Protein bars can be a very convenient and very nutritious meal replacement option for busy and health-conscious women like myself. In fact, I’m a huge fan of protein bars, but it’s also important to keep in mind that not all protein bars are created equal and some protein bars are specifically designed to achieve different types of results, depending on their ingredients.
For example, if you’re a very active woman who exercises daily, you may want to look into a protein bar that contains a bit more protein to help build and repair your muscles. On the other hand, if you’re a woman who isn’t as active but also trying to lose weight, you may want to stay away from protein bars that contain lots of sugar.
All the above stated, I don’t want to make things too complex because picking the best protein bar for you doesn’t have to be a tedious or confusing process. Just keep in mind that when it comes to choosing the best protein bar for you, you’ll want to take your personal goals and your overall lifestyle into account.
So check out the video below for my 5 quick and easy tips for picking a healthy protein bar. Or, if you prefer to keep reading, just scroll down a bit more below the video for the 5 tips.
As always, thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoyed today’s video and post!
Stay Beautiful!
XOXO,
Dr. Phoenyx
(Watch video here)
How to Choose a Healthy Protein Bar – 5 Easy Tips
1. Look at Protein vs. Carbs
Remember, the protein content is what makes a protein bar a “protein bar.” So if there are more grams of carbs than grams of protein in your protein bar, you may want to consider upgrading to a protein bar with more protein. The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Getting enough protein in your diet is very important for your overall health and beauty because protein contains amino acids which are the building blocks of our muscles, joints, skin, hair, and nails. So make sure you are getting ample protein in your diet, and opt for higher-quality protein bars that contain more protein than carbs.
2. Look at the Total Sugar
Bottom line: Too much sugar in your diet is not a good thing – especially if you’re trying to lose weight. So avoid protein bars that contain more sugar than protein. Furthermore, from a nutritional standpoint, too much sugar in your protein bar could end up making your protein bar no better than a candy bar! So always check out how many grams of sugar is in your protein bar compared to the total grams of protein. The grams of sugar will be listed under the Total Carbohydrate section on the nutrition label.
Also, here’s one more thing to keep in mind when it comes to sugar: You don’t have to be as strict with your sugar intake if you’re a very active woman who tends to burn a lot of calories during your workouts. In this case, you do have a bit more wiggle room with your protein bar and it may be totally OK for you to have a post-workout protein bar that contains more sugar because after a vigorous workout your muscles will be more primed to absorb and burn those sugars and carbs more quickly.
3. Look at the Total Fat
It’s a good idea to choose a protein bar that does contain some fat since this will slow digestion and the release of the carbs into your bloodstream. Also, a little fat can make protein bars taste even better! However, there is one type of fat that you do want to avoid in protein bars (or any food for that matter), and this type of fat is called trans fat. If a protein bar contains trans fat, toss it!
4. Look at the Total Fiber
Choose protein bars that contain fiber – the more fiber, the better! Fiber is a great nutrient to have in your protein bar because it will help control blood sugar spikes, it will help you feel full longer, and fiber also helps promote healthy digestion and a happy colon.
5. Look at the Total Calories
Last but not least, if you’re trying to lose weight, you should definitely pay close attention to your total daily calorie intake. Just think about it: If you don’t pay close attention to how many calories are in your protein bar, you could end up consuming a big chunk of your total daily calories in just one protein bar. And then, if you decide to eat a couple more meals later in the day without being mindful of the calories in those meals, you could then end up making the common mistake of going over your total daily calories. So ladies, you want to pay attention to the total calories of your bar and make sure to also pay attention to how many total calories you are eating in a full day.
If you want to lose weight (or if you want to maintain your current weight) and you’re not sure how many calories you should be eating each day, check out this easy to use Calorie Calculator.
