probably better in terms of macros than most things you could be eating as in-between snacks.

 

[jtvang125]

Are these really sweet? I like the Clif Builder's bars but man every bite is like eating a spoonful of sugar.

 

[edro]

Yeah, they are pretty sweet but use stevia instead of sugar. They are sugar free.
I like CLIF bars as well, but protein is low and carbs high.

 

[cbrunny]

Probably not a health concern but holy balls that's an expensive habit.

(I'm very cheap.)

 

[SP33Demon]

Well it does have sucralose and erythritol which aren't the best for you, but overall I like the ingredients. Probably why they're the #1 selling bar on amazon.

Ok, so let's appeal to the cost side of things. You're spending $4/day to get 42g of protein a day. Let's buy a tub of Optimum Gold Standard for $58 / (74/2) = $1.56 per day for 48g protein vs $4 per day for 42g protein. So you'd be getting 6g more and saving 4-1.56 = 2.44/4 = 61% savings without the 1g erythritol + 1g sugar and sucralose vs ON using plain 1g sugar per serving.

 

[JBT]

If I eat two quest bars in the same day those things kill me since they switched to the SCF stuff.

I don't care what "sugar" type product they use including Stevia, your body will figure it out.

Chocolate builds muscles

 

[edro]

Well it does have sucralose and erythritol which aren't the best for you, but overall I like the ingredients. Probably why they're the #1 selling bar on amazon.

Ok, so let's appeal to the cost side of things. You're spending $4/day to get 42g of protein a day. Let's buy a tub of Optimum Gold Standard for $58 / (74/2) = $1.56 per day for 48g protein vs $4 per day for 42g protein. So you'd be getting 6g more and saving 4-1.56 = 2.44/4 = 61% savings without the 1g erythritol + 1g sugar and sucralose vs ON using plain 1g sugar per serving.

I've tried making protein shakes for these in between meals, and it is not nearly as convenient or good.
I personally like to chew the protein rather than drink it, although I do drink a fair amount of protein shakes (Mutant Whey lately).

I wish there were bars with more protein, no sugar, that didn't taste like crap or cost $3+ per.

I appreciate the cost comparison though.

 

[TheStu]

I've tried making protein shakes for these in between meals, and it is not nearly as convenient or good.
I personally like to chew the protein rather than drink it, although I do drink a fair amount of protein shakes (Mutant Whey lately).

I wish there were bars with more protein, no sugar, that didn't taste like crap or cost $3+ per.

I appreciate the cost comparison though.

Pure Protein makes a decent bar with fairly low sugar. They aren't in Quest bar territory, but they sure are cheaper (20g protein @~$1/bar). If you're getting enough fiber elsewhere in your diet, you might want to take a look.

I would second the recommendation for the protein shake... if you like to chew your protein you could always put in less water

 

[edro]

Yeah, I regularly eat Pure Protein bars as well.
It's usually a mix of Quest and Pure Protein.
I also drink Pure Protein RTD shakes for breakfast almost every day.

 

[Kaido]

I know I should be eating more real food for my in between meals.

Just make your own:

http://proteinpow.com/category/food-category/protein-bars (click "More Yummy Recipes!" at the bottom, there are PAGES of recipes here

http://www.muscleforlife.com/healthy-protein-bar-recipes/

http://bembu.com/homemade-protein-bars

No-bake: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/08/29/quick-n-easy-no-bake-protein-bars/

 

[Kaido]

Chocolate builds muscles

QFT

 

[edro]

I have made a few no-bake protein bar recipes through the years, but they are always very messy.
Do you have any recipes you have tried that result in something you can eat by hand?
I'm not complaining... just trying to see if there is anything I am missing.

Maybe I need to find a baked recipe.

 

[Kaido]

The problem is, I eat 2 a day, 5 days a week.
It can't be healthy... can it?

Well, you have to look at it in perspective. A lot of people I know live off vending machines, junk food, soda, energy drinks, etc. A 190cal/12p/9f/20c bar is a pretty big step up protein-wise from say a Snickers bar (215cal/3p/11f/28c), so given what a lot of people eat on any given day, you could be doing a LOT worse for your body. Is it as ideal as something like homemade whole-food raw vegan energy bars made with love from nature? Maybe not, but you're sticking with it & it's working for you...meh.

