Convince me to stop eating so many protein bars.

[edro]

Just found new Costco Kirkland protein bars that are Quest bar clones!!!

They came in a 20 pack (choc chip cookie dough and choc brownie) for $18!
Less than $1 each, less than half the price of Quest bars.

Ingredients, macros, taste, consistency are all very similar.
So far, I have only tried the choc chip cookie dough, but it is definitely as good as the Quest bar equivalent flavor.

190 cal
7 fat
23 carb (15 fiber)
21 protein

Fiber source is tapioca starch instead of IMO or soluble corn fiber, but those are supposedly very similar.

http://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Sign...Dough-2--Pack-20-Count.product.100296106.html

 

[TheStu]

Just found new Costco Kirkland protein bars that are Quest bar clones!!!

They came in a 20 pack (choc chip cookie dough and choc brownie) for $18!
Less than $1 each, less than half the price of Quest bars.

Ingredients, macros, taste, consistency are all very similar.
So far, I have only tried the choc chip cookie dough, but it is definitely as good as the Quest bar equivalent flavor.

190 cal
7 fat
23 carb (15 fiber)
21 protein

Fiber source is tapioca starch instead of IMO or soluble corn fiber, but those are supposedly very similar.

http://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Sign...Dough-2--Pack-20-Count.product.100296106.html

Atkins also now makes a high fiber (16g), low sugar (3g) protein (20g) bar, 200cal per bar, with 4g fat. I get them at Walmart, but at $7/4, it's not that much cheaper compared to getting a box of 12 quests for $23 at my gym. And the Quests are better.

 

[TallBill]

I prefer meat and dairy, but nothing wrong with protein bars or shakes as well.

 

[edro]

Update:
Tried numerous other new Quest bar clones. Here are my opinions:
Oh Yeah! One, Birthday Cake, very tasty.
BPI Sports BEST bar, Cookies and Cream and Smores are both terrible. Hard as hell and weird flavor.
Power Bar Clean Whey bar, Cookies and Cream and Raspberry White Chocolate, both are terrible. Way too sugary and disgusting paste-like consistency.

Still the best are Quest Cookies and Cream and Smores, and the Costco Kirkland brand Double Chocolate and Choc Chip Cookie Dough.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Probably the best tasting protein bar I've had was a fit crunch - cookies and cream. I can't eat them regularly because they're almost 400 calories apiece, but they're better than most straight up candy bars IMO. It's a "I want dessert so I might as well be getting some protein too" type of thing.

 

[ArchAngel777]

I started making protein brownies. I was able to perfect them to great taste. This is what they looked like macro wise for the pan (8 by 8)

80g protein
72g carbs (18 or so, were fiber)
20g fat

Also, every ingredient was quality food...

Fat Free Greek Yogurt
Eggs
ON Chocolate Caseine Whey
Ground Oatmeal
Cocoa Powder
Erythritol (only objectionable ingredient)
Baking Powder
Salt (lite, for potassium/sod balance)
Banana or Mint extract

How can something with healthy ingredients literally taste so dang good? Strange.

That said, I no longer make them anymore. Something about sweet foods and their addictive nature for making us crave even more. Not everyone has this problem, but I reckon most do.

Also, I have delved into eating disorders, because I myself was falling patterns to some really bad eating habits... I would hit my macros, but try and hit them with as few calories as possible so that I could gorge on better tasting food. The end result was somewhat of a binge, starve cycle.

Anyhow, it didn't start out this way, but slowly happened. Upon reading a lot, I discovered that many fitness pros and models seems to have the same problem, it just sort of isn't really talked about. A lot of people hide it. I know I hid a bit of it while going through for a few months.

Anyhow, in order to break the binge - diet cycle, I had to pretty much just eliminate sweets from my diet. I still eating fruit, which is sweet, but am saying no to protein bars, pancakes (syrup)... I honestly don't believe sugar or sweets are bad for nutritional reasons, but because of the affect they have on the brain for wanting more and more of it. I found myself eating more and more and being unable to stop. One brownie turned into 2, which turned into the whole pan. Sure, I hit my macros for the day, was under caloric budget, but every 2-3 weeks, something of an insatiable appetite would hit me. I was in shape... Still am in shape. They say those with eating disorders are not typically people who are out of shape. I agree. You can be lean and mean and everyone looks at you and thinks you have it under control, when you may be battling a food addiction. Anyhow, just my babbling, passing thoughts. Because of the shame associated (I have no shame anymore, on any topic ) many people pretend they don't have it, think it is normal, and just don't talk about it.

Anyhow, I generally support IIFYM, but in a way, I find it can also be a precursor to a binge-starve cycle, especially if used with something like lean gains (intermittent fasting) I think those two can spiral you into some bad choices and habits.

 

[edro]

Probably the best tasting protein bar I've had was a fit crunch - cookies and cream. I can't eat them regularly because they're almost 400 calories apiece, but they're better than most straight up candy bars IMO. It's a "I want dessert so I might as well be getting some protein too" type of thing.

Yep, I'm in the same boat. I eat them ever now and then as a meal replacement on the weekend if my schedule is messed up.
They taste great, and not a ton of sugar.
Gatorade makes some very tasty ones as well, but they have like 30g sugar.

 

[edro]

I started making protein brownies. I was able to perfect them to great taste. This is what they looked like macro wise for the pan (8 by 8)

80g protein
72g carbs (18 or so, were fiber)
20g fat

Also, every ingredient was quality food...

Fat Free Greek Yogurt
Eggs
ON Chocolate Caseine Whey
Ground Oatmeal
Cocoa Powder
Erythritol (only objectionable ingredient)
Baking Powder
Salt (lite, for potassium/sod balance)
Banana or Mint extract

How can something with healthy ingredients literally taste so dang good? Strange.

That said, I no longer make them anymore. Something about sweet foods and their addictive nature for making us crave even more. Not everyone has this problem, but I reckon most do.

Also, I have delved into eating disorders, because I myself was falling patterns to some really bad eating habits... I would hit my macros, but try and hit them with as few calories as possible so that I could gorge on better tasting food. The end result was somewhat of a binge, starve cycle.

Anyhow, it didn't start out this way, but slowly happened. Upon reading a lot, I discovered that many fitness pros and models seems to have the same problem, it just sort of isn't really talked about. A lot of people hide it. I know I hid a bit of it while going through for a few months.

Anyhow, in order to break the binge - diet cycle, I had to pretty much just eliminate sweets from my diet. I still eating fruit, which is sweet, but am saying no to protein bars, pancakes (syrup)... I honestly don't believe sugar or sweets are bad for nutritional reasons, but because of the affect they have on the brain for wanting more and more of it. I found myself eating more and more and being unable to stop. One brownie turned into 2, which turned into the whole pan. Sure, I hit my macros for the day, was under caloric budget, but every 2-3 weeks, something of an insatiable appetite would hit me. I was in shape... Still am in shape. They say those with eating disorders are not typically people who are out of shape. I agree. You can be lean and mean and everyone looks at you and thinks you have it under control, when you may be battling a food addiction. Anyhow, just my babbling, passing thoughts. Because of the shame associated (I have no shame anymore, on any topic ) many people pretend they don't have it, think it is normal, and just don't talk about it.

Anyhow, I generally support IIFYM, but in a way, I find it can also be a precursor to a binge-starve cycle, especially if used with something like lean gains (intermittent fasting) I think those two can spiral you into some bad choices and habits.

I completely understand everything you just said.
I ate 3-4 big handfuls of chocolate covered raisins yesterday and couldn't stop. Something mentally hit me and I literally couldn't stop myself.