Protein bars are the most convenient protein supplement because they’re spill-proof, extremely portable, and compact. But they’re typically much more expensive than protein powder and also usually less protein-dense. Are the benefits of this popular type of supplement for building muscle worth the drawbacks, or do the cons outweigh the pros?
This question posed by our readers doesn’t have any one definitive answer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t sort out some of the issues to explore the trade-offs at hand. First, it’s important to note that while it’s true that many protein bars aren’t as protein-dense as their protein shake brethren, some now are. In fact, you can find bars with up to 20 grams of protein or more in them these days.
And while discount warehouses like Costco have made the protein bar a more affordable supplement than it once was, those same stores have also discounted protein powder for shakes, so it is still true that powders are usually cheaper (per gram of protein) than bars are. But you also have to mix the powders with some form of liquid to make a protein shake, which costs time, and if you use anything aside from tap water as the liquid portion, that will cost you money too.
Interestingly enough, we’ve gotten the question about whether protein bars are worth the money many times, often comparing it to protein powders. But people rarely have mentioned premixed protein shakes as the yardstick for comparison, probably because they’re on the expensive side too. But you shouldn’t overlook the ready-made protein shakes completely because they usually have more nutritional value than bars and also have most of the same “buy it on the way” convenience factor.
The bottom line, though, is that all three forms of protein supplement are useful to a lot of people; that’s why they all exist on the market still. Only you can decide whether any one supplement is right for your situation, and you might be surprised — you may just find that the type of supplement you thought was the worst deal is actually the best fit for your life.
protein bars always come in handy whenever you need lots of protein after a heavy exercise!
Right in our supermarket, I can buy some cheap protein bars which I always eat when doing workouts. Great article!