Protein Bars for Guilt-Free Snacking: How Do They Help?

Protein bars are a very popular snack, and many people who follow a restricted diet (such as vegans or those with celiac disease) use them regularly. They’re usually eaten for breakfast, lunch, post-workout snacks, or as an extra meal replacement in between meals.

Protein bars Canada are made of very similar ingredients to protein shakes. They’re primarily carbohydrates and include protein (whey/casein), fibre, and around 5-10g sugar. Here’s how they can help you enjoy guilt-free snacking with amazing health benefits:

Source of Protein

Protein bars contain a high volume of protein, making them an excellent snack for people who want to increase their protein intake. Protein builds muscles, strengthens bones, and increases metabolism; it is also the building block of critical enzymes, hormones, and other substances in your body that keep you healthy.

Protein bars are rich in both fast and slow-digesting proteins. The slow-digesting ones will keep you full for longer, while the fast-digesting proteins will help your body start to recover from your workout.

Source of Fibers

Fibres are a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t break down into glucose, encouraging fullness and stable blood sugar levels. They also help prevent constipation, control cholesterol levels, and have been shown to aid in weight loss. There are both soluble and insoluble fibre sources in protein bars – you might see them listed separately on the label or mixed.

Rich in Antioxidants

Antioxidants are nutrients that fight off free radicals – unstable molecules that damage cells and contribute to aging, cancer, and other diseases. Antioxidant-rich foods help reduce inflammation in your body, protecting you from severe conditions like heart disease. They also boost your immune system, improve memory and help you recover from exercise.

The more of these ingredients protein bars have, the fewer carbs they’ll have. Some protein bars are completely carb-free (and some are made with low carbohydrates). They’re often high in fibre or sugar alcohols, which provide few or no calories per gram. Making the switch from processed foods to protein bars can help you lose weight, improve your health and feel better.

Source of Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are organic compounds that have essential functions in the body – for example, they help metabolize macronutrients into energy for cells to use. Minerals are inorganic elements that are important for the proper function of body processes, especially enzyme reactions.

Protein bars in Canada are prepared with rich micronutrients that promote health and help you recover from exhaustive activities. Vitamin B12 is typically lacking in vegan diets, and it can be quickly depleted through intense workouts. Vegans who want to improve their strength can consider taking a daily vitamin B12 supplement in the form of a protein bar enriched with vitamin B12.

Contains Essential Amino Acids

Many good quality protein bars are made with the required amino acids to promote the best health of the consumer. Amino acids are organic compounds that are utilized to build proteins (and various other structures in the body) for organ, tissue, and muscle growth and maintenance. There are nine crucial amino acids that you have to eat because your body can’t produce them independently—Histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Putting together a high-protein snack on the go isn’t easy all the time. Protein bars are very portable and contain essential nutrients that help you stay healthy while giving the body the protein it needs to grow, recover and feel full.