Meal replacement bars available in a variety of flavors such as chewy chocolate chip and chunky peanut butter may sound delicious, but they're not always a nutritious choice if you're trying to lose weight. The best meal replacement bars for weight loss don't have as much sugar and saturated fat as candy bars and are fortified with vitamins and minerals to compensate for nutrients lost from skipping meals.
Best Chocolate Flavors
You can satisfy your sweet tooth and still lose weight by choosing chocolate-flavored meal replacement bars with less than 3g of sugar like these:
Optimum Nutrition Protein Diet Fudge Truffle
180 calories, 0g sugar, 2.5g fat, 19g carbs, 20g protein
Designer Whey Double Chocolate
260 calories, 2g sugar, 4.5g fat, 6g carbs, 30g protein
MetRx Protein Plus Chocolate Chip
270 calories, 2g sugar, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 31g protein
Best Nut Flavors
Nuts are a good source of healthy monounsaturated fat, according to the Mayo Clinic, and eating them can also lead to weight loss. A study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that women who ate nuts at least twice a week gained less weight as they aged than those who ate them less frequently. These are some of the best nut-flavored meal replacement bars:
Carb Conscious Supreme Protein Caramel Nut Chocolate
200 calories, 2g sugar, 8g fat, 18g carbs, 15g protein
Carb Solutions Chocolate Fudge Almond
230 calories, 2g sugar, 9g fat, 2g carbs, 21g protein
Myoplex Carb Sense Creamy Peanut Butter
250 calories, 0g sugar, 7g fat, 20g carbs, 29g protein
Best Fruit Flavors
According to Elizabeth Applegate, a nutritionist and exercise expert at the University of California, one of the best ways to eat a meal replacement bar is along with a piece of fresh fruit, carrots or low-fat cheese sticks to derive nutritional benefits of phytochemicals that can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease. If you favor fruit flavors, here are some of the best meal replacement bar choices under 250 calories:
Power Bar Protein Plus Sugar Free Caramel Apple
180 calories, 0g sugar, 4g fat, 20g carbs, 16g protein
Pure Protein Blueberry Cheesecake
180 calories, 2g sugar, 4g fat, 14g carbs, 30g protein
Atkins Advantage Chocolate Raspberry
220 calories, 0g sugar, 10g fat, 22g carbs, 19g protein
Best to Avoid
Meal replacements can facilitate weight loss, according to a University of Kentucky study published in the August 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." If you don't want to sabotage your diet, it's best to avoid meal replacement bars loaded with sugar and saturated fat that might just as well be called candy bars.
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