(Originally posted on April 13, 2009)
As sort of an addition to my earlier note on the supplements I took during P90x, I figured I'd also do a quick entry on my experience with various protein/nutrition bars during the program. First off, as to the importance of taking these sorts of bars, their real role lies primarily in filling in the nutritional gaps during your day. Since it's best to eat every 2-3 hours so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode (and start storing fat), nutritional bars can be extremely helpful since it's not always easy to make yourself a snack that's actually healthy AND filling.
Anyway, here're the ones I've tried:
1) P90x Peak Performance Protein Bars (3 flavors are WildBerry, Mocha, and Peanut Butter): I used these at first simply because it seemed to minimize guesswork since these are the official P90x bars.
TASTE - (8/10) Pretty good, but I think they're a little sweet for the most part. I like the Peanut Butter probably the best, but it has a slight after taste
PROFILE - (7.5/10) Solid, but the sugar/carb content is kinda higher than I'd like. Also, the protein content, which is strong at close to 20 grams, seems to mostly be from soy sources (I'd prefer whey for a number of reasons).
VALUE - (7/10) Average to a bit expensive at around $2 per bar at retail
2) CLIF BUILDER BAR (can't remember which flavor....maybe chocolate chip?)
TASTE - (5/10) Hated it. It has a weird "crisp" in the middle of it that funks up the texture. Leaves peculiar after taste
PROFILE - (9/10) Like all CLIF stuff, it's mostly organic which is a big plus. A little high on the sugar and calorie side but it packs a strong 20 grams of protein.
VALUE - (7/10) Pretty expensive at around $2 per bar retail (sometimes more I believe)
3) Power Bar ProteinPlus (Chocolate Peanut Butter)
TASTE - (10/10) Loved it. Was like a better version of the P90x Peanut Butter Bar...and no after taste
PROFILE - (8.5/10) Moving into the realm of meal replacement, this thing packs the most protein I've yet encountered at 23 grams. Solid nutritional profile in general. However, seems to use a few more unnatural ingredients than I'd like, including High Fructose Corn Syrup.
VALUE - (7/10) Expensive at around $2 or more per bar
4) ThinkThin Bars (Fudge)
TASTE - (7.5/10) Pretty good, but left a slight after taste
PROFILE - (9/10) All organic, which is great. Around 15 grams of protein.
VALUE - (7/10) A bit expensive at around $2 , and I wish I liked the flavor a bit better
5) ThinkGreen Bars (Blueberry Noni flavor, and Peanut Butter Chocolate)
TASTE - (6.5/10 and 9/10). The Blueberry Noni flavor looks a bit like dog, um, stuff. And it's taste isn't that much better. The Peanut Butter Chocolate on the other hand is pretty delicious.
PROFILE - (9/10) All organic. Not as high in protein as the other bars I've used, but these are "superfood" nutrition bars, filled with all sorts of nutritional goodies, including a serving of veggies. Great for when you need a snack without mega amounts of protein
VALUE - (8/10) a bit expensive at around $1.50. But I've found that "superfood" bars tend to be fairly expensive no matter what, and these actually are reasonably priced compared to their competition
6) Balance Bars (pretty much ever flavor)
TASTE - (9.5/10) Have liked every one I've tried
PROFILE - (9/10) great profile, 15 grams of protein, relatively low cal compared to other bars. The only problem for me is that some of their bars have a few more unnatural ingredients than I'd prefer...although not as bad as the Power Bar
VALUE - (10/10) I seem to be able to find these at Kroger pretty consistently for around $1 a bar...as a result these are becoming my nutrition bar of choice!
*Another snack suggestion. a serving of roasted (unsalted) almonds. delicious, high protein, and filled with "good" fats.
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