The fashion for a healthy lifestyle has contributed to the appearance on the market of many products claiming to be healthy. These include diet muesli bars. According to the manufacturers, they are made entirely from natural, healthy ingredients, have low calorie content and help you lose weight.
But before you buy fitness bars, you need to find out what beneficial and harmful properties they have, and whether they are really suitable for your diet. Athletes can take note of several recipes for products that can be prepared at home.
The benefits and harms of fitness bars for weight loss
There is a large assortment of sweets marked “Fitness”, “Health” or “Diet”. According to the manufacturers, they are rich in whole grains, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, protein and other components. These sweets have the following beneficial properties:
- Contains grains: barley, oatmeal, wheat, rice, etc. These components are rich in fiber, which cleanses the digestive tract of toxins and waste, and makes the intestines work more actively. They are suitable for snacking because the rough dietary fiber swells inside the stomach, causing a feeling of fullness without spikes in blood sugar.
- They have high nutritional value, a breakfast bar will quickly and permanently relieve hunger, energize, and stimulate brain function. There is no need to waste time preparing food.
- They have a natural, balanced composition. Healthy sweets are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, which are necessary for normal life. Saturate the body with B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, fatty acids, etc.
- The grains in the composition normalize metabolism (including carbohydrates). Coarse dietary fiber helps break down fats and reduce cholesterol levels in blood vessels.
Diet bars allow you to restore strength after an active workout or hard physical work. They are suitable for a snack, and can also replace a full meal. In addition, fitness bars are tasty, healthy and convenient.
Including them in your diet is an effective way to avoid dieting breakdowns. Healthy sweets are an excellent substitute for unhealthy confectionery products that spoil your figure and contribute to an increase in body fat.
Fitness bars have the following disadvantages:
- high calorie content - about 550 kcal/100 g. This is due to an excess of sugar, other sweeteners, fatty components and flour in the composition;
Attention! Nutritionists say that it is enough to eat 30 g of a muesli bar per day to replenish energy reserves, satisfy hunger and saturate cells with useful substances. You should drink it with unsweetened tea or water.
- large amounts of sugar or sweeteners (sucrose, fructose). Simple carbohydrates lead to increased glucose levels, metabolic disorders, and digestive problems. Such desserts are contraindicated for diabetics;
- palm oil is practically not processed by the body, settles on the walls of blood vessels, in the liver, slows down metabolic processes, contributes to an increase in body fat and the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- A large amount of fat is found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oil or butter. These components increase the calorie content of the product and additionally load the liver;
- Most bars are rich in flavors, flavor enhancers, dyes, and preservatives. These chemical additives disrupt the functioning of the liver and kidneys and can cause allergies.
Also, the bars may contain low-quality condensed milk, molasses (maltodextrin), and wheat flour. These components increase calorie content, disrupt digestion, promote weight gain, and can cause allergies.
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What types of fitness bars are there?
The bars come in energy (carbohydrate) and protein bars. The former are intended to replenish the body's energy reserves in the morning, before training, during intense physical work, etc. The latter, as the name suggests, contain a lot (up to 20 g per serving) of protein and are intended to replenish protein deficiency that may arise due to increased physical activity, heavy muscular work, inability to obtain protein from natural sources.
Most fitness bars sold in regular stores are energy bars. They contain:
- various grains as a source of complex carbohydrates;
- dried fruits as simple carbohydrates;
- nuts and seeds for valuable fatty acids.
It’s a good idea to always have such a bar in your bag in case you can’t have a snack in time. However, you shouldn't eat these bars just for fun.
It is important to remember that uncontrolled consumption of healthy sweets leads to weight gain in the same way as regular cookies and sweets.
Protein bars are almost impossible to see in regular supermarkets - they are from the assortment of sports nutrition stores. As a rule, they contain:
- approximately equal amounts of proteins and carbohydrates (it is important to note that half of the carbohydrates are insoluble fiber);
- animal collagen;
- healthy fats;
- micronutrient supplements.
Sports bars are produced in a wide range not only according to tastes, but also according to their purpose, which is determined by the composition. In addition to the different balance of macroelements, they differ in microelement supplements - vitamin and mineral complexes (for example, group plus folic acid and L-carnitine).
