Protein bar quality - coulditbe

[poopy pants]

Originally posted on: http://www.brothersiniron.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7

Do other bars offer high-quality protein? How can I tell?

To determine if a bar contains high-quality protein, take a look at the Nutrition Facts panel on the back of the wrapper. There will be a row that lists the total grams of protein contained in that bar. If the bar is a making a protein claim, by regulation there should also be a % DV (Daily Value) listed next to the total number of grams. That DV percentage is corrected, or lowered, when a protein’s PDCAAS score is lower than 1.0. For example, if the protein content is 20g, and the %DV is any less than 40%, then it means a PDCAAS score of less than 1.0 was applied (20g / 50g Daily Value = 40% DV). If the %DV corresponding to 20g of protein were 30% instead of 40%, for example, it would mean that the PDCAAS protein score for that product is 0.75, which is significantly lower in protein quality (by one quarter) than the 1.0 score for PowerBar’s high quality TriSource Blend.

Examples of poor quality proteins are gelatin and collagen (sometimes labeled as hydrolyzed protein), which some manufacturers use as a protein source in their bars. Gelatin and collagen have a Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Scoring (PDCAAS) score of zero since they lack certain essential amino acids. If a product contains gelatin or collagen , then the total PDCAAS score will have to be less than 1.0 and you should see a %DV that has been lowered. PowerBar® ProteinPlus™ uses TriSource™ protein, which contains only the highest quality Whey, Casein and Soy proteins.

[Jean-Paul]

I need to check my new favorite bar against these criteria. Has anyone tried the new Designer Protein bars? I ate one this morning that had nuts, carmel, and chocolate and I swear, if I didn't already know that it was a supplement, I would have thought I was eating a real-life, fattening, sugar-laden candy bar! If it tastes that good it CAN'T be good for me! Anyway, after I go back to the gym and read the label I will list the details about it. I am going to start buying it by the case if it checks out.

[DavidCPA]

I'll vouch for the PowerBar Protein Plus bars. They have 24 grams of protein (48% DV) and taste really good though they are a bit chewy. It would be very hard to meet my snack protein requirements without them.

My only complaint is that they are a bit expensive even when bought in bulk. The cheapest I have found is $1.83 per bar purchasing them through the PowerBar website (FYI..they sub the orders out to rei.com).

-DavidCPA