It sure would be nice to be able to throw a bar into your purse for on-the-go, wouldn't it?
But how do you know you're picking one that isn't full of cr*p? And what if you want to make sure it's truly a protein bar that will help you reach your goals rather than a glorified candy bar?
Here are some of the biggies to think about when choosing a bar ...
1) Check the ingredients. If the list is longer than a CVS receipt or full of ingredients you've never heard of, put it back. Thankfully there are better options out there.
2) Does it really have enough protein? I'd argue that a bar with 5 or 6g of protein doesn't cut it for an adult-sized person. While this is a snack and not a whole meal, it should have at least 10g of protein, but preferably 12-15+.
3) Since blood sugar balance and satiety is important, making sure there's at least a little bit of fat in the bar is a good idea too. One with 5-10g would be ideal. In a perfect world, this fat isn't coming from industrial seed oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, etc., but just know with processed food it's pretty ubiquitous. I'd suggest trying to find one without but not beating yourself up if you end up consuming it every once in a while. What's most important is that you're eating mostly food you prepare at home so you know what ingredients are being used there. I have hope that more and more 'healthy' processed food companies will be swapping out those harmful oils for better versions (like coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil) soon.
4) Is this really a candy bar? I dunno. Have many carbs are in it? The best way to determine this is by figuring out the net carbs. Take the total carbs and subtract out the fiber. What's left? Is this higher than the actual protein content of the bar? Then you, my friend, are holding a glorified candy bar. It might be delicious! And in a pinch, it might be needed. But it's not ideal for your health or body goals to be consuming that on a regular basis.
Here are some bars that stand out amongst its peers (I have no affiliation with any of these brands)...
Rav Rev Glo Bar in Creamy PB Sea Salt (that flavor is yummy, but I mention it more b/c their other flavors are higher in sugar and lower in protein). This is one I almost always have on hand!
Kirkland
IQbar
Hope this helps!
XO,
Tara