Are Energy Bars and Protein Bars Healthy?  In short, not even healthy to feed your grass.

And if you’ve read contrary then let me guess – you read that in a fitness magazine that is OWNED by that particular supplement company?  Or the guy who works at the supplement store told you?  That’s like asking the chef of the kitchen if the menu is any good.

Come on now, I know you’re smarter than that.

But I wanted to help you understand WHY because they do claim to contain protein and fiber and are advertised as containing vitamins and minerals and they taste OH SO good, almost like candy bars (not that I’ve ever had one but I’ve heard ) so here’s what I discovered after reading The Fat Burning Kitchen last night.

==================
7 Reasons To Avoid Protein Bars
==================

1. Anything that has a shelf life (not to mention the equivalent of a candy bar) should say enough.

2. Most bars are made with highly processed soy protein which comes with results in anti-nutrients such as phytic acid (a nutrient-blocking agent), enzyme inhibitors and isoflavones. Much of the soy in energy bars is genetically modified, as well. More toxins are formed during high-temperature chemical processing, including nitrates, lysinalanine and MSG.  Soy protein must be processed at very high temperatures to reduce levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, a process that denatures many of the proteins in soy, making them unavailable to be used as protein in the body.

3. The other frequently used protein is whey protein, which is inherently fragile and must be processed at low temperatures or its qualities as a protein are destroyed.  Now skim milk is dried in factories instead of the farms and the dairy industry uses high temperatures and puts the powder into energy drinks, bodybuilding powders and high-protein bars.  The problem is the protein content in most processed whey has been damaged by the heat processing, rendering it practically unusable by the body.

4. Other major ingredients in energy bars include high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient that has been shown to be worse than sugar, and in humans, it causes our insulin levels to spike as that sugar overloads our systems.

5. Read the ingredient next time and you’ll see maltodextrin on there which is is given as the fiber source.

6. All the vitamins and minerals in these bars are synthetically made and thrown on the label so they can be called “complete.”

7. Soy lecithin, another common ingredient, is also a waste product of the soy oil industry. And most of the sweeteners are made by highly industrialized processes. In short, most of the ingredients in energy bars are anything but natural.

Pretty sad eh?

That’s why I really want you to pick up a copy of Mike Geary’s new book, The Fat Burning Kitchen which exposes every “health food” out there. Let me warn you that you’re going to be SHOCKED to see what you’re putting in your body.  But once you implement even 10% of the info you read you’ll see your stubborn fat melt away:

Read more about The Fat Burning Kitchen:
—–> CLICK HERE

Just like the majority of supplements out there, the energy bar phenomenon capitalizes on a real human need—that of a convenient, concentrated travel food that keeps well, satisfies and tastes good.

If you’ve bought a bar for any of those reasons then you’ve been played.

They’ve got my money too and laughing all the way to the bank.

Ignore the hype and advertising of the slick, packaged energy bars. These bars are not healthy food, they are candy bars–or worse–disguised as something the big food companies will tell you can substitute for meals, pump up your energy, or help you improve your athletic performance. There are better alternatives.

Only REAL food will build up your body, fuel your energy and enhance your health. Stick to that which is unprocessed, unpackaged, and has few ingredients. Your body will thank you for it.

======================
Alternatives To Energy
and “Protein-Bars”
======================

Some good alternatives to energy bars for quick healthy snacks on the go could be as simple as a bag of mixed raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc) with a little bit of dried fruit (just beware of eating large amounts of dried fruit due to the high sugar content).

Recently I started boiling a dozen eggs each morning and having those “on-hand” in case of an emergency.  A “protein-bar” has 30 or so grams of unusable protein and costs $3-4 or you can get a dozen eggs for the same price and actually absorb the protein, boost your metabolism and improve your fat burning hormones.  And it’s way cheaper too.

Combine that with 2 cups of mixed veggies and a handful of mixed nuts and your hunger is curbed and your one meal closer to your goals instead of further.

The best part in Mike’s book is at the end of each chapter there is a “The Worst of…” summary and lists off a whole bunch of specific companies to avoid in different food categories.  You’ll like that section a lot.

Here is what they listed as the WORST ENERGY BARS:

Luna Bars
Kashi
Powerbars
Quaker
Kudos
MetRx
Balance bars
Clif Builder bar
Genisoy
Soy Sensations

Basically anything with high fructose corn syrup, refined flours, isolated soy protein or any other unidentifiable and hard to pronounce ingredient.

I trust that was helpful.  Find out if your kitchen contains Fat Burning Foods or… Fat-Storing Foods…

—–> CLICK HERE

Vince Del Monte
Author, No-Nonsense Muscle Building
Author, Your Six Pack Quest
Contributor To Men’s Fitness Mag
Advisory Team, Maximum Fitness Mag
Honors Kinesiology (Health Sciences) Degree

———————————-
About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at MuscleGrowthTips.com.

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before. You can read my review of his product in my post here.