Damon from Twitter @5150silverback asked, “Why do a lot of protein bars taste so bad?”
Protein bars are basically the fast food of supplements. They are a means to an end. If you are in desperate need of nutrition and can’t make a high quality shake or down some clean food that’s part of your nutrition plan, a protein bar is the last resort. Now I’m not exactly sure why they taste so bad but it may have something to do with the whey protein and all of the sweeteners used. Protein powder by itself doesn’t taste phenomenal. I know because I’ve tried every single one on the market. To keep the protein powder low carb too, the manufacturers need to use artificial sweeteners such as Sucralose or aspartame. Neither of these taste phenomenal either and the combination of them with the powder seems to be the issue.
Now, take all that and stuff it into a bar that the general population thinks should taste like candy. At least, that’s what appears to be marketable. So throw in some preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and other food particles and the result is a nutrition mess that tastes…well, not great. At least, usually that’s the case. Keep in mind that if a protein bar DOES taste really good, it’s most likely loaded with sugars, fats, and carbohydrates and probably shouldn’t be a part of your diet. In my book, Body Spartan: Genesis, I literally dive into the nutritional facts on two major protein bars and discuss why they really should be an absolute last resort.
For the sake of your nutrition plan, you’d be better off simply packing some protein powder in a zip lock bag (or two) for the day and bringing a shaker cup with you. If carbs are a part of your nutrition plan, then toss in a little Karbolyn from All American EFX. It’s a super high quality carb powder that restores your glycogen stores faster than most carb powders on the market. If you are going to use the Karbolyn, make sure you time it around strenuous activity since the purpose is to spike your insulin levels and maximize your protein uptake. Brian Cage wrote a fantastic article on this called, “The Anabolic Window”. You can read it by clicking here.
If you are following a low or zero carb nutrition plan, similar to the 12-week anabolic shredding diet that’s in my book, there’s no need for carb powder. You will want to get some high quality fats though. You could try mixing in a tablespoon of olive oil in the shake or simply sticking an avocado in your lunch bag and eating a portion of it.
Hopefully that answered your question!
If you have questions about fitness, supplements, or nutrition you can contact me on Twitter via @gabetuft or you can contact the Body Spartan Team via @BodySpartan