The benefits and harms of protein bars - how to use them correctly

Attention to composition

Many nutritionists note that muesli and candy bars are allowed on a diet, but it is important to properly study their composition before purchasing. What are the basic rules when choosing a treat? Here they are:

• It is important to ensure that the bars do not contain fructose glucose syrup or glucose-fruit syrup, molasses, or pineapple syrup. All this is disguised sugar, which has a detrimental effect on the body.
• It is worth excluding any muesli that contains low-quality fats: palm oil, vegetable fat, etc.
• Do not choose bars with harmful additives and various dyes.
• You should also avoid muesli with artificial stabilizers and flavors.
• It is best if the diet bars contain cereals, cereals and dried fruits.
• It is worth giving preference to bars with natural flavors (apple, prunes), but in combined flavors (strawberries with cream), manufacturers can mix a lot of harmful things.
• It is advisable that the caloric content does not exceed 380 kcal per 100 g. Muesli should contain no more than 70 grams of carbohydrates and no more than 8 g of fat.

Are Protein Bars Healthy?

Overall, eating protein bars is quite beneficial. However, it is worth understanding that they cannot serve as the only source of protein, much less be the basis of nutrition. It often happens that people, in pursuit of a beautiful body, begin to eat only protein bars and shakes. As a result, metabolism only gets worse.

Getting to the norm: how to understand that there is not enough protein and additional protein is needed?

Recommended Options

BombBar bars .

from Super Food will also work .

✅Which diet bars are the most useful? snack bars in different flavors.

✅Muesli called Pikki with different flavors is also suitable.

✅Healthy muesli from Fortex are also suitable for diet.

FlaxBaton muesli with various additives will help brighten up any diet.

✅Apple Fig.

✅Flax Energy.

and Go bars will help you lose weight with different tastes.

✅Bars from Smart Formula with fruit flavors.

Criterias of choice

When choosing a PP bar, consider the following parameters:

1. Compound. The components must be natural and safe for the body. The ingredients at the heart of the product are the most important. Fiber, minerals, healthy fats, vitamins, etc. are optimal for PP nutrition. The glycemic index is important for dietary programs.
2. Calorie content. To gain weight and get additional energy for the body, choose nutritional bars with a rich composition. Low-calorie products are recommended for weight loss courses.
3. Protein. The proportions of the component are chosen in accordance with the tasks. To increase muscle mass, the protein concentration should be above 30%, for diet bars - about 25-27%. If there are restrictions on dairy products, it is necessary to make a plant-based replacement. Whey can be soy or egg.
4. Carbohydrates. For dietary nutrition, it is recommended to choose low-carbohydrate foods. Supplements in the form of cereals, nuts, etc. are well absorbed. Products with rice syrup, large amounts of sugar, starch, and maltose are not suitable for weight loss programs.
5. Cellulose. For diets, bars with the addition of natural fiber are recommended, because... the component has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, ensures a state of satiety for a long time, and reduces appetite. Corn fiber, inulin, fructooligosaccharides, etc. are added to PP products.
6. Sweeteners. Stevia, sucralose and erythritol are used as sweeteners. The ingredients are low in calories, but have different glycemic indexes. For erythritol, the GI value is 0, so the ingredient does not increase insulin levels and is allowed for diabetes.

Not Recommended Options

Let's see which bars are not recommended to be consumed on a diet:

❌ Unfortunately, Fitness from Nestle are not suitable for diets.

Corny Big muesli is also not suitable .

❌ Unfortunately, you should exclude Turboslim .

“Lose weight in a week” muesli is not suitable .

❌ Leovit with different flavors.

❌ DiYes is not suitable.

❌You shouldn’t use Ronman Protein Bars .

❌ Wow! The fruit bar should be excluded.

❌And these Muesli too.

❌And also these Smart sweets .

❌ Fixies are also prohibited.

❌ Petrodiet are not suitable.

❌Frutilad bars from Fruit Energy.

❌ And also a coffee bar with chocolate for energy.

❌ Unfortunately,
Fit Fruit are not recommended on a diet.

Now you know what kind of bars you can eat on a diet or on a healthy diet. Treat yourself to delicious bars, diluting your monotonous menu diet. Let the extra pounds fly away at double speed.

Thank you for your time♻

DIY recipes

You can make healthy bars yourself from natural ingredients. Recipes use dried fruits, cereals, bran, chopped nuts, seeds, pieces of fruit, orange or lemon zest, dried berries (cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries), etc. When choosing a composition, the calorie content and glycemic index of the components are taken into account.

