What's Really In Your Protein Bar?

Heading to the gym today to lift some weights and build some muscle? Perhaps you are going to do some cardio and sweat out all those calories so you can fit into your skinny jeans this weekend. If you fall into these categories, chances are you probably watch what you eat also. I mean what's the point of spending all those hours lifting to muscular exhaustion and running so fast for what seems like an unbearable eternity if you are going to ruin all that hard work with bad eating. Would you spend an hour lifting and then throw back a snickers bar? Would you get off that treadmill and dig your hands into a bag of M & Ms? No. Because you know it's bad for you and works against your health and fitness goals. But if you, like many people on a healthy lifestyle plan, are consuming protein bars, then that's exactly what you could be doing. Many of the protein bars available at your gym, and health food stores, are nothing more than candy bars in disguise, with high levels of hip widening fats, copious amounts of insulin overloading sugars, and as many chemicals and artificial ingredients as other refined, processed foods you wouldn't even dream of eating. Today we are going to look at what's really in your protein bar, and the information below will shock you.

What if I told you that Special K's "healthy" protein bars actually contained trans fat? You probably wouldn't believe me, I mean their commercials on TV say their products are good for us. What about if one of the most popular protein bars out there had corn syrup as one of their main ingredients? You probably wouldn't believe that either. Well, you don't have to believe it, because I am going to actually show you. Check out a few of our favorite protein bars below...



EAS Myoplex Strength Formula Nutrition Bar

Pick up a Myoplex protein bar after your workout and all your hard work may have been in vain. With more calories and saturated fat than a snickers bar, this "nutrition bar" is nothing more than candy wrapped up in clever marketing. Just have a look at their endless ingredient list that includes yummy ingredients like fractionated Palm oils, corn syrup, and chemically altered protein.

Calories: 280
Fat: 8 grams (7 of that is saturated)
Sugar: 12 grams
Sugar Alcohol: 15 grams
Protein: 25 grams

Ingredients

Whey Protein Isolate, Glycerine, Fractionated Palm & Palm Kernel Oil, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Calcium Caseinate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Maltitol Syrup, Water, Maltitol, Soy Protein Isolate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Partially Hydrolyzed Milk Protein Isolate, Acid Casein, Invert Evaporated Cane Juice, Sorbitol. Less than 2% of the Following: Cocoa, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Fructooligosaccharides, Egg White, Calcium Carbonate, Soy Lecithin, Titanium Dioxide (Added for Color), Salt, Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Magnesium Oxide, Ferric Orthophosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Mononitrate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Phytonadione, Vitamin B12), Mono- & Diglycerides, Pectin, Potassium Lactate, Sucralose, Soy Oil, Tartaric Acid, Tocopherols (Added to Protect Flavor), and Maltodextrin.

Clif Builders Cookies n Cream 

In relation to other protein bars, Clif bars aren't as bad as they use organic products and keep their ingredient lists low without any artificial chemicals. That doesn't mean they are off the Healthy Boy hook though. They more sugar than a Dunkin Donuts glazed donut, and their main ingredient is soy protein which is cheaper and not absorbed as effectively by the body as whey protein isolate.

Calories: 270
Fat: 8 grams (5 of that is saturated)
Sugar: 20 grams
Protein: 20 grams

Ingredients

Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Juice Concentrate, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Cocoa, Dry Roasted Almonds, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Rice Starch, Organic Oat Flour, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Fiber, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Soy Flour, Unsweetened Chocolate, Baking Soda.

Promax Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Ever wonder how food manufactures get a protein bar to taste like chocolate chip cookie dough? Sugar, and Promax adds a whole 30 grams of it to this bar giving it more than 3 Mrs Fields Cinnamon Sugar cookies. Would you throw down 3 cookies after you just got off the treadmill? Then why would you eat one of these? And what type of sugar does Promax like to use to sweeten the deal? Corn Syrup? Yes that nasty ingredient that has appeared so many times here on Healthy Boy and one that should be signaling alarm bells for you when you see it on an ingredient list.

Calories: 310
Fat: 7 grams (4 of that is saturated)
Sugar: 30 grams
Protein: 20 grams

Ingredients:

PROMAX® Protein Blend [non-GMO soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate, cocoa crisps (non-GMO soy protein isolate, calcium carbonate, cocoa powder), whey protein concentrate], corn syrup, crystalline fructose, chocolate flavor coating (sugar, fractionated palm kernel oil, cocoa powder, whey powder, nonfat dry milk, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), water, natural peanut butter, canola oil, chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), guar gum, brown sugar, natural flavors, salt, non-GMO soy fiber.

Supreme Protein Caramel Nut Chocolate Bar

I don't even know where to begin with this culprit. I don't know whether it is the fact that it has more calories than 12 Twizzlers or more saturated fat than 4 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Oh no, I know why, silly me, it must be because it contains trans fat! Yes, that nasty ingredient that clogs up your arteries, makes you fat, and can lead to a whole load of illnesses. Can't see it on the label? It's cleverly disguised as hydrogenated coconut and palm kernel oils.