The protein bar is suitable for snacking at any time of the day and is great for restoring strength and muscle tissue after a high-intensity workout.
Are they really dietary and low calorie?
Sports bars differ depending on the composition:
- Cereals – made from pressed cereals with honey, nuts and seeds, etc. Ideally, they contain a lot of complex carbohydrates and a minimum of fat. They speed up metabolic processes, quickly fill you up, and satisfy your hunger after a fat-burning workout.
- Protein - contain 40% protein. Used for muscle growth throughout the day or after training (including on a low-carb diet).
- Protein bars with carbohydrates (1:3 or 1:4) contain from 400 kcal in 1 snack. Especially useful after intense exercise and hard physical work.
- With L-carnitine – contains the fat burner of the same name, which creates conditions for weight loss. The low-calorie bar can be eaten before and after exercise.
- Oatmeal – this option is suitable for weight loss, as it contains a minimum of carbohydrates and healthy ingredients. The product is suitable for use before/after training, morning or evening.
To understand whether you bought low-calorie bars or not, you need to study the composition. If sugar, fats, and chemical additives are in the first positions, then they are completely unsuitable for weight loss.
A chocolate bar that contains a lot of protein, complex carbohydrates, a minimum of fat and simple carbohydrates is considered dietary. Allowable calorie content – up to 200 kcal/100 g.
If the composition of the bar meets dietary standards, then you can include it in the menu. The main thing is to use it in moderation. It is correct to replace unhealthy sweets with them during tea drinking, use them as a snack or replace a meal. If a person eats more than 2 of them daily, then weight will increase due to excess calories and carbohydrate levels in the body. For example, athletes during mass-building training can consume protein bars, reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet.
Important! None of the groups of bars directly affects weight loss. Weight will decrease when the body expends more energy than it receives from food.
Protein Bar Recipes
At home, you can prepare protein bars that are in no way inferior to the industrial versions from a sports nutrition store.
Recipe 1
- Mix two scoops of chocolate protein (casein or multi-component) with 100 g of any sugar-free fruit puree.
- Mixing the mass thoroughly, gradually introduce the following products: 1 tbsp. l. liquid pectin and finely grated dark chocolate, 30 g oatmeal or oatmeal (flakes ground in a coffee grinder), 70 g oatmeal, 1 tsp. cocoa powder, vanilla or cinnamon to taste.
- Knead, place a 1.5–2 cm layer in a mold or on a silicone mat, bake in the oven at 160–180°C for 20–30 minutes.
Recipe 2
- Knead the batter from the following ingredients: 50 ml of liquid pectin, 30 g of vanilla and chocolate protein, four egg whites (beat until stiff), 1 tbsp. l. oat bran.
- Pour into a silicone mold and bake in the microwave at 600 W for 12–15 minutes.
- Cut the cake into bars, pour melted dark chocolate over it.
Recipe 3
- Dilute 30 g of peanut butter flavored protein with water to the consistency of sour cream.
- Add a pack of “Zhelfix” (thickener for jam), ground peanuts (30 g) crushed to flour, 1 tbsp. l. oat flour and oat bran.
- Stir and bake in the microwave similar to the previous recipe.
- Once cooled, cut into bars, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top of each and top with melted dark chocolate. Keep refrigerated.
The following video provides detailed instructions on how to make healthy protein bars at home:
To make weight loss comfortable and tasty, you can use so-called weight loss bars. It is important to remember that they themselves do not contribute to weight loss, but only help form an optimal diet. Use the bars correctly - as a snack, pre- or post-workout meal, when it is impossible to eat a full meal. Avoid overusing energy and protein bars.
Which protein bars are better: factory-made or homemade?
High-quality fitness bars have a balanced composition, they charge you with energy, speed up your metabolism, and relieve hunger for a long time. If you choose the right store product, it will only bring benefits. To have a snack and replenish your energy, all you need to do is buy a healthy chocolate bar and eat it with pleasure, rather than wasting time on cooking.
However, it often happens that factory products contain excess sugar, fats, simple carbohydrates, and chemical additives. This invariably leads to disruption of metabolic processes, digestive disorders, increased body fat, and allergies.
