How many protein bars serve the purpose for a day?

To choose a protein bar, first decide your purpose of having it. Then check out the ingredients and most importantly, the calorie count. If you want to have it as a meal replacement option, you should not choose the one more than 300 calories a bar. If you want to have it as a snack, then go for the one with around 200-220 calories. 2-3 protein bars a day are sufficient for an average adult. You should avoid overeating, since extra protein will be deposited in the form of fats in your body that will lead to weight gain.

What are Protein Bars?

Protein bars are supplements that provide nutrition in the form of proteins, and other vital nutrients. These on-the-go snack bars are specifically designed keeping in mind today’s hectic lifestyle. These bars fulfil your protein requirements when you do not find time between your workouts and daily busy schedule. The purpose of protein bars is to keep a check on your calorie intake as well. Protein bars can be consumed to lose weight, increase immunity, maintain the hard-gained muscle mass and enhance the muscle recovery process.

What are Protein Bars Composed of?

As their name suggests, the major ingredient in these bars is protein, which can be as much as 20-25 grams. This may not seem all that much to you, but remember that fully grown adults only need about 46-56 grams of protein per day. When seen in this context, they can be a powerful provider of this nutrient. Protein bars contain isolated protein from more than one source. Preferably whey protein, casein or a blend of both of them is present in a good protein bar. Other protein sources for a protein bar are soy and egg. It is not uncommon to find carbohydrates, vitamin, minerals, amino acids and even some sugars in the bar. Make sure you check out the list of ingredients on the packet before buying them. It is important to distinguish healthy protein bars from the unhealthy ones – look out for undesirable ingredients like fats, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable oil and artificial flavouring mentioned on the packet.

Health Benefits of Protein Bars

Protein bars are not necessarily good or bad for health. How you incorporate them into your daily diet determines their positive or negative effects on your health. Your eating habits, workout pattern and fitness goal decide how protein bars act upon your health.

Let’s check out few benefits of protein bars:

1.    Protein bars have positive effects on your muscular strength. Since muscle require protein to function properly, the dose of protein provided by this snack helps in it. Protein bars aid in the synthesis of muscle protein, recovery of muscle tissues to an extent. They provide strength to the muscles and enhance your energy level, much needed for performing heavy workouts. In this way, these bars supplement your muscle building efforts.

2.    Protein bars are very convenient. They can be eaten anytime during the day and do not require any effort to prepare or maintain. All you need to do is open the pack and pop it in your mouth. There is no refrigeration, microwaving or anything else needed to prepare them. Besides, they take up hardly any space, don’t need utensils, and are delicious to eat. Also, with protein bars, there is a fixed portion, which prevents you from overeating.

3.    Protein bars curb your dessert cravings. While they’re definitely not a dessert, they do contain certain amounts of sugars that make them sweet to taste. This means that your body gets its required sugar and does not crave for sweets, chocolates or pastries after each meal.

4.    Protein bars keep you full for long. This is because protein takes more time to get digested than carbs and fats. Protein also provides more energy and helps you feel satiated for a long time after you’ve eaten it. This prevents you from overeating and curbs your hunger pangs. It also prevents you from consuming unhealthy snacks in between meals and aids in weight loss.



How to Choose a Good Protein Bar?

1.    Look at the protein content in the protein bar. It should have at least 20-25 g of protein. This much amount of protein is necessary for your muscle strength and good muscle tissue recovery.

2.    Check out the fat content in the protein bar. If you want to choose a protein bar for meal replacement, go for the one with more than 10 g of dietary fat. If you have to consume it post workout, then you should choose the one with very less fat content since your metabolism is very active right after working out and high fat content at that time may lead to unwanted fat gain. Make sure that the bar contains minimal trans and saturated fats.

3.    With many low-carb products prevailing in the market, it is very important to make a note of the carbohydrate content of the bar. If your target is to lose weight, then you should not choose a bar with more than 30 g of carbohydrate content. If you want to have it as a post-workout option, then it is fine to consume more carbs because at that time, your body requires energy. But a post-workout bar should be very low in fats.


Protein bars are not meant to replace your entire protein intake of the day. They can be consumed to fill in the gaps in your daily protein requirement. Protein bars should always be chosen from a reputed brand and make sure that they contain high-quality protein along with other nutrients so that you do not make a wrong choice.

