Are you on a Quest for Sexiness?
I am extremely critical of protein bars… I typically prefer to starve while I am on the run instead of opting to stop at a gas station and pick up some mass produced protein bar. The reasons are endless… artificial sweetners that will destroy insulin sensitivity, aflatoxin infested peanut butter, sugar… sugar… sugar… lactose and milk antibiotics… poor quality chocolate, etc. So for me to write & endorse a protein bar is a huge deal.
Yesterday… I finally got my hands on the heralded Quest Nutrition Protein Bar. This bar is something that Super Human Radio’s, Carl Lenore has been raving about since 2010, but because you have to mail order it, I had never gotten around to trying them. The bodybuilding community has been going crazy over them and the paleo-crossfitters were behind them too. Quest Nutrition claims that these bars have 20 grams of protein, 4-6 net carbs, don’t spike blood sugar and taste like candy through using a special sweetener from natural oligosaccharides, derived from chicory root which is actually a natural prebiotic which can help provide B vitamins and short chain fatty acids. Theoretically, this is awesome… almost too good to be true.
So yesterday, while waiting for a client to arrive for lunch at Le Papillion in San Jose, CA, I meandered around to the stores nearby to pass the time and walked into Good Life Nutrition, a supplement store. There it was… this Quest candy bar I had heard so much about. I almost did a double take! I ended up buying 10 of them…. to try all the flavors of course! And promptly ate all 10. The myth is true… they are delicious, they have tons of protein, and don’t have any of the crap that makes the other bars evil creatures of death.
I like these damn Quest Bars so much, I am writing this article to spread the word… they are the best to-go meal replacement around.
What is in them?
Like I said before, its not about what’s in these bars, its about what is not. So what are these bars actually made of?
Protein Blend (Whey protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate), Isomalto-Oligosaccharides, Almonds, Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Lo Han Guo, Sucralose.
That’s it.
My commentary
Protein Blend (Whey protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate) – If you are lactose intolerant like me… you don’t need to worry, the amount of lactose will be minimal since Isolates are so finely processed.
Isomalto-Oligosaccharides – These are naturally occurring in fermented foods, like rice miso, sake, etc. Population studies have shown that the average American diet has very low oligosaccharides compared to European and Asian diets. This is a strong prebiotic because unlike most starches, it isn’t easily digested in the small intestine. – Winner.
“Generally, short chain oligosaccharide, like isomaltooligosaccharides, which confers prebiotic properties in turn, produced Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) like acetate, propionate and butyrate[17][18] as end-products of fermentation. These molecules decrease the intra-luminal pH, directly inhibiting the growth and activities of harmful micro-organisms,[19][20] and contribute to stimulation of the growth of Bifidobacteria, which compete with the enteropathogens for nutrients and epithelial adhesion sites. Uses of IMO by infants & children are equally beneficially in term of improved digestive health similarly as observed in the case of elderly population.[21]”
-wikipedia
Almonds, Freeze Dried Fruits, Chocolate, etc – These are for flavor, very small amounts are in the bars… and while the almonds are probably cooked and the quality of the fruit questionable… it’s really a marginal concern.
Natural Flavors – This is a bit concerning… because they won’t say what it is… although Quest did say it is not MSG… I am assuming its some fruit extract, but it could be death in disguise… really a marginal concern.
Sea Salt – Winner
Lo Han Guo – A rarely used Asian fruit… it’s a low calorie sweetener usually used with diabetics and obese people. Winner.
Sucralose – An artificial sweetener. I am not a fan… but they use .008g per bar. Quest in response to the sucralose push back has also released an all natural line using stevia.
Conclusion:
These are the best protein bars out on the market right now and most of the flavors are pretty damn good. Their strawberry cheesecake was unreal. It is seriously dessert in your mouth… but not. It was definitely sweeter than most candy bars. I ordered two boxes of just that flavor.
Flavor Recommendations (in order)
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Cinnamon Role
- Apple Pie
- Mixed Berry Bliss
- Peanut Chocolate
- Chocolate Brownie
- Banna Nut
*edit - Avoid eating 10+ a day… it can be painful… too much pseudo-fiber.
Try chocolate brownie in the microwave for 15 seconds. It will jump up to the top of your list.
Why eat a processed bar when you can get all you need in whole foods?
Sometimes you need good food on the run. Hard to cook a nice steak when your late for work. Plus, its hard to find Paleo/anti insulin foods that taste as sweet as a quest bar.
LOL, unless you killed the cow yourself, the steak you eat has been processed.
I read a PDF online that says Isomalto-Oligosaccharides increased the size of the small intestine in lab rats.
I wonder if that’s true, because I eat these bars everyday and will most likley be the gal to die from possible side effects.
If we find nothing wrong with them, I may be a life-long customer.
That makes perfect sense actually… Fiber helps the small intestine gut bacteria grow. More creatures inside you could lead to a larger small intestine to hold them.