Quest Protein Bars

I am now 5 1/2 months post surgery and I have lost 113 pounds.  I still have a way to go, but "Praise God" I am getting closer one day at a time.  I am feeling awesome and I love shopping for new clothes (but learning how to do this at thrift stores right now).  Anyway, I was introduced to Quest Protein bars when I was in counseling before surgery.  I use them if I need a little something between meals, but not more than one complete bar a day.  I want to read opinions about whether they are good or bad for you.  I do not want to start any bad habits again.  If you consider them not to be the best, please let me know some alternatives.  Thank you!

I have experimented with them a couple of times and found that for me they are a bad idea. Why? (1) for me, they are a trigger food and (2) for me, my weight loss stops dead in its tracks every time I add them in to my diet.

Alternatives: various types of meat jerkies (I am fond of marlin jerky and elk jerky), crunchy bean snack: www.amazon.com/Snack-Out-Loud-Crunchy-Chipotle/dp/B00H88BHJA / , roasted edamame, cottage cheese with salsa or PB2 stirred in, protein shakes and protein hot chocolate, nice thick slices of roast beef or spicy grilled chicken.

Those bean snacks look AWESOME.  I totally just ordered some for my upcoming convention trip.  Thanks!

I'm a Quest fan! My favorite is peanut butter and jelly. They are the only protein bar I eat.

I'm not a fan of them, too many additives and I don't buy the whole "net carb" hand wave.  Carbs are carbs.  I'd rather eat whole foods that aren't as processed as a protein bar.  

I tend to carry around a tuna packet and a small nut butter pouch in my purse for "emergencies" if I'm out and about.  There are also a ton of things at Wawa that I could get - protein shakes, hard boiled eggs, cheese, cheese and pepperoni, cheese and grapes, greek yogurt, etc.  I'd opt for any of those things over a protein bar!

These did not work for me.  They triggered my sweet tooth and did not keep me full.  

They are better than a snickers bar, but I prefer to eat meat, veggies etc.

I'd posted about Quest products maybe a week or so ago and got great feedback. Basically, your mileage may vary. If you think it's not going to trigger you, go for it. I decided I didn't want to risk it. 

I had mixed results with them.

1) I find they taste like monkey's ass. Well, the banana nut muffin tastes like the monkey ate a banana first. I could eat that one. The others, not so much.

2) They are a little better if you microwave them a bit first but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a quick snack I can keep in my purse. (And most of them still tasted like monkey's ass only now he'd been in a sauna first.)

3) Even though I didn't really like the taste, I found they triggered me and I couldn't stop eating them. Basically I responded to them exactly as if they were a high sugar item even though they claim not to be.

4) According to their label, the number of calories they have is more than if they only had as many carbs as their "active" carbs claim. Technically there is no such thing as an "active" carb. This is a made-up marketing term. I feel like it's deceptive and I'd rather not give my money to companies with deceptive marketing practices.

5) They are being sued in a class action suit because someone sent the bars to a lab and claims they have way more sugar and carbs than the label says. Quest says, no, the lab just doesn't understand modern science around fiber and will right it. Who is right? I don't know but I have trouble believing a lab doesn't know how to test food. Plus, because of how they trigger me and have triggered other people and have caused insulin spikes in some people (but not others), I do not trust the label. At best, they are not made consistently and, at worst, much more of their fiber is soluble and is digested than they claim.

So that's been my experience. I now don't use any protein bars except the occasional KIND+Protein bar which I know is higher in carbs so I'm not fooling myself and I account for it and plan for it as part of my overall food intake.

I keep one in my purse all the time.  Often it will be in there for a week or so before I eat it.  It is a good option to have available if you find yourself super busy and get complacent about getting your protein in.  I would say I might have 1-2 a week.  I haven't had any problems with triggering but many people do.  I like the way they taste.  My favorites are white chocolate raspberry and cinnamon roll.