The search for the perfect protein bar...

Anyone who has ever tried a healthier approach to eating knows that one of the key things is getting enough protein in your diet.  This is probably the one I struggle with the most.  Not because I don't like meat or anything like that...it's just A LOT!  It's hard to really know how much protein a person should get in their diet.  It can depend on various things like your current weight and the amount of exercise you get.  The more you workout, the more important protein becomes.  A few great ways to get protein are lean meats such as chicken (yum, but gets boring) and fish (which I'm not a huge fan of).  Red meats count too but take your body longer to process and should be eaten in moderation.  Nuts/seeds and a bit of dairy can be great too. But if you're aiming for 75-100g of protein a day it can start to feel like a daunting task.

This is where things like protein shakes and bars come in.  Shakes are a whole other topic to tackle, so today I'm just going to talk about protein bars...because I FINALLY FOUND THE PERFECT ONES!!!

I have tried pretty much every kind of "protein bar" that's out there. I put it in quotes because some of them are just glorified candy bars and you may as well eat a snickers.  The trick to finding a good protein bar is finding one that has a good amount of protein (20+ grams) but doesn't also have a bazillion grams of sugar. Fiber one and Special K protein bars do okay on the protein front but one look at the sugar content and you'll see them as more of a chocolatey granola bar.  But hey, they're cheaper than most.

When I first started trying to lose weight, my nutritionist suggested "Think Thin" bars.  They have 20g of protein and only 1 or 2g of sugar...but one bite and I wanted to hurl.  I had to force myself to finish them.  My dad then introduced me to Pure Protein bars.  After having the Think Thin bars, they were a welcome change.  But after a couple weeks of the chocolate peanut butter bars (the only ones I liked even a little), I was tired of them.

The Biggest Loser talks a lot about larabars because they're all natural, etc...but their texture was so nasty to me that I was done after eating a half of one.  No thanks.

After my trip to the BL resort last fall, I was introduced to Kind bars.  Now these really tasted like a treat.  They are made with just nuts and honey...with a bit of dark chocolate.  Health wise, if you want a candy bar they are great.  However, their protein to sugar content still wasn't what I knew I needed.  *sigh*  I was seriously becoming frustrated.  I can get pretty lazy when it comes to eating and I just want something that I can grab quickly that is healthy and filling and doesn't taste like crap!  Is that so much to ask?

Enter...the Quest Nutrition bars.

I follow a few of the Biggest Loser alumni from past seasons and more and more I began to notice that they were all raving about Quest protein bars.  I was curious about them, but from what I could tell they're really freaking expensive and only available online or at stores like GNC.  I put off trying them, telling myself that they couldn't possibly be as good as everyone was saying.  They're probably paid to say those amazing things, right?

And then I decided to just suck it up and spend the dough.  HOLY FREAKING COW!!!!!!!!!!  Where have you been all my life, Quest bars?  Seriously.  I tried probably 8-9 different flavors and not one of them was "ew gross get it out of my mouth" nasty.  But my 3 favorites...are truly like a dessert.  The best part?  They are everything you need in a good protein bar.  Most of them are around 160-190 calories, 20-21g of protein, 1g of sugar and LOTS of fiber!

These are my 3 favorites.  Cookie Dough, White Chocolate Raspberry...and my newly ordered (they're sold out EVERYWHERE) Cookies n' Cream.

And I am not even slightly exaggerating when I tell you that they taste like their names.  The cookie dough tastes like you are unwrapping a roll of raw dough and if you know me...I could eat raw cookie dough all day.  The white chocolate raspberry has chunks of white chocolate and you can even get the raspberry seeds stuck in your teeth!  And wow...the cookies n' cream was so worth the hassle of ordering online and paying shipping.  (A box of 12 bars (including shipping) was $30.)  I made the mistake of letting my kids try a bite when the box came today and had to hide the rest.

My search is finally over.  I love love love these bars and have zero problem forking over a little more $ to get them.  I have met one person who hates them (Yes you, Amy...you crazy person!) but every other person I know who has tried them has raved about them.  So there you have it.  If you are looking for a good protein bar and don't want to torture your taste buds for 3 years like I did...you're welcome.  Enjoy!!!