Choose the Best Protein Bars

The first protein bar I have choosen is the Muscle Milk Protein Bar by Cytosport. It comes in 2 great tasting flavors, Chocolate Peanut Carmel and Vanilla Toffee Crunch. I thnk both flavors taste very good. They both contain 25 grams of protein and 0 grams of trans fat. They both have about 300 calories, which is about average for a good protein bar. They also have about 30 grams of carbohydrates which is about 10% of your RDA. 

Another popular protein bar is the Oh Yeah Protein Bar by ISS Research, which also comes in 2 flavors, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Peanut. Since I am not huge on peanuts I preffer the Chocolate Peanut of the two, but they are both very good tasting and have 27 grams of protein but a few more calories than the Muscle Milk Bars. The Oh Yeah bar has 380 calories, no trans fats, and 30 grams of carbs, but you only count 12 grams toward your daily allowance as 18 grams of the carbs are from fiber which has a very low impact on your blood sugar.

Next on the list is the IsoBar from NutraBolics. This bar is a good Milk Chocolate bar with Caramel and Peanuts. It has 25 grams of protein and 310 calories, and is very filling. It is chewy and contains crunchy peanuts. This bar does contain more basic vitamins than the Muscle Milk bar and the Oh Yeah Protein Bar. The IsoBar also has 3 grams of fiber, vrs. most bars having just 1.

Of course we can not overlook the great bar known as the Supreme Protein Bar from Prosource, many people I know enjoy this bar daily. This is because it packs 30 grams of protein in a great tasting Caramel Nut Chocolate bar that is packed with vitamins and minerals. This bar has 330 calories and is a little larger than some of the other bars which makes it very filling. While is does have 34 grams of Carbs, 28 of these are "non-impact' carbs and as a result it only counts as 6 carbs. This bar is perfect for anyone who is on a low carb diet but still wants a great tasting protein bar.

Also, a very popular protein bar is the Detour Protein Bar by Next Proteins. This bar comes in many flavors including: Caramel Peanut, Caramel Peanut "BUZZ", Caramel Peanut "Low Sugar", Chocolate Caramel, Coconut Almond, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. The Detour line of protein bars have 30 grams of protein, and range in calories from 330 to 380 depending on the flavor bar you choose. Most have 2 grams of fiber and as low as 3 grams of sugar. The all are very good tasting and have creamy fillings. Four of these bars are the new and improved verison of Joyride, U-Turn and the Oneway bars that have been sold for years.

Let's not forget the Tri-O-Plex Protein Bar by Chef Jay's. It is name the Tri-O-Plex because it is made with three types of protein. From Soy Protein Isolate, to Whey Protein Isolate and includes Milk Protein Isolate. These protein bars come in many flavors, including:Blueberry Muffin, Banana Walnut, Caramel Apple, Chocolate Coconut, Cinnamon Raisin Roll, Cookie Dough Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Banana, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Banana, and even a Smores Bar. The calories in these protein bars range from 298 to 410, which can tend to a lot, however, they are very very filling and contain high amounts of fiber (6 grams) in most cases. The also have a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, so these can acutally replace a meal if needed. The carbohydrates tend to be higher than other bars at 26 to 45 grams, depending on the flavor. But like many other bars most of the carbs are "non-impact" carbs and in the case of the Cinnamon Raisin Roll Bar with 27 grams of carbs, only 11 are from starch and sugar. Chef Jay's also makes some GREAT cookies! And while I will not get in to those here, I can't stop eating the Double Chocolate Chip ones, and the White Chocolate Macadamia ones are delicious too!

Moving from bars to wafers we find several companies are trying something new. They are making a protein bar that is actually like a wafer cookie more than a tradiational protein bar. These tend to be a little less filling, but still can pack in the protein and taste great.

My favorite is the Power Crunch bar which is a delicious creme filled wafer cookie that contains up to 15 grams of protein at only 200 calories or less per wafer. The total carbs are lower too, at only 10 grams per cookie, you can be sure you are not going to load up on starch or sugar. The other great this about the Power Crunch bar is that it comes in seven great flavors, including: Wild Berry Cream, Cinamon Bun, Peanut Butter Cream, Triple Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter, and Vanilla.

Another great Protein Wafer bar is the OhYeah! bar by ISS. Each stick is only 90 Calories, and 1 gram of sugar. Each serving of OhYeah! bars also packs 15 grams of protein, so overall it is a great value in a light and healthy snack. The OhYeah! wafers come in three delicious flavors, including Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chocolate, and Natural Peanut Butter.