Have you ever thought about eating energy bars?

In this article, I’ll explain why it’s not a bad idea.

On the contrary!

Especially if we’re talking about the best protein bars  made with healthy ingredients like the ones I’m going to talk about.

The business of diet bars  (with or without lactose ) is a growing phenomenon, this is also true. And it is also true that this particular category of food, once only available in pharmacies and herbalists, is now also present in supermarkets and for some years has also been sold on the Internet

The success of energy bars (as in some cases also for slimming pills ) arises for two clear reasons: the first is that they are very practical. As soon as you can, you take this bar, whether it is packaged or not, and eat it.

List of the best protein bars on the market

Image	Finger	Supplier
	Equilibra – 35% Protein Bar EUR 7.00
	MULTIPOWER – 6 BARS 40% PROTEIN FIT EUR 11.40
	Prozis Protein Gourmet Bar 80 g EUR 20.90
	Biotech USA – Zero Bar – 50g EUR 28,50
	Anderson Proshock Protein Bars EUR 47.04

OR GO TO THE COMPLETE LIST

So without cooking, without preparations, without any problems whatsoever. And then the adjective diet which in the collective imagination is synonymous with health and weight loss . In fact, food bars are considered much healthier than traditional snacks.

Furthermore, we must not forget that we are also dealing with a historical period in which the physical aspect is fundamental, so we are talking about an increasingly hectic world in which physical form goes hand in hand with the practicality of the moment.

I said before that for a long time the bar was considered like any over-the-counter medicine.

Now, on the other hand, for some years now, large chains of sports or food stores have their corner bars, but also protein shakes. But what’s really in these bars?

The main thing to understand is that for years we have been given really lousy bars whose nutritional principles were not at all such as to make them energetic and healthy, full as they were of refined industrial and unhealthy ingredients, indeed not at all.

Instead, in reality, a good energy bar is the best for those who have to approach a hard workout in the gym or a super bike ride.

During a workout or before a competition we need bars that are low in protein and fiber but with a lot of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, are the body’s primary fuel source. Consuming 60-90 grams of carbohydrates in an hour makes training much better.

Kim Schwabenbauer, a nutritionist who owns Fuel your passion , agrees. She says that athletes should especially avoid fat and fiber as they are able to “slow down the process of your metabolism”. Schwabenbauer suggests choosing energy bars with less than eight grams of fat and two grams of fiber.

Two key ingredients are sodium and caffeine, the latter important for mood and energy. The problem is to be careful with the quantities because we are talking about a substance that can lead to major problems in the nervous system and also a lot of diuretic.

In the 30-45 minutes after a workout, your muscles are like moist, porous sponges, ready to absorb lost glycogen – the body’s primary fuel source which is made from carbohydrates. Don’t be fooled by low carb bars, carbs are still the most important thing to look for.

But unlike before or during exercise, where protein is less important, ingesting protein right after a workout is key to helping rebuild broken muscles. It is suggested that you look for a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 3: 1 to 4: 1 (for example, 60 grams of carbohydrates and 17 grams of protein).

There are also meal replacement bars.

And here the thing is different: these are bars of an above average size whose weight generally varies from 45 to 120 grams per serving. They are used to replace a complete meal and for this reason they contain or should contain all the various nutrients in the right proportions. But let’s be careful what we buy and what’s inside. This is by no means to be underestimated.

Ingredients for the bars

We talked about the bars with more carbohydrates that you need for training but there are also  carbohydrate-free bars  that I would like to tell you about and the basic ingredients are nuts , almonds for example, rice, kamut, chocolate, blueberries, cherries, Goji berries , honey. The important thing is that there are no refined sugars, which tend to raise blood sugar and have a good supply of protein and fiber.

Some recipes of homemade energy bars

The first bars I’m going to talk about have cereals as their main ingredient.

