WHICH PROTEIN BAR?

As you may have figured out from my history, I am a fan of the phrase "Food composition equals body composition." The ratio of fats to protein to carbs in our food is what determines our muscle to fat ratio. Since it is muscle that burns calories, we want food that builds muscle and loses fat.

Protein bars can fit this description, but you have to look carefully to see what the composition of the protein bar is. The ones that have protein grams roughly equal to carb grams, (within 10 grams) are the ones we want.

There are many so-called protein bars on the market, but only a few have the right food composition to manage blood sugar and build muscle.

The winners are: ZONE bars and BALANCE bars, both available at Walmart. If you are a Shaklee protein bar fan, they work for this formula, too.

Protein bars are a great snack, but if they have too many carbs for the amount of protein in them, they will trigger an insulin spike and make-you-hungry insulin crash just like eating carbs by themselves. So look at those numbers next time you buy a protein bar. Protein should be almost equal to carbs, and it should be low fat, below 6 grams.