anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

i'm away from home for 10+ hours a day 5 days a week so it's tough for me to make the multiple small meals one is supposed to eat throughout the day.

i was at my local big lots and found packs of these south beach meal replacement bars for just under 50 cents a bar (75% off or so) so i bought a box, and was surprised by how decent all three varieties taste. here's the nutritional info for them (all 3 are basically the same)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m...v/barstats.png

my goal is to lose a relatively significant amount of weight, so my plan (in addition to exercise, ldo) is to eat 3-4 of these a day (depending on when i get up) and a normal meal in the evenings. 4*210 calories = 810, and since i don't get any calories from liquids through the day (diet cola and water) that leaves 600-700 calories for my one meal that i'm actually home for. i'll also be getting 76 grams of protein through the day, which is a decent start, right?

as far as supplements go, i've been taking fish oil and a multi-vitamin, but should i be looking to add anything else since i'll only be eating one meal of "real" food?

so is this plan fundamentally flawed? i appreciate your thoughts!

thanks!

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

Post the exact ingredients if you get a chance. The problem with most "popular" MR/protein bars is that almost all the protein is soy.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

I am doing the South Beach Diet replacement bar as my mid-morning and mid-afternoon "meal" too. For the past 3 weeks I eat 1/2 of the bar in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.

I have one with me right now. Looking at the ingredients, it starts off with: Soy Protein Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Maltitol Syrup, Inulin (for Fiber), ... etc.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

Complete list of ingredients:


Ingredients
Soy Protein Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Maltitol Syrup, Inulin (Chicory Fiber), Peanut Butter (Roasted Ground Peanuts), Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Glycerin, Oligofructose (Chicory Fiber), Maltitol, Contains Less Than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavor, Milk Protein Isolate, Nonfat Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate, Chocolate, Cocoa, Soy Protein Isolate, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Peanut Oil, Soy Lecithin, Butter (Cream, Salt), Heavy Cream, Salt, Monoglycerides, Carrageenan, Caramel Color, Sucralose, Beta Carotene, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Calcium Phosphate, Ferric Orthophosphate (Iron), Vitamin E Acetate, Phytonadione (Vitamin K1), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacinamide, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Iodide, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Copper Gluconate, Manganese Sulfate, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

too much crap, not enough good stuff...I'd eat 2 larabars over this and supplement withs some jerky... even a trail mix/nuts would be better...

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

I think one or two of these a day is fine, but using them as such a huge proportion of your calories is uber bad.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

So, what are the best meal replacement bars for people who are trying to lose weight that don't taste like crap?

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "meal replacement bar." But I've been looking at "protein bars" and other ostensibly healthy bars, and am totally confused what makes sense for me (someone who is cutting).

I wish we had one thread here that talked about all these commercial "health" bars.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

I think that woud be a good idea because I bought a box of Clif bars thinking they were healthy and now I'm on the fence. I can't just throw em away though so I guess I'm stuck eating them whether they are good or not.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

as is usual....what smiley said.

actually these things should be used to keep you from eating something worse. meaning if you will go get a double cheese burger and fries instead of eating a meal replacement bar then more power to you, but try to base your diet around stuff that doesn't come in individually wrapped packages.

think fruit, nuts, jerky, etc.

but use these if they help you with your goals, just not as an addition not a foundation. J.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

I had great success with "Nature's Plus Ultra Energy Bar"

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

Why don't you just pack a lunch with real food and eat 3 meals/day? Learning to eat real, whole food is much more important than meal frequency.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you just pack a lunch with real food and eat 3 meals/day? Learning to eat real, whole food is much more important than meal frequency.

[/ QUOTE ]

For many of us, packing 3 meals a day is not realistic. And I think meal frequency is essential, though it's of course better to consume real food each time.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why don't you just pack a lunch with real food and eat 3 meals/day? Learning to eat real, whole food is much more important than meal frequency.

[/ QUOTE ]

No.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

How about another solution, make your own. I've seen many recipes for protein bars on the net, I've even posted the recipe I use on this forum. It is easy to make, it doesn't have all the overprocessed crap in it, and it tastes good.

Most commercial bars are either really bland tasting or taste like sh it.

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think one or two of these a day is fine, but using them as such a huge proportion of your calories is uber bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree completely. They're a lot better than what most people might eat on the run, but i wouldn't form a diet around them.

Also, anyone find they really need to drink a lot of liquid with these things considering the taste?

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

[ QUOTE ]
How about another solution, make your own. I've seen many recipes for protein bars on the net, I've even posted the recipe I use on this forum. It is easy to make, it doesn't have all the overprocessed crap in it, and it tastes good.

Most commercial bars are either really bland tasting or taste like sh it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you link to your recipe? Is it difficult or time-consuming?

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

Well, here's one from the Food Network. I've only tried it once, but I remember these tasting pretty reasonable.

Protein Bar -- Good Eats

Re: anybody familiar with \"meal replacement\" bars?
 

You really should make an effort to replace some of these bars with actual meals. It will be worth the effort. Can you find a couple of hours over the weekend to cook? If so, grab an empty 5-pound protein tub and make some chili. Here's one recipe:

http://www.t-nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=869691

What I used to do was much more simple. It was something like cans of stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, a ton of kidney beans and some other beans, chicken breast, and chili powder. One tub of this will give you maybe fifteen portions?

The chili is just one suggestion. Anything else that you can think of that you can cook in bulk and throw in your freezer in individual tupperware containers will do.