When you eat a mainly plant based diet it’s sometimes hard to get protein on the go. Protein bars can be a great source of energy and part of a meal if you choose the right one. What may be surprising is that many protein bars marketed as “healthy” are loaded with artificial crap and sugar. When the ingredient list take up like half the wrapper—it can’t be a good sign.
A protein bar and brand that is increasing in popularity among those in the healthy-living community are Quest Bars. I discovered them at Whole Foods a couple of years ago and have been addicted ever since. These bars aren’t for are bar-newbie though- they are packed with fiber (17 grams) and protein (20 grams), and should be incorporated into a balanced diet and plenty of water. They are great post workout or when you’re running from one end of campus to the other all day. There are two options of the bars —one that’s only naturally sweetened with stevia and erythritol and another that uses Lo Han Guo and Sucralose (an artificial sweetener). I stick to the natural variety that they sell at Whole Foods —the website indicates which they are.
Photo by Hannah Morse
The flavors are sweet and dessert-y without the guilt. They definitely have a health-food feel to them in terms of taste and texture, so try one and decide for yourself if you’re going to hop on the Quest bandwagon.
Natural Variety Flavors: Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Nut, Coconut Cashew, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Roll.
They also have cute 15-second videos with “recipes” on their YouTube channel that are addicting to watch. Watch here!To buy: http://www.questproteinbar.com/