The Best Post-Workout Protein Bar – Product Comparison

There is no question that giving your body the right fuel can power your workout and give you the nutrition and protein you need to build lean, healthy muscle mass. But all too often consumers fall into a protein-bar marketing sugar-trap.

Just because the protein bar you reach for has a flashy label, and claims to help you build muscle, doesn’t mean it’s good for you. In fact, some protein bars on the market have more grams of sugar than a candy bar. Some of them even pack more sugar than a can of soda. Yikes.

Don’t fall into the protein bar marketing trap the next time you go shopping. Take a moment to hold the box in your hand and check the nutrition label. Here are the four essential elements you should compare before buying:

1. The Calorie Count: You want to make sure you’re balancing protein intake with caloric intake. Although it’s not necessarily a good idea to look for a protein bar with the least amount of calories. Sometimes manufacturers will use calorie-free sweeteners or artificial flavoring in order to shave calories off the top. So, what’s a happy median between low calorie and high calorie? Search for a bar that has about 180 – 210 calories.

As you shop, try to avoid protein bars with high-caloric ingredients. Some popular protein bar brands contain 310 calories or more for a single bar. To give you an idea of what you’re putting into your body, here is how much exercise you’d have to do to burn off one 300-calorie protein bar:

1. Play a 90-minute game of basketball or
2. Spend 55 minutes of power walking on the beach or
3. Kayak or row for 52 minutes or
4. Shovel heavy snow for 38 minutes

To emphasize this point again – fueling your body after a workout is important. Just make sure you’re choosing a bar that balances the calories you burned during your session with the calories you’re consuming. If you’re eating more than you’re burning, you are on the fast track to gaining weight instead of building muscle.

2. The Protein Count: A high-protein diet is the best way to build healthy muscle. That’s why you need to make sure the bar you’re purchasing is high enough in protein for the calorie intake to be worth it. But be careful – many manufacturers will mask the taste of whey protein by dumping a whole container of sugar into the vat. Aim for a bar that packs between 14 – 20 grams of protein. Pro-tip: drink a full glass of water with your protein bar to help prevent some of the stomach upset that some people experience with high-protein bars.
3. The Sugar Count: When we first started researching protein bars, we couldn’t believe the amount of sugar some companies are adding to their products. In fact, a recovery bar from Gatorade packed a whopping 30 grams of sugar. That’s right, folks. Thirty grams of sugar! Here’s an idea of some other products with about 30 grams of sugar:
   1. Twizzlers: 28g
   2. Marshmallows: 29g
   3. Reese’s Pieces: 25g
   4. Hershey Bar: 17g
   5. Can of Coca-Cola: 33g

Some of your favorite brands of candy bars and soda had less sugar than some protein bars. That’s why it’s critical to read the label. If your protein bar is packing more than 4 grams of sugar, put it back on the shelf.

A Note from A Personal Trainer: Some people may argue that a protein bar high in calories and sugar is a good way to recover from an extremely strenuous workout – such as a professional football game or a half marathon run. In that case, a bar with high quantities of calories and sugar may be productive to a speedy recovery. However, the average person would not benefit from a bar with such high properties after a workout.

4. Fiber Count: A diet high in fiber is crucial to a healthy diet. Increased fiber has been shown to decrease the probability heart disease and weight gain. And it helps you stay regular. We’ve included this as an important element to aid folks who are also looking to lose weight as part of their quest for the perfect protein bar. Four or more grams of fiber would be a great way to supplement your diet with fiber.

Here is a chart of the current Nutritional values for some of the most frequently purchased protein bars so you can make an informed purchase the next time you head to the grocery store:

Brand	Name of Bar	Calories	Protein	Sugar	Fiber
Pure Protein	Chocolate Deluxe	180	21g	3g	2g
	S’mores	200	19g	3g	0g
OATMEGA	Chocolate Mint Crisp	190	14g	5g	7g
	Vanilla Almond	190	14g	5g	7g
QuestBar	Mocha Chocolate Chip	180	20g	0g	14g
	Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough	190	21g	0g	14g
Gatorade Recover	Chocolate Caramel Whey	340	20g	30g	1g
Paleo Protein	Almond Fudge	170	20g	1g	23g
	Chocolate Mint	190	20g	2g	22g
PowerBar	Chocolate Peanut Butter	210	20g	12g	4g
	Vanilla	210	20g	14g	4g

 

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