This is the basic recipe:

Ingrediants

• 100 gr of cereals
• 20 gr of puffed rice
• 90 grams of honey
• 30 grams of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 10 gr of milk chocolate

Cereal bars

1. Homemade granola bar

These bars are all made with a mix of good products but these ingredients all together create a delicious mix of flavors and textures. Almonds give some protein and crunchy, or dried cranberries and raisins bring the sweet and chewy and chocolate flakes make a story of their own. Toasting oats may seem pointless, but it makes the flavor perky and even more crunchy.

2. Granola and quinoa bar

Seeds aren’t just for birds, and these not-too-sweet bars prove it. Hemp, chia, pumpkin, poppy, flax to make them crunchy and to provide some omega-3s. Nut butters and quinoa add the ability to feel full until dinner.

3. Apple and raspberry bar

For anyone with allergies this recipe is a total win. Oats provide tons of fiber, raspberries are amazingly antioxidant, and coconut oil adds a subtle tropical note. Ready immediately, it is perfect for waking up.

4. Bar with olives and dried tomatoes

Granola isn’t just sweet and this Mediterranean flavored bar tastes fantastic. And how could it not be with dried sweet tomatoes, slightly bitter Kalamata olives, cumin, spicy earthy chilli and spicy oregano? You can even go crazy.

5. Blueberry and pistachio bar

The only downside to this bar is that it has to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours for the blueberries to harden but it’s worth the wait for this wonderful goodness.

6. Bar with blueberries and Greek yogurt

You just need to mix the basic recipe with blueberries and fresh Greek yogurt. While in the other recipes we are dealing with powdered yogurt in this one you will have the joy of being able to mix real yogurt with fresh fruit and cereals. Let it harden a bit in the fridge.

The energy bars

7. Black bean and chocolate bar

Black beans can be ingredients in delicious brownies, without flour and cookies, so why not try a nice energy bar? Mixed beans with almond butter, cocoa, bananas, raisins, and coconut, these are soft, sweet, and are a good source of fiber and magnesium, a mineral involved in the production of energy for muscle function and more.

8. Bar with apricots and cashews

Cashews, apricots, coconuts, oats and a few other ingredients are mixed in the food processor, transferred to a pan and placed in the freezer to cool. Apricots lend a lot of natural sweetness, you can also not add honey.

The protein bars

9. Green Tea Protein Bars

Green tea from Japan is known for a high level of antioxidants, and caffeine can help maintain energy. Mixed with a little chocolate and oats we talk about an excellent protein product.

10. Parmesan protein bar

Quinoa, walnuts, and Parmesan make these bars perfect. For an extra boost of protein, it will keep you full until the next meal.

Final conclusions

We understand that in this fast-paced world we are used to living in, it is much easier to lose weight by biting into a bar than to prepare a nice lunch with lots of healthy ingredients.

We have found that there are some great products to buy and also a lot of advertising crap not to be confused with what is promised.

We are talking about refined ingredients, almost anabolic, products full of industrial stuff that hurts a lot. We have also seen the difference between the various bars, the lunch-saving and protein bars, as well as the energy ones.

We need, however, to know what ingredients they are made of, what the proportions may be between the various nutrients and which are good for us. We are talking about a meal replacement or an energizer that must be included in a balanced diet, we are not talking about a moment in itself for which everything we eat suits us but an integrative moment within a diet with healthy foods .

If we talk about homemade bars we are spoiled for choice, just put together some whole grains with chocolate, fruit, fresh or dried and that’s it. I also really liked the idea of ​​adding salty elements so as not to always try the usual cloying sweet bars. And it is not bad at all the idea of ​​using cheese which in itself is a very protein food to try a decidedly intriguing salty route.

However, my vote on the bars is a positive vote that comes from a lot of personal experience and that finds, without becoming an advertising fact, a nice bar also a way to shorten the times in some days of those in which we can not even take some air to breathe.

And you? Have you eaten bars? Have you tried to invent a bar?

Let me know what you think in the comments!