It’s common practice when most people see the word “protein” in a food name to assume it’s healthy. One of the more common examples of this would be the protein bar. While protein bars have their benefits, not all protein bars are created equal. As a matter of fact, a lot of the protein bars on the market today are no healthier than a candy bar. If fat loss is one of your main concerns, you may want to pay special attention to the ingredients or avoid protein bars all together. For someone with a busy schedule, convenience plays a major factor when planning your meals. A protein bar is a simple meal replacement for those who have limited time available. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a protein bar:

Choose a protein bar that’s high in “protein”

I know this may sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many protein bars barely contain any protein. If you find that your protein bar has no more protein in it than a breakfast cereal bar, put it back. A good protein bar should contain a 2-1 ratio of protein to carbs, and at the very least, a 1-1 ratio of protein to carbs.

Keep an eye on that calorie count

When your main goal is fat loss, you want to make sure that calorie count is low in a protein bar. It should be closer to around 200 calories. Make sure the bar is high in protein and low in both carbs and fats.

Stay away from high fructose corn syrup

While it’s nearly impossible to find a protein bar without any high fructose corn syrup, try to find one with a very limited amount. It’s very easy to figure this out. While looking at the ingredients, if high fructose corn syrup is at the top of the list, it means there is the highest amount of that ingredient in the bar. A healthy protein bar would have high fructose corn syrup at the bottom of the list, or not on the list at all.

Keep the carbs low

Again, if fat loss is your main concern, it’s crucial that you keep the carbs low. The only time I would disagree with this statement would be directly after a workout when your body can use these carbs efficiently. You should also pay special attention to the type of carbs in the protein bar and make sure they aren’t all coming from sugar.

While real food will always be a better choice than a protein bar, it’s much better to consume a protein bar than to miss a meal completely. Protein bars were created for convenience factor, and they do make life a lot easier when you’re constantly on the go. If you must use them, just make sure you’re actually getting the benefits from them.

-Tom