So you’re strolling down the aisle in your local grocery store and this cute, athletic looking brunette with ice blue eyes passes you by. You get the old “eye lock” but no smile. Hmmm, of course you turn around to see the backside but she’s already out of sight. So you fast walk your way to the next aisle and spot her at the other end looking at something. So you walk up and pretend you’re looking for something around the same spot she is. You notice that she’s looking at all these “Protein Bars”. You think to yourself, “Why the hell do people eat that cardboard tasting crap!” Just then, she turns to you and says, “Looks like you don’t need any of these, I think your Snickers, Twix and 100 Grand bars will keep you busy”. Busted! Damn. You’re speechless, and hungry.

So why HAVE the protein bars become so popular? Sit down and grab a cup of Joe, cause you’re about to be introduced to the new and improved candy bar.

Protein bars started out as a bit of an accident with the Power Bar concept. At first they were just a bunch of carbohydrates for people who needed extra energy on the go. I know what you’re thinking…..who needs EXTRA calories? Yea, well, some folks who don’t spend their time behind a desk or computer all the time spend MORE calories than they can eat! So, for these guys, the Power Bar was invented. But nobody paid too much attention to what they tasted like….so they tasted like crap basically.

Fast forward a few years and you’ll find tons of different protein bars and drinks, energy bars and drinks on the shelves of everywhere from 7-11 to the grocery store. Now, a lot of these bars have serious problems with them. They either taste like complete crap, have WAY too many calories, or are basically a candy bar with a “protein” or “energy” label. So how do you figure out which ones are good?? And better yet, why the hell do you care?

First, you care because they are a fantastic source of protein that can be placed and kept ANYWHERE. The car, office, boat, back pocket….anywhere you can think of, you can keep one. The more places you can stash these, the less times you will be “OVER-STARVED” and the less likely you will be to devour an entire large pizza and a 64 ounce Dr. Pepper! So, if you are trying to stick to a healthy, regulated diet, these babies are fantastic. Secondly, protein satisfies our hunger much longer than carbohydrates (especially simple carbohydrates) do. So, the trick is to find a protein bar that you like to eat, along with a good composition of protein, carbohydrates and calories. A good rule of thumb is to get a bar that has 15-20 grams of protein for every 125-175 calories. That means, you’ll be getting about 40 grams of protein for a bit over 300 calorie. If you keep this ratio, you’ll be able to stick to your “5 small meals a day” program much easier.

So which ones taste good?? Well, so far, “Chef Jay” and company have been putting out some protein bars that aren’t half bad. I also love the “Detour” bars. A very popular protein bar right now is the “Promax Bar”. Of course taste is all relative to each person, but I can tell you that anything that says “Low Carb” on it, probably has “Sugar Alcohol” as an ingredient, and tastes like crap. Other than that, get out there and try some!

Al Parker, MD
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/protein-bars-112565.html