Q. How much protein should I consume per day?

A. For adults, on average, 45-60 g of protein is necessary. This varies as per your age and the type of physical work you are involved in. The more you work out, the more protein you require to compensate the protein lost during working out.

Q. Why is consuming protein important?

A. Protein is one of the macronutrients that are very much essential for proper functioning of the body processes. It is the building block of everything in your body, like skin, nails, hair, organs, immune system, etc. Protein is required for maintaining the strength of bones and muscles, effective recovery of muscular damage, staying energetic and preventing fatigue, keeping hair, skin and nails healthy, and enhancing immunity. Few amino acids, the building blocks of protein, cannot be synthesized in the body and hence they must be consumed through diet and supplements.

Q. Who should consume protein bars?

A. Protein bars serve as on-the-go snack for anyone who feels that they are getting insufficient amount of protein through their diet but do not have enough time to prepare protein-rich meals due to their hectic lifestyles. These bars are particularly good for bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts who spend their day training hard at the gym or on the field.

Those who are aiming at losing weight can also be benefited by consuming protein bars. The reason is that protein takes a long time to get digested, and thus these bars keep you feeling full for long and help you cut down your calorie intake.

Q. What is the right time to consume a protein bar?

A. Yes it is true that there is no particular time to have a protein bar. However, there are a few times when you can derive the maximum benefits from a protein bar. Having it right before or after your workout may prove to be highly beneficial since this is the time when your body requires a good amount of protein. Especially after a workout, your body’s metabolism is at its peak, and thus inducing protein would allow maximum absorption of the nutrient into the body, providing the maximum benefits out of it.

These bars can also be consumed during your workouts as they do not require any special preparation. This may boost your energy level and aid in working out for extra time.

Q. Why do I need this extra protein?

A. Most of us feel that we get the full nutrient value from our meals. But the truth is that environmental factors and cooking damage the nutritional value of food to an extent. So even if you are having a balanced diet, it is a probability that you are not getting complete nutrient from your food. Due to this, the daily nutrient requirement of the body may not be fulfilled. Protein bars provide isolated protein in a very balanced amount. 

Q. What are the major sources of protein in a protein bar?

A. Protein bars preferably contain whey protein, casein protein (derived from milk) or a blend of both. Another protein sources used for a protein bar are soy and egg. Inclusion of nuts and seeds also adds to the protein content.

Q. How to choose a good protein bar?

A.  1. Look at the protein content in the protein bar. It should have at least 20-25 g of protein. This much amount of protein is necessary for your muscle strength and muscle tissue recovery.

2. Check out the fat content in the protein bar. If you want to choose a protein bar for meal replacement, go for the one with more than 10 g of dietary fat. If you have to consume it post workout, then you should choose the one with very less fat content since your metabolism is very active right after working out and high fat content at that time may lead to unwanted fat gain. Make sure that the bar contains minimal amount of trans and saturated fats.

3. With many low-carb products prevailing in the market, it is very important to make a note of the carbohydrate content of the bar. If your target is to lose weight, then you should not choose a bar with more than 30 g of carbohydrate content. If you want to have it as a post-workout option, then it is fine to consume more carbs because at that time, your body requires energy. But a post-workout bar should be very low in fats.

Q. What happens if I over-eat protein bars?

A. Normally, 2-3 protein bars a day are recommended for an average adult. High amount of protein is healthy for someone who is involved in heavy workouts or other physical work that requires excess energy, because then the protein will get metabolised and absorbed in the body to provide its benefits. However, if you do not get indulged in workouts or physical work and still consume high amount of protein, the protein apart from the amount required by the body for the day converts into fats and gets deposited in the body in the form of fats. This leads to unwanted weight gain even if you are not consuming a diet rich in fats.

Q. Is it safe for diabetics to have protein bars?

A. Protein bars are safe for diabetics, provided that they consume it in the recommended quantity. They should choose the ones with low amount of sugar. They should go for the ones that do not have sugar, dextrose or corn syrup as the carb source. There may be healthy sources of carbs in a protein bar, like oats. The bar should contain monounsaturated fats as the fat source, and not trans/saturated fats. However, it is always advisable to consult your doctor before consuming any nutritional supplement to avoid any health issues.

Q. Are protein bars healthy for women?

A. Women require a calcium- and protein-rich diet on a daily basis. They should go for the protein bars that are rich in calcium and folic acid as well. However, pregnant and lactating women must consult their doctor first.