Protein bars can be a valuable addition to a healthy diet. High in protein, low in both sugar and carbohydrate, protein bars are a very good snack.
When you are following a healthy eating plan, hunger and cravings are probably your biggest barrier to success. When hunger or cravings strike, willpower can disappear and leave you reaching for unhealthy snacks like chocolate, cookie, candy, or chips.
While the occasional unhealthy snack is no problem, snacking on junk food too often will negate the benefits of the healthy meals you are eating.
This very thing happened to me. I was following a healthy diet for all my main meals but wasn’t losing weight. Then I realized that my snacks were often unhealthy. As soon as I replaced my unhealthy snacks with healthy ones, I started losing weight quickly and easily again!
Protein bars are tasty, healthy, and convenient. They fill you up without giving you a whole lot of calories or sugar. They are fun and easy to eat and make sticking to your diet much easier because they stop you feeling hungry and stop most cravings dead in their tracks.
When it comes to protein bars, you have two main options: Store-bought or homemade. Is one option better than the other? Let’s take a look!
Price
Store-bought protein bars can cost anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 per bar. If you want to eat 1-2 bars a day, that can quickly add up to a lot of money! Yes, you’ll avoid spending money on other snacks but a candy bar is often much cheaper than a store-bought protein bar. You can save money by buying in bulk – a box of 12 or 24 protein bars will be cheaper than buying one at a time.
However, you could save even more money by making your own protein bars. Homemade protein bars are inevitably cheaper because you are doing all the work – you just need to buy the ingredients. Also, by making them in batches, you will save even more money – your very own bulk discount!
Taste
You may need to shop around to find a protein bar you really like the taste of. Some can be dry, very chewy, or simply not taste the way you want. They might look like candy bars on the wrapper but very few taste that good!
Hopefully, though, you WILL find a bar you like the taste of and that you enjoy eating over and over again. Taste is something important that I considered when selecting my three best protein bars – read more here.
When you make a homemade bar, my favorite recipes here,you can modify the ingredients to create a bar you really like the taste of. For example, if you like, you can add honey for sweetness, nuts for crunchiness, or dried cranberries for a sharper flavor. With homemade bars, you have much more flexibility to customize the taste.
Convenience
Store-bought protein bars are very convenient. Just go to the store and grab what you need or order them online for quick delivery.
Making your own protein bars can be time consuming. Some recipes can be hard to follow and you don’t always get the taste or texture you were expecting. Also, because they are made from all-natural ingredients, homemade protein bars will not last as long as store-bought bars so you’ll need to make them regularly. This might not always be convenient.
This being said, most homemade protein bars don’t even need to be baked and can be ready in just a few minutes although most need to be chilled overnight to become firm. Check out some GREAT homemade protein bar recipes here.
Conclusion
So which is the winner? What type of protein bar is best – store-bought or homemade? The answer is…
It’s a draw!
The protein best bar is the one that’s best for you. Both store-bought and homemade protein bars will get the job done and it all comes down to which option is best for YOU.
If you are always in a hurry, never have time to cook, don’t mind the cost, and prefer to grab-and-go, store bought bars are your best choice. Find my personal best protein bars on the market.
But, if you love to cook, have plenty of time, and prefer to save some money, you can make great tasting protein bars in your own home.
And, of course you don’t have to choose one option or the other only; you can do a little of both. Why not make a batch of protein bars at the weekend and then buy a few store-bought bars for variety and extra convenience – especially later in the week when your homemade stock may be running low.
Whichever option you choose, protein bars are a great supplement to your healthy diet and will make sticking to your eating plan so much easier!
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2 Comments
Thank You for the information!!!!
Thanks! You’re welcome 🙂