Calories: 400
Fat: 15 grams (8 of that is saturated)
Sugar: 4 grams
Sugar Alcohol: 27 grams
Protein: 30 grams

Ingredients
SUPREME PROTEIN^® BLEND 30g: (WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE), CHOCOLATE COATING (WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, PALM KERNEL OIL, MALTITOL, COCOA POWDER, SUGAR, SOY LECITHIN [AN EMULSIFIER], VANILLIN), CARAMEL LAYER (MALTITOL, SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK, HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL, BUTTER [SALTED], CORN STARCH, VANILLA EXTRACT, CARAMEL COLOR), VEGETABLE GLYCERINE, WATER, PROTEIN CRISPS (ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT), SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SALT), PEANUT FLOUR, HYDROLYZED COLLAGEN, PEANUTS, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, SOY LECITHIN (AN EMULSIFIER), VITAMIN MIX (DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE, ASCORBIC ACID, COPPER GLUCONATE, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, BIOTIN, ZINC OXIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, CYANOCOBALAMIN, FOLIC ACID, MANGANESE SULFATE, CALCIUM D-PANTOTHENATE, RIBOFLAVIN, SODIUM SELENITE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE), FLAX SEED OIL, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE).




PowerBar Protein Plus Chocolate Brownie

PowerBar say's their bars can help you "Push beyond your best nutrition" but if you eat one of their bars about the only thing you will be pushing beyond is your waistline. One bar has more sugar than a serving of Ben and Jerry's Cake Batter Ice Cream and more fat than 3 slices of Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Chocolate Fudge Cake. The bar's "chocolatey coating" is where the majority of the problem occurs, with its ingredients including fractionated palm oil and fructose.

Calories: 360
Fat: 11 grams (4.5 of that saturated)
Sugar: 30 grams
Protein: 30 grams

Ingredients
POWERBAR TRISOURCE PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE), EVAPORATED CANE JUICE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, ALKALIZED COCOA, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), GLUCOSE SYRUP, CANOLA OIL, FRUCTOSE, WATER, ALKALIZED COCOA, GELATIN (BEEF), NONFAT MILK, L-LEUCINE, NATURAL FLAVORS, CHOCOLATE, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), PEANUT FLOUR, ALMOND BUTTER




Pure Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein bar

Pure Protein's slogan is "Eat Good, Look Great". Well that slogan is pretty accurate because if you do eat good you will look great, but it's unfortunate that their own product doesn't live up to their marketing hype. It has more saturated fat than two servings of McDonalds Hot Cakes and more calories than 2 Pillsbury Sweet Cinnamon Rolls. What really annoys me is that before I became health conscious, I actually used to munch on these everyday after I worked out, ingesting such nasty artificial ingredients as fractionated palm kernel oil and gas inducing maltitol.

Calories: 310
Fat: 10 grams. 4.5 of that is saturated
Sugar: 3 grams
Sugar Alcohol: 9 grams
Protein: 31 grams

Ingredients

Chocolate Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin,

Sucralose), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Peanut Flour, Protein Blend (Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Isolate), Glycerin, Maltitol Syrup, Soy Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Water, Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Sucrose, Salt, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Tricalcium Phosphate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Milk Protein Isolate, Wheat Germ, Almond Butter.

Special K Chocolatey Chip Protein Meal Bars

I feel sorry for people who get sucked into clever marketing by food manufacturers that try to convince us their products are healthy. Special K is one of the biggest offenders with huge amounts of money spent convincing women their products are good for them and help them lose weight. Sure, their protein bar may be low in calories, but so is a York Peppermint Pattie - doesn't mean it's good for you. This bar contains more sugar than protein, so it should really be called a "sugar bar" rather than a protein meal bar. Oh, and what's this? Sugar and corn syrup as the second and third ingredients? Worse yet, see that partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil? Trans Fat. Yes that's right. Special K's "healthy" protein bars contain trans fat!

Calories: 170
Fat: 4.5 grams
Sugar: 15 grams
Protein: 10 grams

Ingredients
SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, CHOCOLATELY CHIPS (SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL†, COCOA, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE,POLYSORBATE 60, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), FRUCTOSE, INULIN, RICE STARCH, POLYDEXTROSE, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL†, DEXTROSE, CHOCOLATE, RICE CEREAL (RICE, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR, DEFATTED WHEAT GERM, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEY, MALT FLAVORING, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B1], FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12), CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, WHEY, SORBITOL, GLYCERIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, NONFAT MILK, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), POLYSORBATE 80, D-ALPHA TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN E), XANTHAN GUM, POLYSORBATE 60, NIACINAMIDE, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), BHT FOR FRESHNESS, ALMOND FLOUR, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR, WHEAT STARCH, VITAMIN B12, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN D.

So there you have it. A whole list of some of your favorite protein and nutrition bars that are nothing more than candy in disguise. As I have mentioned before, when it comes to protein, or any other nutrient for that matter, whole foods are the best sources. Choose lean meats and dairy over anything that comes wrapped up in pretty packaging that would last for years on a grocery store shelf if not touched. You work hard at the gym to achieve your goals, and refined, processed foods like protein bars will inhibit you from doing so. Not all brands are bad of course, these are just some of the really nasty ones, so make sure if you do choose to buy a bar, to turn over the packet and look at the ingredients before you buy it.

Healthy Boy x