New low carb protein bars

Warning: this post isn’t #Paleo Certified™.   It’s more about convenience, choosing the lesser evil.

Quest Nutrition led the charge in low carb, high protein, fibre-rich bars.  “Fibre-rich” is really the key in allowing a bona fide “low carb” bar with shelf-stability and decent texture.  Sugar alcohols have also been used in some, but due to the high incidence of maltitol-induced GI discomfort, ymmv.  But in general, you need one or the other to provide bulk and keep it together (except Epic Bars, which use black magic).

For the most part, the new bars have basically copied Quest’s formula with some new flavors.

Disclaimer #1: I’m a whole foods guy.  Not really #Paleo™, but when it comes to people’s actual lifestyles, I recognize convenience is a huge factor… and selecting the lesser evil is frequently the best option — eg, you can store a couple LC protein bars in your office, car, etc.; not so much with hard-boiled eggs or other protein-rich foods… and these options are WAY better than many other snacks or “fast-foods” out there.

Disclaimer #2: yeah, I keep a few of these bars in my office, just in case…

Quest recently switched from isomaltosaccharides to soluble corn fibre (SCF), which will likely impact GI effects.  YMMV!  Isomaltosaccharides are cool, but I’m not prepared to say they’re superior to SCF for everyone, in every #context (personally, for the ‘biome, I prefer brassicas, alliums, the gristly bits, galactooligosaccharides, et al.).
[it’d awesome if Bi2Muno would collaborate with one of these companies]

In these n00bs to the protein bar market, some of the biggest differentiating factors are cost, net carbs, ratio of fibre to sugar alcohols, flavor profiles, etc.

With no further ado, here are the newcomers:

[or just skip to the chart at the bottom]

Epic: not really high protein (10-15g/bar), a bit pricey, but probably my favorite because of the exotic flavors.

Advantages: high quality ingredients; the closest contender to #Paleo Certified™; wide range of macro’s (from 10g protein & 10g carb to 15g protein & no carbs).

ISSN’s Oh YEAH! Victory Bar: high protein, high prebiotic fibre.

Advantage: good price & ingredients.

ISSN’s Oh YEAH! ONE: same as the Victory bars, except they have less sugar and about half the fibre is replaced with sugar alcohols (they may have done this to reduce GI effects).

Sarah doesn’t like this one or probably any other low carb bars — I’m not a stickler for GMO, sweeteners, etc., in this #context.  We’ve already established these bars aren’t optimal; they’re convenient and better than a lot of other options.

Reaching for these? Please rethink that decision. GMOs, Sucralose, and other junk. Way better bars out there! pic.twitter.com/F8kdomAzbO

— Sarah Stanley (@sarahstanley) January 4, 2016

Julian’s PALEO bars: the company got a bad rap for the bread scandal, but overall decent ingredient.

MuscleTech’s Mission1:  high quality protein, isomaltooligosaccharides.

And as promised, the chart (prices may vary):

So, there ya have it.  If you need some convenient low-carb protein bars, or just to get some more prebiotic fibre, there are some options.  Many of these bars seem similar (except Epic), and there’s a huge range of flavors to choose from.

Update: some more low carb protein bars

Fit Elite Bars

B-UP Bars: best texture (similar to Oh YEAH! bars)

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