When you start feeling a little low on energy and hunger pangs kick in, don’t just pick up any convenient high-street snack. Why not try protein bars, instead?
Protein bars are equally indulgent and provide plenty of benefits over standard high-street snacks. In fact, protein bars are snacks that boost energy that help your body maintain optimal protein levels even all day. Protein is an essential macronutrient, so it supports various structures and processes in your body.
Are you still not convinced? Here are four reasons that may change your mind and persuade you to snack on protein bars.
1. Keep the body feeling full for longer
For those trying to lose weight, protein bars are a popular choice as they can make you feel full for longer. As a result, you get to reduce portion sizes and control the calories you consume.
Do you eat snacks too often every day? Protein bars can help satisfy your hunger more compared to a majority of high-street snacks. They contain high amounts of fiber and protein along with other essential vitamins and minerals which help you feel full and ensure well-balanced nutrition.
2. Provide fitness program support
Protein bars complement your fitness and training regime. Not only are these snacks convenient, they also help enhance your fitness regime compared to high-street snacks. By providing you with a consistent energy supply, you get to endure more rigorous and challenging workouts.
Whatever exercise roadmap you have, it’s important that you supply your body with the necessary nutrients to get the most from your workout. Consuming a protein bar before your exercise session supplies your body with steady energy.
Moreover, amino acids found in protein bars provide your body with the building blocks needed to generate new muscle tissue and repair muscle tears that occur during workout sessions.
3. Can be conveniently carried around
Protein bars are small and convenient to carry inside any type or size of bag. If you don’t have the time and resources to come up with an extensive meal plan, all you have to do is bring along a couple of protein bars with you. They can serve as a meal replacement which you can easily consume compared to your usual home-cooked meal.
4. Slow down digestion and keep blood sugar steady
Compared to the composition of carbohydrate molecules, protein molecules are far more complex. This makes protein bars more satisfying to effectively quell hunger, and slower to digest than your standard high-street snacks. Protein bars also help stabilize blood sugar by preventing overeating.
How to Choose a Protein Bar That’s Right for You
It’s okay to eat protein bars regularly, provided that you still get enough nutrients from other meals. However, not all protein bars are created equal so you should know what to search for if you’ll be eating one or some. Here are the factors you should consider:
- Calories – Take a look at the calories and the serving size. You need to make sure that since you’re eating a protein bar as a snack, it should have “snack-size” calories as well.
- Fat – Check the label for fat content and examine it to see if most of the calories come from fat or protein. Most protein bars are made with butter, nuts, and seeds which can rack up calories and fat quickly. These are healthy fats which will fill you up a bit more, but if you want a protein bar as a workout recovery snack, fat may slow down the absorption of the carbs and protein you need. In this case, you may want to choose a lower-fat alternative.
- Protein – Most nutrition bars on the market are actually more like energy bars than protein bars. They contain plenty of calories that will provide you with energy but aren’t high-protein enough to be considered legitimate protein bars. Depending on your overall calorie and protein needs, a good place to start is at least 10 grams of protein for a nutritious, satisfying snack.
Want a convenient source of protein?
For a healthy and handy source of protein that doesn’t require lengthy preparation, protein bars are your best bet. The next time you grab a snack, consider getting a protein bar instead as it can fill your stomach and provide nutrition without the extra weight.
AUTHOR BIO:- Dave Asprey is the creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast, Bulletproof Radio, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Bulletproof Diet.” Through his work, the Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur provides information, techniques and keys to taking control of and improving your biochemistry, your body and your mind so they work in unison, helping you execute at levels far beyond what you’d expect, without burning out, getting sick, or allowing stress to control your decisions.
