Considerations When Choosing a Protein Bar

Health and Wellness - Nutrition

By: Amberdawn 04-Mar-2011

Introduction:

Are you looking for nutrition on the go? Protein bars can be a good way to get your nutrients, but not all bars are created equal. To find out which bar is for you, you need to compare the ingredients and nutritional information. Check the fat, protein, carbs, sugar, and calorie content of your favorite bars. This article will guide you through this by comparing 5 popular bars: Powerbar Performance, Powerbar Harvest, Pria, Luna, and Clif. Since nutritional information varies depending on flavor, I used flavors containing chocolate for all 5.

First, Check the Calories.

If you are looking to lose weight, you want to choose a bar with fewer calories. The results are as follows: Powerbar Performance: 250 calories, Powerbar harvest: 250 calories, Clif: 250 calories, Luna: 180 calories, Powerbar Pria: 110 calories. The winner in this category is Pria, with 110 calories. However, I can tell you from experience that the Pria is small, and you will feel hungry soon after eating it. It can defeat the purpose of having few calories if you need a snack sooner! So let's look at how much nutrition is in each bar.

Check the Protein.

Protein is better for building muscle if you are exercising regularly. It also helps you feel full longer than carbs alone. The results are as follows: Powerbar Performance: Protein 10g, Powerbar harvest: Protein 10g, Luna: Protein 10g, Clif: Protein 10g, Powerbar Pria: Protein 5g. We have a 4 way tie for first place. Pria is the loser this time in terms of lacking in protein; you'd have to eat 2 of them to get the same protein as the others.

Check the Fat Content.

Fat also helps you feel full, but of course, if you are seeking to lose weight, you want a product with less fat. The results are: Clif: 5g fat, Powerbar harvest: 5g fat, Luna: Fat 4.5, Powerbar Performance: 3.5g fat, Pria 3.5g fat. At this point, Powerbar Performance has the least fat out of all the 250 calorie bars. Yet it has higher protein than the lightweight Pria. Powerbar Performance wins, although Luna is holding its own in second place in terms of fewer calories with high protein and a moderate amount of fat.

Check the Sugar Content.

Sugar is just empty calories. If you are looking to lose weight, you want a bar with minimal sugar. The results are: Powerbar Performance (sugar 25g) Powerbar harvest (sugar 22g) Clif (chocolate almond fudge) (sugar 20g) Luna (nuts over chocolate) (sugar 12g) Powerbar Pria (sugar 9g). This time Powerbar Performance is the loser. Luna has once again come in second place to the lightweight Pria bar.

Look at the Big Picture.

*Powerbar Performance: Fat: 3.5 Protein 10g carbs 45g (sugar 25g) 250 calories

*Powerbar harvest: Fat: 5g Protein 10g carbs 42g (sugar 22g) 250 calories

*Powerbar Pria: Fat: 3.5 Protein 5g carbs 15g (sugar 9g) 110 calories

*Luna: Fat 4.5 Protein 10g carbs 25g (sugar 12g) 180 calories

*Clif: Fat 5g Protein 10g carbs 44g (sugar 20g) 250 calories

If you are looking for the healthiest bar for you, it seems that Luna comes in second, where other bars are sometimes at the top of the chart, and sometimes at the bottom of the chart. This makes it overall a seemingly nutritious bar. If you are looking for something more specific from a bar, however, such as fat, sugar, protein, or calorie content, I hope you've found the above information helpful. Good luck!

Supporting Links

Give this list a high five!

Comments

Post a Comment

snowfence 3/4/2011
Flag This Comment

It certainly is good to know what you are eating. H5
litetender 3/4/2011
Flag This Comment

Are there recipes to make your own? Thought provoking list! H5!