It’s not just a matter of calories, but the quality of the ingredients: the nutritionist and the advice on the best protein bars.
They are comfortable, tasty and easy to carry around. It’s about the protein bars which, from food for sportsmen, have reached the shelves of supermarkets. But how good are they for health? He talks about it Dr. Emanuela Russo, dietician at INCO (National Institute for the Treatment of Obesity) and at the IRCCS Galeazzi Sant’Ambrogio Hospital. “The first question to ask is: do we really need it? Is it really necessary to introduce more protein? It really depends on what we eat, why we often introduce more protein than we need”. The recommended protein intakes envisaged by the LARN (Reference Intake Levels of Nutrients and Energy), established by the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, are expressed as the average requirement and reference intake for the population in all groups with the exception of adults over 60 years. This value is defined as 1.1 g protein/kg weight × day. The estimation of the levels of reference protein intake capable of covering the needs of most of the healthy adult population is equal to 0.90 g/kg/day.
how protein bars are made
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“Initially they were only used in sports, for those cases in which it was necessary to work on integrating proteins during or after intense physical effort”, continues Dr. Russo. “Later they took over in a generalized way on those who have to lose weight or as a meal replacement. In the meantime, we need to understand what protein bars are: are those products that must have a protein intake of at least 8-10 grams per 100 grams. The problem is what else they contain: the ingredient list is often long and includes sugars like glucose syrup and hydrogenated fats.” As with all processed foods, the longer the list of ingredients, the lower the quality of the bar. There’s another issue: these products are not satiating. “A sandwich is more caloric than a protein bar, but it’s more filling. The bar is ideal for athletes because it takes up little space, is quick to eat and provides an ideal protein intake, but for a normal person who does light physical activity or even has a sedentary lifestyle, the bar leaves a feeling of hunger because it is not satiating. Moreover, it is full of sugars that attract other sugars, therefore it induces hunger “. In other words, for those who don’t do competitive activity or very intense sports, a protein bar cannot replace a meal.
homemade protein bars
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For a protein bar to be considered of good quality, you need to look at the ingredients list and the order in which they are listed: they are in descending order based on the quantity present in the food. “The first ingredient should be the protein base, such as whey or a plant protein. We must also pay attention to the quantity and quality of sugars: some types, such as lo glucose syrup or erythritol, arrive directly in the intestine and ferment”. The home-made version is much better: “Protein bars can be made at home with dried fruit, oatmeal, legumes, banana, Greek yoghurt, dark chocolate and egg white to solidify. As sugars you can add honey, raisins or maple syrup, according to taste. In short, homemade ones are qualitatively better. It’s not just a matter of calories, but of the quality of the proteins and ingredients: the homemade bars have no preservatives or dyes and, above all, they have basic ingredients that are healthy and that we like. As an alternative to bars, the best protein snacks are simple and just as quick: fruit and Parmesan, bread and low-fat cooked ham or dried fruit”.
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