Protein Bars....what's the 'skinny'?

Hey 2/04 Board...have a question about protein bars: do folks out there eat them and if so, what brands? Was at the Vitamin Shoppe picking up my protein powder and was astounded by the variety and number of protein bars! Not sure what is "good" for wls folks and as the weather gets warmer here, I want a fast, healthy and safe alternative to a shake or a meal. Any input greatly appreciated! Michelle

Michelle, Not all protein bars are "good" for us. Like with any product, no matter how much protein it has be sure to check the sugar content. I am horrified at some of them that are loaded with sugar. Also watch out for nuts and coconut in them if your surgeon has asked you to avoid these items. My absolute favorite protein bar is the U-Turn bar. It is my breakfast each morning. As a pre-op I ate the large one for breakfast, as a post-op I eat the smaller version. It is similar in taste to a milky way bar. The company also makes One Way, DeTour, and JoyRide bars. Trader Joes carries the small bars of them as does Wahlgren's and Walmart in many areas. Vitamin Shoppe carries the large versions which can be cut in half. Small Uturn bar has no sugar alcohols, 150 calories, 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of sugar. Another concern with many of the protein bars is the amount of sugar alcohols in them. I'm pretty sensitive to them so try to avoid the ones that are loaded with sugar alcohols. Some are pretty high. Remember a lot of sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect. Mary

Boy Mary did I found out about sugar alcohols the 'hard' way...and it wasn't pretty.....thought I was in 'heaven' with sf chocolates purchased at the mall but it was just the opposite. Lesson learned. Thanks for the info re: U-Turn Bars will check them out next time I'm at the Vitamin Shoppe (I love that store) Hope you are doing great with your wls journey...take care Michelle

Michelle, Those darn sugar alcohols can be deadly. Some people have the same problem with Splenda and Aspartame (they are not sugar alcohols). Fortunately Splenda and Aspartame don't bother me. Remember if you buy at Vitamin Shoppe that those are the large bars if they have 30 grams of protein in them. So don't eat more than half of it. Buy one bar first to try. My husband hates these bars, while another friend & I love them. The protein bars are a trial and error for taste. Many bars taste like cardboard, others are great. The U-Turn and JoyRide are my favorites. JoyRide tastes like an almond joy, you definitely can taste the coconut --- avoid this bar tho is your surgeon says no coconut or nuts as it has coconut and almonds in it. DeTour is suppose to be like a Snickers bar, One Way like Reeses peanut butter cup (this one ... well, it is the least of my favorites, not really peanut buttery like I expected). Yes, my WLS journey is going very well. I'm so glad that I had the surgery and feel GREAT. Mary

Michelle/Mary, Hey guys just a quick note, I found those u-turn bars at 7-11 and was going to buy one until I saw 1 bar had some horrific amount of carbs in it. I forgot the number...MARY, maybe you could fill us in???? But it was in the 30s somewhere!! I couldn't believe it! That sucker went back on the shelf with the rest of his family...lol. Honestly, for all the searching I have done, it seems to be better to take in shakes instead of the bars...the bars seem to either have high carbs or sugars or taste like clay. I have found Ultra Pure shake from GNC...delish (banana and cappichino were good, chocolate was nasty) 35 grams protein between 2-4 carbs depending on flavor and like 1 sugar and 170 cals and the shakes are liquid in 11 ounce cans...you can try each flavor at GNC, then when you find the one you like go to vitacost.com and order from them..the cost 1.95 from vitacost as opposed to 2.65 from GNC...OUCH! hope this helps.

Hello Heidi I was shocked by this myself. However, if you take the total number of carbs, subtract the fiber carbs and sugar alcohol carbs you get your net carbs. What I've heard from some is that what you count as a WLS patient is not net carbs. Some say this is misleading and applies only to diabetics. Most of what I have read on the subject states as a WLS patient, I can only subtract fiber carbs. i.e. A panel I have here from sugar free candy states 29 grams of carbs, dietary fiber less than 1 gram, sugars 0 grams, Maltitol 27 grams. It's listed as a Low Carb because it is 4 "net carbs" per serving. No, it is 27 grams of carb per serving according to some. Check it out with your doc or dietician before you assume you only need to count "net carbs". The carbs may not affect your blood sugar, but they do contain calories and do affect your weight loss. Amanda -35

Heidi, I'm not eating the large bars which is what you found at 7/11. I'm eating the small version (1/2 that size) and it is 13 carbs. I keep my carbs under 30 per day (normally way under that), so for me the carbs in this bar are not a problem. Also the bar really fills me up for hours and satisfies the sweet tooth that might otherwise pop up. There are no sugar alcohols just Splenda listed for this bar and I'm super sensitive to sugar alcohols. So for me this bar was a perfect choice with 15 grams of protein. Just remember this bar comes in a large size and a small size. I am using the smaller version or 1/2 of the large one. I buy the small ones at Trader Joes. Mary