What should you consider when buying protein bars?
When buying protein bars it is especially important to pay attention to the nutritional content. The proportion of carbohydrates, i.e. sugar, should be as low as possible and not exceed the proportion of protein if the bar is to be consumed primarily as a food supplement and not as a sweet. A protein content of 15-20 g per bar is achieved by most manufacturers.
In addition, care should be taken to use high-quality proteins that are easily digestible by the body, such as whey or milk protein. Because of its similarity to the hormone estrogen, soy protein is suspected of having a carcinogenic effect if consumed excessively and over the long term. For this reason, women in particular should avoid consuming large amounts of soy protein.
The protein collagen hydrolysate added to many bars has almost no biological value for the body and therefore only serves as a filler. Last but not least, when buying a protein bar, it is crucial to decide which need should be met. If the user wants to lose weight and reduce fat, a low-calorie bar without chocolate and with few carbohydrates is useful.
If the athlete wants to fill his energy stores before training to achieve maximum performance, bars with a higher proportion of carbohydrates are suitable. These often contain as many calories as a whole meal and are therefore suitable for athletes who want to build up mass and weight. It is very easy to make protein bars yourself.
The advantages are also that it is possible to control how high the fat or sugar content is desired, whether the bar should be vegan or, for example, free of soy protein, and how big a bar will be. Apart from that, you can design homemade protein bars according to your personal taste. Ingredients can be for example nuts, kernels, dried fruits, cocoa nibs, protein powder, nutmus, coconut flakes or muesli.
In addition, there is usually a type of flour, which can also be replaced by chopped nuts. In most recipes, the ingredients, especially the nuts, are crushed with a food processor to produce a tough mass. This is usually not baked, but only cooled on a baking tray in the refrigerator to allow the bars to set.
Various recipes for homemade protein bars can be found on the Internet or in fitness guides. They are usually a cheaper and healthier alternative to purchased protein bars and are usually better suited as a healthy snack if they contain fewer kilocalories, fat and sugar than the conventional bars. Disadvantage of the homemade version is that they are a bit more difficult to transport and only last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