Dried fruit bar

For preparation you will need:

• oatmeal (0.5 tbsp.);
• bran (0.5 tbsp.);
• peanuts (1/3 cup);
• powdered milk (1 tbsp.);
• sunflower seeds (¼ tbsp.);
• dried apricots and prunes (¼ cup each);
• vanillin (to taste);
• peanut butter (400 ml);
• water.

The nuts are crushed, ground, mixed with the other ingredients to a paste-like consistency. The mixture is placed in molds and refrigerated until hardened. Then the mass is cut into portions.

Dried fruit and oatmeal bars are easy to make at home.

With orange

To prepare a citrus flavored bar you will need:

• oatmeal (2 tbsp.);
• milk powder (150 g);
• chicken proteins (2 pcs.);
• vanillin (to taste);
• protein (5 tbsp);
• maple syrup (2/3 tbsp.);
• orange juice with zest (159–200 ml).

Dry and liquid components are mixed in separate containers. Then the compositions are combined in a bowl and whipped until smooth. The mixture is poured into molds and placed in the oven. PP dessert is baked at +160 °C. Then the mass is cooled and cut into portions.

Competent protein nutrition - simple and convenient

To stabilize weight (gain or lose it), it is very important to correctly plan your daily diet. To do this, it must contain high-quality protein. It is necessary if you play sports, build muscle mass, adjust your weight, or simply do not eat meat. A protein bar can easily and simply replace one of your meals if you are on a diet. Protein is an essential component for the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, as well as for strong bones. It can be obtained by eating meat, eggs, and cottage cheese daily. You can also use special protein shakes. The third option is to eat delicious protein bars.

A protein bar is a real “mobile protein”, since there is no need to eat it in a specific place, and a snack does not take much time and does not require special preparations for the process.

Popular brands

The market is replete with a variety of bars. The most advertised brands are: Turboslim, Leovit, Rationika, Power Pro, Fitness from Nestlé, Herbalife.

When choosing a low-calorie bar, preference should be given to products that are sold in special sports and health food stores . It is mandatory to study the composition of the product in order to exclude the purchase of a product that is advertised, but not very useful.

Turboslim . Sold in pharmacy chains. In the advertisement, the manufacturer promises a low-calorie snack, a decrease in appetite and craving for sweets, and saturation of the body with protein and fiber. Contains 109 calories, levocarnitine, concentrated protein, vitamins, garcinia and green tea extract, chromium picolinate, cocoa. The product is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Leovit “Lose weight in a week . There are several types of bars of this brand: muesli, fruit, protein, vegetable. Low calorie content is achieved mainly due to the small mass of the product from 10 to 30 grams, depending on the type of bar. Benefits in the process of losing weight can only be obtained if the product is consumed instead of one of the meals.

The composition depends on the variety and may include: proteins, fat-burning substances, vitamins, stimulants, dried fruits and vegetables . Some fat-burning ingredients have a stimulating effect, such as caffeine and green tea extract. Therefore, despite the manufacturer’s recommendation, the bars are best consumed as breakfast rather than dinner. Only vegetable ones can be called truly low-calorie, but, unfortunately, their taste leaves much to be desired.

Beneficial and harmful properties of the product

Like every food product, bars also have beneficial and harmful properties. Let's look at them in a comparative table.

The bar has a number of contraindications, in the presence of which they should not be consumed.

This is the presence of diseases such as:

· diabetes;

· pathologies of the digestive system;

· hemorrhoids in the acute phase;

liver and kidney failure;

· intolerance to the ingredients of the bar.

Also, this product is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women due to the presence of unnatural additives.

Efficiency

As you know, the best protein bars are those that help fill the gaps in your meals. Along the way, they contribute to the achievement of your goal, be it gaining muscle mass or losing weight.

Many people ask, “What is the best protein bar?” The answer depends on your goal:

• To achieve a balanced, healthy diet, cereal bars can be included in your daily diet.
• If you need to build sculpted muscles, add high-protein bars to your diet.
• Losing weight requires eating low-calorie, high-protein bars.
• To gain weight, eat high-carbohydrate desserts, which contain about 3 times more carbohydrates than proteins.

To be sure that the bar will really bring benefits, you need to remember that it should be based on natural sources of protein. Sources of healthy fats, such as nuts, can also be used.