Close Menu
Days To Fitness
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • About
    • Contact
    Days To Fitness
    • The Best
      • Choosing the Best Blender for Smoothies
      • Best Superfood Powder
      • Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss
      • The Best Protein Bar for You
      • The Best Blender for You
    • 21 Day Fix
    • Recipes
    • Workout Plans
      • 21 Day Fix
      • 21 Day Fix Extreme
      • P90X3 Complete
      • Home Workout Routines
    • Eating Healthy
      • No-Sugar Days Diet
      • Meal Replacement Diets
      • Healthy Protein Bars
      • The Easy Low Carb Diet
    • Motivation
    • Resources
    Days To Fitness
    You are at:Home»Protein Bars»Meal Replacement Bars vs. Post Workout Bars
    Meal Replacement Bars vs. Post Workout Bars

    Meal Replacement Bars vs. Post Workout Bars

    0
    By Sarah on July 1, 2016 Protein Bars

    If you go into any health food store and check out the food bar section, you’ll see a whole lot of products that look virtually the same. Cereal bars, energy bars, protein bars, meal replacement bars – it can be really hard to know which one is right for you!

    In this article I want to explain the difference between two main types of protein bar – meal replacement and post workout – so you buy the one that is right for your needs.

    Meal replacement bars 

    Meal replacement bars are designed to help you lose weight. They provide all the nutrients you need to stay healthy but without many of the calories. By exchanging a high calorie meal for a low calorie bar, you instantly reduce your calorie intake and create a calorie deficit so your body is more likely to burn fat for fuel,  “How Protein Bars help me to lose weight”.

    Meal replacement bars make dieting easy as it means you don’t have to cook special meals, or weigh and measure your food – simply swap one or two meals for a bar per day and you’ll lose weight. Simple, “Reduce Cravings Between Meals and Lose Weight”.

    Meal replacement bars generally contain – “How to Pick a Healthy Protein Bar ?” :

    • Protein – it keeps you feeling full up and also boosts your metabolism
    • Low carbs and sugar – to keep your blood glucose low and stable
    • Fiber – to keep you feeling fuller for longer
    • Digestive aids such as probiotics
    • Appetite suppressants – to prevent hunger and cravings between meals
    • Healthy fats
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • Relatively few calories – normally 200 or less

    You can also eat a meal replacement bar as a healthy snack,“Healthy snacks to help you lose weight”, between regular meals. They taste sweet like a candy bar but with far fewer calories.

    The snack replacement bar I use and recommend here.

    Post workout bars 

    Post workout bars are designed to speed up your recovery after exercise by putting back into your body what your workout took out.

    Exercise causes a type of tissue breakdown called catabolism – think catastrophe. To recover from exercise, your body needs nutrients like protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals. The sooner your body gets these nutrients the sooner it can get on with the job of recovering from exercise – a process called anabolism.

    Immediately after exercise, your body is extra sensitive to the effect of these nutrients – imagine your muscles and cells as dried out sponges. Almost all food consumed straight after exercise will be preferentially directed to your muscles to kick-start recovery. The sooner you can eat after exercise, the faster you will recover.

    As eating a proper meal or even drinking a protein shake might be inconvenient, the next best option is to eat a post workout protein bar. Tasty, filling, easy to eat and loaded with all the important nutrients your body needs, you can eat a protein bar immediately after your workout quickly and easily.

    Post workout protein bars generally contain:

    • Protein for muscle growth and repair
    • Carbohydrates to replace lost energy
    • Healthy fats
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • Recovery enhancers such as creatine and amino acids
    • Plenty of calories – often 300 or more

    Being higher in calories, post workout protein bars are not so good for weight loss except for men who may need a more substantial snack. Women may want to cut a post workout bar in half to avoid consuming too many calories.

    There are a lot of post workout bars, here I recommend one and explain why.

    Conclusion

    It’s clear then that meal replacement bars and post workout bars are very different and you should choose the bar that is right for your goal.

    If you want to lose weight, meal replacement bars are your best choice; they are low in calories and carbs and make an ideal substitution for one or two meals per day.

    However, after a workout and to kick-start recovery, a higher calorie/higher carb post workout bar would be a better choice.

    Whichever bar you choose make sure you check out my guide to “The Best Protein Bar for You” to make sure you get the best bar for your needs and to read my recommendations for the best protein bars on the market right now.

    Opt In Image
    Subscribe to my Newsletter
    Get Your Free Copy of The Meal Shakes Book

    My weight loss plan using Meal Replacement Shakes

    15 Meal Replacement Shakes Recipes

    Available in 2 Formats: PDF and iBooks

     

    One email per week, exclusive content, no ads, and, of course, you can unsubscribe anytime you want.

    meal replacement bars post workout bars protein bars
    Previous ArticleQuick Ways to Lose Weight for This Summer 
    Next Article The Best Healthy Snack for this Summer
    Sarah
    • Website

    Hi, my name is Sarah and I’m so happy that you’re here! I've shared my story here

    Related Posts

    Why protein bars should not contain sugar

    How Protein Bars Can Help You Lose Weight

    The Best Time to Eat a Healthy Protein Bar

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    ideal shape meal replacement shake
    Guides
    February 2, 2023

    How to lose weight with Meal replacement Shakes

    October 19, 2018

    Nutrition Guide – What, When and How Much to Eat 

    October 11, 2018

    How to Lose Belly Fat – The Complete Guide

    August 10, 2018

    Running Guide for Beginners 

    July 4, 2018

    Walking for Health – Workout Included

    September 21, 2017

    Inversion Therapy

    April 27, 2017

    Slow Cooking – Quick Start

    February 4, 2017

    Days to Yoga Bliss – A Yoga for Beginners Guide

    September 8, 2016

    My Superfoods – My Superfood Guide

    August 1, 2016

    Nutrition Facts – A Practical Guide About Nutrition 

    July 27, 2016

    Welcome to 20 No-Sugar Days Diet

    July 16, 2016

    What Are Carbs ? A Beginner’s Carbs Guide

    December 5, 2015

    Start your Smoothie Experience

    September 4, 2015

    Beginner’s Guide to Protein Powder

    • Popular
    August 18, 2015

    21 Day Fix Eating Plan

    July 27, 2016

    Welcome to 20 No-Sugar Days Diet

    April 4, 2015

    Shakeology alternatives

    August 10, 2015

    Get Your Copy of Days to Fitness Recipe Book

    March 15, 2023

    Best Meal Replacement Shakes for Weight Loss

    April 3, 2015

    3 Approved Breakfast Recipes for 21 Day Fix

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    One Email Every Friday

    1 Article + 2 Healthy Recipes

    Lose Weight and Boost Your Well-being

    Days To Fitness
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    One Email Every Friday

    1 Article + 2 Healthy Recipes

    Lose Weight and Boost Your Well-being

    Copyright ©2018 Days to Fitness | Affiliate Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Designed by Plus Attitude|Newsletters

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.