Life keeps us busy. Too busy, sometimes. One way I try to streamline my busy day is by keeping my eating habits between breakfast and dinner as simple as possible. So I’m always on the lookout for a way to get a quick bite to eat that requires a minimum of preparation and is healthier than, say, an Egg McMuffin.
While grocery shopping last week I stopped to look over the “bar” aisle – that is: the aisle with health bars, energy bars, snack bars, etc. I knew I wasn’t going to find “the” answer to a quick and healthy light lunch or snack, but I decided to give the obvious a try.
Like many people these days, I’m trying to manage my carbohydrate intake, and a number of health bar manufacturers have answered that demand with several brands of high-protein, low-carb bars. After finding a few likely candidates, I decided to buy four of them, take them for a “test drive,” and then give you a report on each bar’s pros and cons.
I realize that a “consumer report” is uncharacteristic for the e-Alert, but I guess it’s my turn to overstep the boundaries a little.
Surfing the net carbs
First some basics:
I bought all of these bars in a national chain grocery store, so I expect they’ll all be fairly easy to find in both grocery stores and health food stores.
All of the bars have vitamins added, but I don’t think you can assume that any of them really deliver a truly significant boost toward your total daily vitamin intake. After all, they’re only packaged in thin wrappers, and are subjected to who-knows-what conditions and temperature changes by the time they reach the grocery shelf.
I’ve listed just some of the different flavors available for each of the bars, but if you go looking, don’t be surprised if you don’t find them all on the shelf. For instance, most of the flavors in the store where I shopped contained some variation of chocolate, bypassing flavors like lemon chiffon.
Carbohydrates are not the only consideration for many diets, so I’ve also listed total calories, calories from fat, and sugars.
Finally, a carb is not just a carb. Each of these bars has both carbohydrates and “net carbohydrates.” The figure for net carbs is calculated by the makers of the bars, subtracting grams of fiber, sugar alcohols and glycerine from the total carbs. In other words, the net carbs are carbohydrates that have an effect on blood sugar during digestion.
Now – let’s see what stuff these bars are made of.
Not exactly pure
Pure Protein
The Wrapper Pitch: “High Protein Bar! A good source of 16 vitamins and minerals!”
Flavor: S’mores
Total Carbs: 17 grams
Net Carbs: 4
Calories: 170
Calories from Fat: 35
Sugars: 3 grams
Price: $2.49
Taste: This bar sort of approximates a chocolate-marshmallow flavor, but no one would ever mistake this for a genuine campfire S’more. The dominant taste is dark chocolate.
In General: It was a little dry, but I ate all of it. I might try it again. But with 4 net carbs, can you really call it “pure” protein?
Other Flavors: strawberry cheesecake, chewy chocolate chip, and lemon chiffon.
The big dog
Atkins Advantage
The Wrapper Pitch: “The original low carb lifestyle”
Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter
Total Carbs: 21 grams
Net Carbs: 2
Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 110
Sugars: 1 gram
Price: $2.69
Taste: Much more peanut butter than chocolate.
In General: A smooth and moist texture. I’d rather not try to use it to replace a meal, but as a snack to boost the mid-afternoon slump, I’ll try it again. As you might guess by the name of the bar, it’s made by Atkins Nutritionals and can be used as part of the Atkins diet. Other Flavors: frosted cinnamon swirl, almond brownie, and S’mores.
In the coffee house
Carb Solutions High Protein Bar
The Wrapper Pitch: “Great for breakfast!”
Flavor: Chocolate Cappuccino Crisp
Total Carbs: 14
Net Carbs: 2
Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 80
Sugars: Zero
Price: $2.49
Taste: Pleasant coffee taste – more coffee than chocolate – but calling it “cappuccino” is a stretch. Halfway through the bar the coffee taste became a little overpowering.
In General: I’m not sure why they call it “crisp,” because it wasn’t crispy at all. And it was a little on the dry side, so this one needs a tall glass of ice water to go with it. I might try it again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to find it. Other Flavors: mint chocolate chip, frosted blueberry, and chocolate toffee hazelnut.
Castaway
Ultimate Lo Carb Bar
The Wrapper Pitch: “Only 1g carbs!”
Flavor: Amaratto Irish Cream
Total Carbs: 1 gram
Net Carbs: 1 gram
Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 60
Sugars: Zero
Price: $2.59
Taste: There was also a peanut butter chocolate flavor on the shelf, but the “sell by” date had passed on that one, so I went with the only other flavor choice: Amaretto Irish Cream. Wouldn’t Irish Cream alone be enough? Or just Amaretto? The combination of flavors created a taste that wasn’t much like either. In fact, there wasn’t a lot of taste at all.
In General: The consistency was doughy and dry. No only did I not finish it, I didn’t even finish the first bite. If I were a castaway on a Pacific island for four years, I might eat one of these about a week after the coconuts ran out. But you’ve got to give them credit: they’ve kept the carbs and sugars about as low as you can go.
Other Flavors: honey almond, chocolate brownie nut, and cool cappuccino.
The cheater bar
I told you I was going to test drive four bars. But I cheated. I bought one more bar that made no attempt to win over the low-carb crowd:
Fruit & Nut Delight
The Wrapper Pitch: “Be natural”
Flavor: Fruit and nut
Total Carbs: 21 grams
Net Carbs: 18 grams
Calories: 225
Calories from Fat: 126
Sugars: 14 grams
Cost: $2.59
Taste: Sweet, nutty, and delicious.
In General: Soft and moist with crunchy almond chunks. I ate it on the way home in the car, and when I was finished I would have eaten two more if I’d had them. Well, we can’t be good ALL the time. Other Flavors: sesame nut split, sunflower and pepita, macadamia and apricot.
Health and healthier
If you go looking for any of these bars, don’t be surprised if you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of “health” bar choices you’ll find. This is a niche that began booming just a few years ago, and there’s no end in sight.
Needless to say, however, many of these munchies fall short of being genuinely healthy, in spite of claims on the packaging. So read those nutritional panels carefully, because sometimes pure is not exactly pure, and a carb is not always a net carb.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
