Protein Plus Bar Nutrition

PowerBar makes ProteinPlus powdered drink mix, snack bites and bars that are rich in protein and come in varieties such as chocolate-peanut butter, cinnamon roll and chocolate brownie. Even though the 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting your nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements whenever possible, a bar can be a convenient way to meet your requirements if you are in a rush.

Protein

PowerBar ProteinPlus Bars are a good supplement if you are not getting adequate protein from your regular diet. The bars have TriSource protein, a proprietary blend of high-quality protein that supports muscle function and growth. Your body digests whey quickly to get energy; soy is slower to digest and protein from casein is the slowest to provide long-lasting energy. ProteinPlus has 23 g protein, ProteinPlus 30 g has 30 g protein and ProteinPlus Reduced Sugar has 22 g protein.

Calories and Carbohydrates

The regular ProteinPlus bar has 300 calories, Protein Plus 30 g has 360 calories and the reduced sugar variety has 270 calories. ProteinPlus has 38 g total carbohydrates, with 1 g dietary fiber and 18 g sugars; ProteinPlus 30 g has 33 g carbohydrates, including less than 1 g dietary fiber and 30 g sugars; and ProteinPlus Reduced Sugar has 30 g total carbohydrates, including 2 g dietary fiber and 1 g sugar. It also has 26 g sugar alcohols, which do not increase your blood sugar levels as much as added sugars.

Other Nutrients

The bars each have about 6 to 11 g total fat, including 3.5 to 4.5 g saturated fat and 0 g trans fat. PowerBar ProteinPlus 30 g has 15 percent of the daily value for calcium and iron, and the other varieties have 40 to 45 percent of the daily value for calcium and iron. ProteinPlus has 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, panthothenic acid, folate, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and biotin, and ProteinPlus Reduced Sugar has 20 to 25 percent of the daily value for these vitamins.

Uses

PowerBar recommends using its ProteinPlus bars as a pre-workout snack for a combination of quick and sustained energy for your exercise. You can also use them for a post-workout snack, since eating within an hour of your workout may speed up muscle recovery. According to Iowa State University Extension, after your workout, you should aim to get a snack with a ratio of 4 g carbohydrate to each 1 g protein, along with plenty of water. If you are trying to lose weight, you can eat a bar instead of a higher-calorie meal.