Quest Bars
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) – Quest Bars are a low carb, high protein meal supplement which we enjoy on the go – occasionally.
Before we start the whole protein bar discussion, there are a few things you should know regarding all protein bars –
- It’s always better to eat real, whole foods. There is no equivalent substitute.
- Better alternatives are a piece of fruit and a handful of natural seeds or nuts.
- All protein bars (aka adult feel good candy bars), are meant as an occasional supplement but tend to be used as a healthy convenience food.
Long Version:
There are hundreds of choices available for protein bars. When it really comes down to it, most of them are feel good candy bars. Most people think that just because it has “protein” in it that it is healthy, nutritious, or beneficial for them.
If you look at the label and the ingredients list, it’s likely you might not understand a majority of what is listed there.
But First a Quick Label Reading Primer
Before we break down the nutritional information, here’s a quick introduction on reading ALL processed food ingredients.
1) All ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. The heaviest stuff is listed first, which means if one of the first three ingredients is a version of sugar, salt, or an unhealthy fat, then what you are about to consume isn’t going to benefit you.
2) Trick #2 concerns misleading serving sizes. Pay attention to how many servings are included in the package and compare that to the amount that you actually eat in a sitting.
3) Beware of the lure of the front of the box claims. Those are often marketing ploys and focus on current fads or trends – like low fat, gluten free, or no added sugar. These are not as healthy as you might hope. For example, low-fat usually translates as lower fat content enhanced with more sugar.
4) Sneaky Sugar Synonyms – have you been duped? How many of the 62 can you name? (Answers here – https://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-sugar.pdf )
So there you go! A quick lesson on labels.
Now that you are on your way to becoming a label reading pro, let’s dive into the Quest Bar.
1) Ingredients: Protein Blend (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Soluble Corn Fiber (Prebiotic Fiber), Almonds, Water, Erythritol, Unsweetened Chocolate, Natural Flavors, Palm Oil, Cocoa Butter, Sea Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Sucralose, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Steviol Glycosides (Stevia), Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum.
2) Serving Size 1 Bar
3) 4 Grams Net Carbs
4) Sneaky Sugars by label order – #2 Soluble Corn Fiber, #5 Erythritol, #12 Sucralose, #15 Stevia
Let’s talk more about #3 & #4.
3) 4 Grams Net Carbs – this means that in the bar there are 4 grams that affect blood sugar levels. This is good for people watching sugars or looking for low glycemic foods. However, the carbs do count as calories consumed. How do they arrive at the number 4 grams? 22 grams total carbohydrates minus 13 grams fiber (Soluble Corn Fiber) minus 5g sugar alcohols (Erythritol) EQUALS 4 net grams.
4) Soluble Corn Fiber becomes a short-chain fatty acid and has a sweet taste. Technically, soluble corn fiber is not on Whole 30 sugar list above. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. It is 70% as sweet as sugar with 1/20th the calories of sugar. Sucralose is 600x sweeter than sugar and is a non-calorie sweetener. Stevia is 150x as sweet as sugar with minimal effects on blood sugar.
So that is how one makes a 4 net carb bar that tastes sweet while having minimal effects on your blood sugar levels (glycemic index 25-30 with a ranking of low (in the glycemic index, the lower the better).
Why?
We were introduced to Quest Bars by Christopher Mitchell. This man lost an incredible 300 pounds in 18 months, forever transforming his life. In the transformation, he radically changed his relationship with food. One of his core tenants is to include a protein with each and every meal. And Quest Bars were his go-to protein bar, with high protein and low glycemic index.
Our preferences
We enjoy –
Chocolatey
Fruity
How to use
Use these occasionally. Here are several ways –
- If you are on the go and feel the onset of hangry, this stops the stomach from growling.
- Late evening snacks (if you are not doing time-restricted eating)
- If you have a workout coming up and don’t have time to eat or want something to help you “power through” without “heaviness.” (Though an apple can do the same thing).
Perhaps not this product?
This product, because it is not a whole food, can cause bloating & tummy soreness due to the dairy-based proteins, the 13 grams of corn fiber, and sugar alcohols.
Disclaimers. Like, a galore of ’em
We are not doctors nor certified nutritionists. We do our research and find what works best for us. Also, the links are to Amazon and we might make a penny or few if you click n buy, so I guess you can say we have a vested interest…but really, we just have a huge interest in your health!
References:
http://www.breakfastcriminals.com/are-quest-bars-healthy-nutrition-experts-opinion/
http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-read-food-labels
http://www.questnutrition.com/protein-bars/smore-box-of-12/
https://www.questnutrition.com/ingredients
https://www.facebook.com/Christophers-Journey-446987468788023/
Favorite Flavors
Smores
Double Chocolate Chunk
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Lemon Cream Pie
Apple Pie
Best Sellers Variety
Published: 9/2017