How dare you?
I trusted you!
You told me exactly what I wanted…no needed…to hear.
You promised me you’d be nutritious and delicious! At least to my face. But I turn you over and all I see is SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR.
Have you ever been betrayed by your protein bar?
Do these comments from one of my clients sound familiar?
I was shocked to learn that the (brand name) bar with peanuts, fruit, and yogurt that I like so much actually contains more sugar than a Krispy Kreme donut. And I was disappointed to learn how much sugar is actually in many brands of granola. I’m realizing that many options advertised as “healthy” can have a great ingredient, like nuts or whole grain, and still be wrecked by being processed with some form of sugar. Lesson learned…. But I’m a little angry that I’ve been duped by the (brand name) bar.
I think we’ve all been there.
Yet we all lead busy lives and need easy button options like protein bars for breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack at work. I eat a protein bar at least four days a week, in the 15-20 minutes I have between evening training sessions.
Protein bars are just a part of a fit woman’s life on the go.
We need to do the best we can in a given situation and be smart about the choices we make. If you’re at the grocery or supplement store, that means reading the labels to see exactly what is in that bar. You can blame the protein bar manufacturers all you want but ultimately we have to take responsibility for reading the details. It also means that if you’re at a convenience store in the middle of nowhere and the choice is a turbo dog or the slighter higher in sugar than you would like protein bar please CHOOSE THE BAR. It’s not perfect but it’s better.
If you’re willing to trade off a little time for piece of mind, you can make your own protein bars. DIY protein bars are the only way you can really be sure of what you’re eating. If you’re looking to make a simple nutrition upgrade, making your own protein bars is a great option.
As I said I eat protein bars often but due to a busy schedule (and a plethora of taste testing and free bars) I got out of the habit of making my own. I’ve been working my way back to my homemade bars. I have two recipes that I like to make, both from Oxygen Magazine. Here is a link to my past post on afternoon snack bars that contains the recipe for a DIY Protein Bar that you freeze instead of bake. I also love this Apricot Coconut Granola bar recipe. Since Brian enjoys it too I’ve learned to make double batches.
Neither of these sound good? I suggest you check out one of these three simple do-it-yourself protein bars from some of my fellow FitFluential bloggers.
Heavenly Almond Joy Protein Bars from The Happy Health Freak
Cookies and Cream Paleo Protein Bars from Food Faith Fitness
Peanut Butter Yogurt Bars from Hungry Hobby
Let me know what you think!
Do you have a favorite bar you make at home? Or a go-to packaged bar that meets your needs without tons of sugar?