 

[Kaido]

I have made a few no-bake protein bar recipes through the years, but they are always very messy.
Do you have any recipes you have tried that result in something you can eat by hand?
I'm not complaining... just trying to see if there is anything I am missing.

Maybe I need to find a baked recipe.

If you want to give homemade stuff another try, I'd recommend starting out with some Energy Bites:

http://catch42.pbworks.com/w/page/84297007/Energy Bites

These basically taste like a fresh granola bar (i.e. awesome). You can tweak both the macros & flavors to whatever you'd like, plus they freeze well & only require stirring, no chef skills required! I have a little plastic container that fits 3 of them perfectly, which is what I use for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. I keep them chilled so they hold together better.

 

[Kaido]

Maybe I need to find a baked recipe.

Here's one that looks pretty good:

https://silk.com/recipes/peanut-butter-chocolate-protein-bars

I always sub out the alternative sugars like Stevia tho, can't stand that stuff. I don't think sugar (in moderation) is the devil anymore

 

[Kaido]

I like CLIF bars as well, but protein is low and carbs high.

If you have some protein powder, you can make DIY Clif bars as well. Google for "real clif bar recipe" (the Nearly Deaf site, although it looks like ads had taken it over, so I used the Google Cache). The main key with those is using brown rice syrup to get that kind of sticky consistency. The rest is pretty standard...Rice Krispies, quick-cook oats, nuts & dried fruit, various extracts, nut butters, and sugars - then just tweak the ingredients & flavors as desired. Although that's not so much baking as just bringing to a boil for a minute & then mixing & kneading everything together. That reminds me, I need to clone their spiced pumpkin pie bar, sooooo good :wub:

 

[hightree]

I have fallen in love with Quest Bars

Have you received any love back -- from Quest Bars

a) Yes
b) No

(no cheating, please)

 

[edro]

Well, I went all in and bought some VitaFiber to make my own Quest Bars.
There still seems to be something fishy about this IMO stuff...
Seems a little too good to be true... kinda like asbestos.

 

[Kaido]

Well, I went all in and bought some VitaFiber to make my own Quest Bars.
There still seems to be something fishy about this IMO stuff...
Seems a little too good to be true... kinda like asbestos.

Apparently VitaFiber is made from corn & tapioca. So it's basically corn syrup What's weird is that they state that it is non-GMO...I had a corn allergy for a few years and it is REALLY hard to find non-GMO corn...

 

[AndreM]

I can't.. I have a problem with bars myself

 

[edro]

I've made a few batches of homemade Quest bars with VitaFiber.

VitaFiber
Vanilla Whey Powder
Choc Chips
Oreo
Marshmellow

So far, they are pretty terrible. The big problems I see are:

1. I am using way too much VitaFiber to get the same consistency as Quest bars, which drives up the carbs and sugary taste.
When I lowered the syrup content, the bars easily broke apart into powder.
I think Quest uses a commercial press or extrusion die to squeeze all the components together. Their bars are quite dry, yet stay together well.

2. The protein powder I used is overly sweet, so that mixed with the VitaFiber makes the bar too sweet.

3. My additives (choc chips, marsh mellow, oreo) are all very high in sugar. Even a small amount drives the sugar content way higher than a Quest bar.
I think I will need to find sugar free cookie/choc as an additive.

That damned Cookies and Cream Quest bar is so damn tasty!
The mouth feel, consistency and sweetness level are perfect.
They will continue to take my money...

 

[SlitheryDee]

So all this thread did was prompt me to order a couple of boxes of quest bars. Oh well. I've been trying to take in more protein during the workday anyway.

 

[TheStu]

So all this thread did was prompt me to order a couple of boxes of quest bars. Oh well. I've been trying to take in more protein during the workday anyway.

They are also fibrous AF.

This thread reminded me to pick up a box of them from my gym, the price there is actually better than the GNC next door.

 

[edro]

I get them from my local fitness store for $2 each, if I buy 12 at a time.