You may be interested in protein bars because you are a serious athlete, you want to lose weight without being too hungry or you need a convenient snack that you can eat while you are out for the day. According to Iowa State University Extension, most individuals already get the protein they need from their usual diet. However, protein bars can be an easy way to increase your protein. Being familiar with the ingredients in protein bars can help you make the best choice.
Proteins
Ingredients in protein bars include one or more sources of protein, which you need to maintain your body's organs and other tissues. Iowa State University Extension states that complete proteins provide all of the amino acids that you need to get from your diet to maintain good health. Proteins from animal sources are complete, and some common ingredients in protein bars that are from animal proteins are milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate and caseins. Soy protein concentrate is a completely vegetarian source of all of the essential amino acids, and it is another common ingredient in protein bars. Some of the protein in protein bars may come from other ingredients such as nuts, peanut butter or wheat protein.
Micronutrients
If you are using a protein bar to increase your vitamin and mineral intake, you can look at the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list to see if it contains useful amounts of vitamins and minerals. The amounts that each protein bar provides depends on the brand and the intended purpose of the bar. Meal replacement protein bars may provide a third or even more of your daily requirements for most vitamins and minerals. Smaller bars that are supposed to be snacks may supply about 10 percent of the daily value for vitamins and minerals. Bars for women may supply extra calcium and vitamin D for bone health, as well as iron for red blood cell health. In contrast, a bar for men may have lycopene, an antioxidant, to support prostate health.
Sweeteners and Fat
Your protein bar probably has some type of sweetener to improve the flavor. The sweeteners may be processed sugars, such as white sugar, corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. If the bar is low in carbohydrates or sugars, the sweetener may be non-nutritive, which means it does not provide calories or carbohydrates. Medline Plus lists sucralose, saccharin and aspartame as common non-nutritive sweeteners. If your protein bar is all-natural, ingredients that contribute sweetness may be unprocessed sugars such as honey, fructose or molasses. Most protein bars have oils or other fats in them for taste and texture. If you can, choose a bar without palm or coconut oil because those provide saturated fat. Also, avoid partially hydrogenated oils because they have dangerous trans fats, which may increase levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol in your blood.
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