If desired, the diet bar can be made at home. Then the composition will depend entirely on you. Sugar can be replaced with honey or natural sweeteners such as stevia. There will be no dyes, preservatives, flavors, flavor enhancers, or palm oil in the recipe. The composition can be replenished with useful substances, and the amount of fat can be reduced.
As you can see, it is safer to make your own protein bars. However, in a store-bought product, the proportions of dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals are correct. But if desired, their quantity can be calculated together with a nutritionist.
Calorie content
A short review in the form of tables will show how many calories are contained in products from the most famous brands and will help you choose the right option. Calorie content and nutritional value are indicated per 1 bar.
BombBar (60 g)
Quest Bar (60 g)
Fitness by Nestle (23.5 g)
Turboslim from Evalar (50 g)
Muscle Pharm Combat Crunch (63 g)
Fitness bars, despite negative reviews and the disapproving opinion of some doctors, continue to be sales leaders in sports and dietary nutrition. The effectiveness of use depends entirely on related factors. With certain restrictions in diet and exercise, losing weight and getting a beautiful figure won’t take long.
Related article: Turboslim bars
Experts' opinions
Nutrition experts say that not all diet bars are healthy and can be included in the diet when losing weight. To choose a good product, you need to study the composition, pay attention to the proportions of BZHU, calorie content. If sugar or sugar-based syrups, fats (palm oil, butter), chemical additives, and milk chocolate are in the first positions, then you should avoid such food.
A healthy dietary bar should contain whole grains, dried fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, and high-quality protein. Such products nourish, charge, serve as material for the construction of new cells, improve metabolic processes, digestion, cleanse, and promote weight loss.
You can make delicious and healthy candies yourself. A nutritionist will help you calculate the proportions of BJU and calorie content in order to get the ideal product for a particular person.
Margarita Koroleva, nutritionist
A well-known nutritionist advises to always read the ingredients when choosing diet bars. According to M. Koroleva, you need to buy products with whole grain flakes, freeze-dried pieces of fruit, flax seeds, and chia. The amount of almonds, dried apricots, walnuts, prunes, and dates should be small. The fact is that nuts and dried fruits are quite high in calories.
The list of not the most healthy ingredients looks like this: sugar, fructose, palm oil, lecithin, emulsifier E476, molasses, etc.
Elena Kalen, nutritionist
An expert in the psychology of weight loss and a certified coach says that store-bought bars contain many harmful additives that cause more harm. They always contain simple carbohydrates, which cause spikes in blood glucose levels, causing an immediate rise in energy, and then a sharp decline.
The nutritionist advises avoiding store-bought bars with flavorings, sweeteners, large amounts of chocolate coating, hydrolyzed gelatin, corn syrup, and palm oil.
E. Kalen argues that a high-quality diet bar cannot be cheap. She also advised preparing healthy sweets at home using a nutritionist’s recipe.
Liz Applegate, sports nutritionist
A California expert speaks out against store-bought granola bars for weight loss. She claims that they contain an excess of sugar, fats, and simple carbohydrates. In terms of the amount of these ingredients, the bars are comparable to candy, so when losing weight it is better to give them up or consume them in minimal quantities. In addition, the level of simple carbohydrates indicated on the wrapper is often exceeded.
Main conclusions
As you can see, not all diet bars are suitable for weight loss. When choosing and consuming healthy treats, you need to follow these recommendations:
- Study the ingredients before purchasing a store-bought diet bar. Avoid products with a lot of sugar, fats, and chemical additives.
- Choose a diet bar with whole grains, honey, dried fruits, quality protein, a small amount of nuts and seeds.
- Give preference to a product that contains more proteins, complex carbohydrates, low fat and simple carbohydrates.
- Use diet bars instead of a snack or replace them with a full meal.
- Consume no more than 30-50 g of product per day.
- If you have free time, prepare your own nutrition bars. A personal nutritionist will tell you the proportions of BJU and calorie content separately for each client.
If you follow these recommendations, diet bars will help you steadily and safely lose weight and saturate your body with useful substances.
If you have your own proven recipes for healthy sweets that have helped you get rid of extra pounds, then share them in the comments.
