Meal Replacement Bars - Which Ones Should You Choose?
First, I want to say that I do not advocate eating a protein bar over real food. No matter what is in your store-bought protein bar, it is still a processed food, and is not a better choice to whole foods. However, there are brands out there that come close enough, and I would rather tell a 
client to grab a Quest bar over stopping for some fast food or other types of processed snacks available.
If you skim through popular magazines and websites, you will likely come across a handful or more of articles that talks about which bars to choose. With the plethora of options out there, you can easily read 10 different articles on the topic and only see one or two options repeated. That’s not to say any person is wrong in their information; it’s just that we truly do have an abundance of options.
My purpose is to present you with some of my top picks for protein bars. I choose them based on flavor, macro-nutrient profile and ingredients. If the flavor is garbage, I don’t care what the other details look like because you might as well wait until you can get a real meal inside of you. The macro-nutrient profile should look similar to how your meals or snacks break down (200-300 calories, 5-10 grams fat, 5-25 grams carbs, 15-25 grams protein). As for ingredients, the shorter the list, the better the product tends to be for you. I also look for sugar alcohols because they can be deceiving. First, they can make you bloated and uncomfortable, and second, they do still account for your carbs. They contain about two calories per gram as opposed to the four calories per gram of “regular” carbs.
Here is my list from top to bottom:
1. Quest Bars: I am a huge fan of these protein bars, and I’m very happy to see them popping up in many stores in my area. Originally I was buying them online at www.netrition.com, but I have found stores that do come close to the prices on that site. They have an original line and a natural line, but both lines boast a very short ingredient list and a great taste. They have a wide variety of flavors, such as Vanilla Almond Crunch, Chocolate Brownie, Apple Pie, and Cinnamon Roll. The bars are low-carb, gluten-free, and have around 64% or more of your daily requirement of fiber. Quest Bars have become a staple in my off-season diet.
2. Power Crunch: These bars come in six different flavors, including Triple Chocolate, French Vanilla Créme, Peanut Butter Créme, Peanut Butter Fudge, Cookies & Créme, and Wildberry Créme. These bars are delicious and sweet, but have just five grams of sugar or less. They remind me of the cream and wafer cookies I used to eat growing up, except they are actually healthy for you. They are a little higher in fat, but ultimately the macro breakdown is pretty close to what a small meal should look like - 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, and 14 grams of protein.
3. NuGo Bars: NuGo Nutrition puts out multiple lines of healthy meal replacement bars, including organic, gluten-free, and raw natural energy; but the one that I gravitate toward is the Smarte Carb Bar, Peanut Butter Crunch flavor. It has 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein. That’s almost a perfect 20/40/40 ratio of fat to carbs and protein. It does have 12 grams of sugar alcohols, but I don’t have any issues with this bar bothering my stomach.
4. Doctor’s CarbRite Diet bars: These gluten-free bars come in 12 flavors, including Lemon Meringue, Toasted Coconut, Raspberry Chocolate Truffle, S’mores, and other deliciously guilt-free flavors. They all are around 200 calories or less, 7 grams or less of fat, and around 20 grams of both carbohydrates and protein. They are a little high in sugar alcohols (around 20 grams), so they may cause some bloating if you are sensitive to this. However, the taste is definitely up there, and the overall macro-nutrient breakdown is pretty much right on target with what a small meal or snack should look like.
5. MetraGenix Ratio Protein Bars: MetraGenix offers a variety of different protein bars with different macro-nutrient ratios (protein to carbs). This is great, because it caters to different diet needs. The flavor and ratio that I gravitate toward is the 7:1 White Crispy Crunch, with 240 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4 grams of net carbs, and 30 grams of protein. My only gripe with it is that the crunchy pieces on the bar tend to make a 
mess while you are eating it. But with the variety of flavors and breakdowns, I think that makes this an ideal brand to check out.
6. EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control Nutrition Bars: This bar comes in five different flavors, and I have to say that I’m pretty much a fan of them all. However, I don’t like the aftertaste. A 60 gram bar provides 240 calories, 8 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs (6 grams fiber, but 17 grams sugar alcohols), and 17 grams of protein. It was a toss-up for me, between these bars and Pure Protein, but I do favor the texture of these bars over the latter.
7. Pure Protein: These bars come in two sizes, 50 grams and 78 grams. You can find nine different flavors in the smaller size, and they have around 200 calories, 5 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein. The flavors of these bars are good, but not great, in my opinion. They satisfy a sweet tooth and have a good distribution of fat, carbs and protein, but something about the consistency and aftertaste of them puts them lower on my list. A plus, in my opinion, is that you can buy a variety pack at Costco, so these become economically-friendly bars!
8. Optimum Nutrition Wholly Oats Bar: If this bar offered more flavors and was easier to find, it would rank much higher on my list. The bar comes in two flavors - Strawberries & Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter. I don’t have a taste for the Strawberries & Cream, so that leaves me with only one flavor I like. This bar is also a little denser than some of the others listed above, with 290 calories, 5 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbs (8 grams of sugar, but no sugar alcohols), and 21 grams of protein. But that is OK if you are using this as more of a meal replacement, rather than a snack to hold you over for an hour. Due to the higher carb content, I would recommend it as a pre- or post-workout meal if you didn’t have whole foods on hand.
9. Supreme Protein bars: These bars are more like candy bars than protein bars, but they still have a respectable macro breakdown. But with flavors like Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Pretzel Twist, Rocky Road, Chocolate Caramel Cookie Crunch, and Cookies ‘n Cream, I forget that I’m even eating something that can be remotely healthy. However, you have to reach for the mini-bar, or this snack turns into a high-calorie and high-fat meal. The 50 gram bar is a safer bet, having around 210 calories, 9 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs (11 sugar alcohols), and 15 grams of protein. This is again, a bar that I consider more of a treat than a staple, because it is honestly akin to a bodybuilders Snickers bar.
10. Detour Bars: Detour Lower Sugar bars are a delicious treat. Caramel Peanut is my favorite of the bunch (including Neapolitan, Peanut Butter Cream, and Chocolate Chip Caramel). If you choose the smaller version of this bar (43 grams), you will get 170 calories, 5 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of protein. This is ideal for a midday snack, or you can opt for the larger 85 gram bar and get double the intake and this can serve as a meal replacement on the go. These bars do have a moderate amount of sugar alcohols - 12 grams for the smaller bar, but for me, the taste almost makes up for the bloat. I opt for this bar as more of a cheat/treat.
11. Met-Rx BIG100 Colossal meal replacement bar: OK, this bar is
not really one that I would recommend on a regular basis because, not only is it just a massive meal replacement bar; it is higher than I like to go with the sugar. One bar has 410 calories, 13 grams of fat, 46 grams of carbs (28 grams sugar), and 31 grams of protein. However, I do like the fact that there are no sugar alcohols and the taste is amazing. If I’m going to treat myself to this bar, I go with Chocolate Toasted Almond, and I usually will cut it in half, and eat it over two days. This is another one of those candy bars for bodybuilders...yes, it’s high in protein, but it’s also quite high in a lot of other areas that are less than desirable.
Like I said, we have a ton of options out there when it comes to meal replacement bars. The above mentioned choices are just a few of the ones that I have tried, and enjoyed. I hope this helps, but when all else fails, grab a handful of raw almonds and an apple, and call it a day!
For more thoughts and ideas, you can follow me at www.laurencascio.com or contact me at [email protected].
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