It’s been a piece since nosotros tore apart—figuratively, non literally—a nutrient label. So hither goes. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lilliputian something lite to start your week.
Up today: Exo bars. To locomote specific, Exo bars that are marketed equally protein bars.
Now, I’m non hither to bash these things. On the contrary, if y'all similar to continue something semi-wholesome, with ingredients y'all tin give the sack sympathize as well as pronounce, inward your handbag, gym bag, or desk drawer at the office, y'all could do a whole lot worse than these. However, if what y'all are genuinely looking for is protein, therefore these “protein” bars may non precisely locomote the agency to go. Let’s encounter why.
As nosotros tin give the sack encounter correct hither on the label, these things are complimentary of grains, gluten, dairy, as well as soy. Nice! Nothing incorrect with that. But let’s plough this babe over as well as withdraw keep a expect at the ingredients as well as nutrient breakdown.
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Sorry it’s therefore blurry. Here’s the element list: Almonds, plum glue (Plum juice concentrate, Plums), Apricots, Apple glue (Apple juice, Apple Puree Concentrate) Cricket Flour (Archeta Domesticus), Honey, Apples, Ground Flaxseeds, Coconut, Vanilla, Spices, Sea Salt And here's the nutrient breakdown: 290 calories, 14g full fat, 26g full refined saccharify (5g fiber, xvi g sugar), 10g protein |
For a bar weighing 60g—just a lilliputian over 2 ounces, we’ve got 10 grams of protein. Not bad, actually. We’ve also got fourteen grams of fat, as well as … wait, what? 26 grams of carbohydrate. Even though I loathe (hate, hate!) talking virtually “calories,” the whopping 290 calories of this teeny, tiny bar pause downward equally follows: xl calories from protein, 126 calories from fat, as well as 104 from carbohydrate. Is it merely me, or is it a lilliputian disingenuous that they’re marketing this equally a poly peptide bar? To emphasize: I’m non maxim this is a “bad” thing to eat; I’m solely maxim that it’s misleading to telephone telephone it a poly peptide bar. Does it withdraw keep some poly peptide inward it? Yes. But it has far to a greater extent than fatty as well as carbohydrate.
Let’s encounter why this “protein” bar has therefore much fatty as well as carbohydrate, shall we?
Like I said, at to the lowest degree nosotros tin give the sack pronounce as well as understand these ingredients. The to a greater extent than gastronomically skittish with y'all powerfulness non desire to eat cricket flour, but at to the lowest degree y'all know what it is as well as where it comes from. (Sort of.) I’m non maxim no ane should consume these things, ever. I holler back they tin give the sack locomote a perfectly non bad snack—if y'all are, say, hiking the Appalachian trail as well as maybe need a lilliputian to a greater extent than carb (and fat) than the average sedentary person, peculiarly if this carb as well as fatty comes inward such a tiny, lightweight, easily portable parcel that volition non add together to the weight of the gear you’re already hauling on your back. However, if y'all are a desk jockey as well as the most physical activeness y'all instruct during your twenty-four hr menses is clicking the mouse as well as watching the clock, therefore I assure you, y'all do non demand this amount of fatty as well as refined saccharify together, especially non for merely 2 ounces of food. If y'all desire protein, consume a tin give the sack of tuna. If y'all desire poly peptide as well as fat, consume a hard-boiled egg, or a tin give the sack of salmon with the skin. So yes, at that spot is a fourth dimension as well as house for this form of convenience food, but equally always, similar nutrition researcher Bill Lagakos says, context matters.
Just for fun, let’s expect at a dissimilar flavour of Exo bar, this time, huckleberry vanilla:
Samey-same: 60g/2.1 oz, complimentary of grains, gluten, soy, as well as dairy. Another 10 grams of protein.
Ingredients as well as nutrient breakdown:
260 calories, broken downward equally follows: xl from protein, 92 from carb, as well as 144 from fat. But this is a protein bar. Right, yes. I encounter it therefore clearly now. ;-)
Again, the primary origin of protein—the pulverized crickets—is the 5th ingredient, later almonds as well as iii refined saccharify items (two of which incorporate “apple juice concentrate,” which belike makes them fifty-fifty sweeter than they would locomote on their own). The fats come upwardly ane time to a greater extent than from almonds, flaxseeds, as well as coconut. Really, y'all could do a lot worse than these bars. I’m non maxim these are terrible as well as no ane should ever consume them. I’m maxim don’t ever trust the snazzy buzzwords on the front end of a package. Always expect at the ingredients as well as the refined saccharify charge (if y'all hap to locomote watching your carbs).
These remind me of a few other labels we’ve taken to task, for similar reasons – advertising equally high inward protein, when what they’re genuinely high inward is sugar:
And let’s non forget products that habiliment “health halos” – consummate garbage masquerading equally wellness food:
Takeaway lesson: There are rattling few foods that are definitively “good” or “bad.” Context matters. Are y'all lean, insulin sensitive, healthy, as well as active? Are y'all competing inward an ironman triathlon? These Exo bars powerfulness locomote perfect for you. (If y'all are non a fat-adapted athlete. But fifty-fifty if y'all are, these are yet okay.) Are y'all insulin resistant, sedentary, as well as looking to lose a few pounds? Then maybe y'all powerfulness do good to avoid eating things that are primarily dried fruit, combined with a bunch of fat, as well as a lilliputian chip of protein. There's genuinely non much incorrect with these bars; I merely wouldn't telephone telephone them poly peptide bars.
Disclaimer: Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP, is non a doctor as well as , LLC, is non a medical practice. The data contained on this site is non intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or forestall whatever medical status as well as is non to locomote used equally a substitute for the attention as well as guidance of a physician. Links inward this post as well as all others may straight y'all to amazon.com, where I volition have a modest amount of the purchase cost of whatever items y'all purchase through my affiliate links.
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