I’m quite a proponent of weight-lifting, and not the kind of sissy stuff where you take a 2-lbs dumbbell, do 20 reps, and call that “lifting”. I guess I’d rather fit in with the men, grunting and breaking a serious sweat because I want to develop some muscle.
Well, I told myself recently that maybe it would be worth trying to eat protein bars at times, because I’m afraid I don’t eat enough protein to supplement my efforts. That’s why, last Monday, when I biked to the nearest German town on the other side of the Rhine to refill my stock of quinoa and oatmeal, I also took the opportunity of being in the middle of products cheaper than in France to get a few samples of protein bars.
This morning, as usual, I had one of my weight-lifting sessions, and when I came back home, I figured out it could be worth incorporating a bar into my food plan for the day. Which I did, before proceeding to eat said bar.
How to put it… it was… yucky? It tasted like some Snickers or Mars stuff — 2-cents chocolate with an awfully sweet taste. I love my carbs and I’m a sucker for dark chocolate and plenty of other fattening stuff, but that kind of things is definitely out of my league. Moreover, I hate the aftertaste it leaves in your mouth, sometimes even after you’ve brushed your teeth. Yuck and yuck again.
I have a couple of other bars from a different brand, so I’ll try these all the same a next day, but somehow, I fear that the experience will just end the same. Maybe I just have to stick with cottage cheese and the likes, although it’s not exactly convenient to carry with me when I lift, then spend the day out.
Or I need to up some more the quantity of proteins I eat at breakfast, and ditch carbs altogether in terms of morning cereals, etc. I’ll see.
But that’s too bad for those bars. Their wrappings promised something good. I guess I’m not cut for foods that are very sweet.
December 22nd, 2007 at 17:09
They’re not quite as convenient, but some protein shakes aren’t as nasty. Spirutein is a brand in the US that’s delicious. It’s got lots of vitamins, too. But at least protein powders can be disguised in a blender with fruit or whatnot. I don’t know how much brand overlap there is, but some not-disgusting bars I’ve tried include Luna Bars (though not super high protein), Zone Bars, and South Beach. All three can be quite tasty. Good luck!
December 22nd, 2007 at 17:34
I’m with you, so many of the power bars taste really nasty. Though I LIKE the ones that are more like candy bars–they just tend to be a lot of calories for not a lot of nutrition.
Portable protein is always a challenge, especially if one is trying to avoid processed foods. And I don’t really want to open a can of tuna at the gym!
December 22nd, 2007 at 20:30
Jaime — I’ll have a look at shakes the next time I go to Germany then (I prefer to shop there for that kind of things, because it’s less expensive than in France, and I can’t afford the stuff that is sold here). I’ve heard about Luna bars, although I’ve never saw them here, but you never know; maybe there are stores that carry them. I’ll have a look as well. Thanks for the suggestions!
December 22nd, 2007 at 20:33
Crabby — My bad luck for not being very keen on candy bars then.
(At least it’s a matter of taste, not of dieting, so for once I can say I do something “normally”! LOL)
To be honest, I did open a can of tuna once at the gym (not kidding!), and I also cooked some cod at 4 pm or something as a snack. Which once again makes me realize that when I’m genuinely hungry, I can eat whatever, no matter the time of day.