Protein bars and carbs

[HB76356 122]

I was in GNC and looking at Protein Bars. They always taste dense and a bit grainy to me, but sometimes it's easier than drinking.

I noticed that a lot of the bars had quite a few carbs (and sugar in some). I mentioned it to the GNC guy and he said you have to deduct the dietary Fiber from the carb coins to get the true count. Anyone else heard of this? I sense some shenanigans, but I could be wrong.

So basically One Bar had 22g carbs and 15g of dietary fiber so according to his calculation, that's actually 7g of carbs?

[MrsSugarbabe 727]

I don't do the net carb calculation that the GNC guy was telling you about. I mainly look to see how many carbs a bar has in relation to Protein. Ex. Quest bars typically have about 20 grams of Protein with 22 grams of carbs. For me, that is an acceptable ratio. The bar I'm looking at as I write this also has 13 grams of dietary Fiber. I order the Quest bars from Amazon because I've found them to be less expensive than in any store.

[HB76356 122]

I don't do the net carb calculation that the  GNC guy was telling you about. I mainly look to see how many carbs a bar has in relation to  Protein. Ex.  Quest bars typically have about 20 grams of Protein with 22 grams of carbs. For me, that is an acceptable ratio. The bar I'm looking at as I write this also has 13 grams of dietary  Fiber. I order the Quest bars from Amazon because I've found them to be less expensive than in any store.

I guess I'm being paranoid. I am staying well under the 50g I set a day. Usually under 25, but I know it can be a slippery slope.

Do you like the taste of the Quest bars?

[tenseintexas 182]

Not sure but That's how they do it in weight watchers:)

[ryan_86 335]

Some people refer to that as "net carbs."

I like Quest bars. 20g of Protein, 180 calories, low sugar. Taste pretty good, especially the ones with chocolate in them.

I worry more about sugar than carbs in general, and the point about deducting fiber is fair if somewhat new and unproven.

[sleevinpops 303]

My nut told me to consider the net carbs as they are carbs that pass through (like fiber) and not absorbed into the body. Ask your nutritionist to verify though.

[sarahblu 179]

I like the Quest bars too. I have bought one of each flavor from Walmart to try them. Now that I know which flavors I like, I can buy bulk. I keep a couple with me at all times just in case. Definitely check the sugar amount...some can be really high.

[Berry78 4,261]

I like the net carb system because fiber is so lacking in our diets that to reject a low sugar bar due to high fiber content would be counter-productive.

[Jen-2+1 131]

I deduct the fiber and use net carbs. I don't subtract anything else (sugar alcohol), just fiber.

[Andrea F 48]

I use the net carb calculation and get all my Protein bars from costco. I look at three things, protein content, fibre and sugar. I'm not will to trade anything for sugar.. so most of the bars that I select will have very low carbs/sugars.

[MrsSugarbabe 727]

22 hours ago, HB76356 said:

I guess I'm being paranoid. I am staying well under the 50g I set a day. Usually under 25, but I know it can be a slippery slope.

Do you like the taste of the Quest bars?

Yes, I do like the Quest bars, some flavors better than others. Preferred flavors are Cookies & Cream, S'Mores, and chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. There are many flavors available via Amazon, and combo packs. Initially, I bought a 24 bar, 12 flavors/2 each just to try a large variety. There weren't any that I absolutely didn't like, but found I preferred the 3 aforementioned flavors the best and kept returning to them. The fruit flavors were okay, but not what my taste buds enjoyed as much. I don't mind that the bars are dense. Another BP member suggested heating in microwave just for a few seconds to soften up the bar. I did it once and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Aldi's has a Protein bar that I really like - Fit and Active Protein Meal Bars /Chocolate Peanut Butter. It's lower protein grams, but it's filling and sometimes I'll add a bit more Peanut Butter.

My goal for protein each day is a minimum of 100 grams which I have trouble meeting eating just food so I do supplement with protein powders and the bars most days. For carbs, I aim to keep them between 60-75 per day; sometimes I eat up to 100 in a day, it just depends on the day. I use SparkPeople to track food and activity and to calculate nutrition of new recipes. I find it very user friendly.

I hope this information helps!

[ryan_86 335]

22 seconds in the microwave turns the Quest bars into an ice hot meal. Kinda like a fresh brownie.