New Quest Bar Flavor - Double Chocolate Chunk

This flavor officially launches today at 10:30am Pacific time (so in a few mins). I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a box from a pre-launch test run.

Here are my thoughts. First if you like chocolate you will like this bar. Same great things about Quest Bars, lots of fiber (i.e. Low Net Carbs), lots of protein, but this one comes in at only 160 calories.

The bar is tasty, especially if you like the taste of dark chocolate. Compared to the Cookie Dough bar, this one is not as sweet and has a slight cocoa powder bitter after taste but nothing that would stop be from buying these bars again.

They are not my favorite but they rank in the top 4 or 5 (I haven't decided yet).

Thanks for sharing  

Oh man, these sound like they could be too dangerous for me.  When I start looking forward to a protein bar, I know I'm in trouble :-)   I'll probably get one to see if it triggers me or not. 

There really is nothing in a quest bar that should trigger you. Physical triggers come from things that are higher in carbs that make you want more carbs. Now that is not to say that something like this won't mentally trigger you to eat more. I use protein bars as ways to break up the monotony of protein shakes and when I need something before or after a workout.

Wrong-O!  Psychological trigger?  Or is it the artificial sweetner?  Or the texture?

I avoid them because my brain associates them with Tootsie Rolls.  They are sweet enough, and the texture when warmed for a couples of secs in the microwave,  to set me off.  

Same with Atkins bars -- I just had one that made me want to eat the whole thing, then have another.

I didn't see it coming -- and not all flavors of Atkins bars are triggers, but so far, all Quest bars are triggers for me.

But you think those are physical triggers rather than psychological? I think triggers like that stem from the roots of our eating issues in general not a physical trigger. Again just to qualify I am not a doctor or a nutritionist but I have read more than a fair amount about food science and nutrition and how food affects our bodies. There is some conflicting info on artificial sweeteners so perhaps, but Quest bars do not use artificial sweeteners (erythritol and stevia - Only 10% of Erythritol is absorbed into the blood, the rest passes). Arguably the fiber in them could trigger you (not you specifically but you in general) but even that I find a bit suspect.

Texture, Flavor, etc are all psychological triggers. This happened to me a couple nights ago. I found these flax based oatmeal cookies and I coated one with cinnamon and I ended up eating like 4 before I caught myself well into an old habit. Needless to say those will not be in the house again. I have been craving cinnamon ever since. But I can honestly say I do not think that was a physical but rather a psychological trigger.

I am not in any way saying these don't trigger you but I would be more curious in a larger scope of what people feel trigger them. More research!

I have been craving cinnamon ever since.

Have you tried adding cinnamon to your shakes?  I have added to my chocolate shakes and they are super yummy

I do it all the time. Cinnamon is a great thermogenic and you should try to eat some every day. Saigon Cinnamon though not the other stuff. I prefer it with vanilla to chocolate but I have done it with both. I also make vanilla peanut butter energy bites with toasted oatmeal that I put a ton of cinnamon in. If you really like cinnamon google Jamie Easons Cinnamon Cake. Its really good and low carb.

Some studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can and do cause an insulin reaction which does indeed cause a physical trigger to eat carbs after the blood sugar drops.

I do know what you're talking about. I call it my it's still in my mouth and I'm reaching for the next one syndrome. Totally triggered by texture, taste, etc.....

I believe a mental trigger can be more powerful than a physical one! Just my opinion, though.

Exactly!

Based on what I know which at this point would be about as much as say a 2nd year nutrition student and having not read those studies, my guess is the insulin response was caused by the fillers that are added, particularly to sucralose or Splenda. The bulk of Splenda in powdered form is filler which does have quite a few carbs considering how little actual sweetener is in it. There is a liquid form of Splenda sold in Europe that supposedly does not have this problem. I have some pure sucralose that I got on Amazon.com that even the smallest amount is unbelievably sweet. Its really weird stuff.

But low cal/carb natural sweeteners (stevia/monk fruit) should not cause an insulin response and neither should sugar alcohols by themselves. It matters what they are paired with and from what I was reading today there are lots of things that get added to counteract other effects. For example Erythritol causes a cooling effect and some companies pair something with it to not only add bulk but to counteract that cooling effect. It also doesn't dissolve that well so they add stuff to help it dissolve in water. 

So it is possible. So far I haven't found an artificial sweetener that causes any kind of trigger in me. 

I 1000% agree that a mental trigger is far stronger than a physical one because a physical one can actually be satisfied.