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Not a day goes by that I don’t eat a protein bar.
I keep my desk stocked with Aloha or GoMacro bars, and never leave the house without popping one in my purse.
There’s no denying a bar’s convenience, but when we held an in-office taste test to find the best-tasting ones on the market, our testers had strong feelings about many of their “chalky” textures and “bitter” aftertastes.
Photograph: Tracy Allison/The Guardian$7.88 for a pack of 4 at Walmart$29.99 for a pack of 12 at Amazon$9.98 for a pack of 4 at Walmart $22.88 for a pack of 12 at Amazon
Read the full story here: ‘Tastes like compacted dust’: the best (and worst) protein bars in the US – taste tested
Part of the reason I rely on protein bars is that I’m a pescatarian. I was curious about easy non-bar options for people who don’t eat meat. So, I asked a registered plant-based dietician (who also happens to dislike protein bars), Desiree Nielsen, to recommend alternatives. She shared creative strategies to meet your protein goals, including ideas for plant-based diets and picky eaters.
Experiment with plant-based snacks
Photograph: Courtesy of Biena Snacks
Biena Chickpeas
$17.96 for a variety pack of 4 at Amazon$17.96 for a pack of 4 at Biena Snacks
Nielsen recommended a slew of travel-friendly snacks that contain as many grams of protein as bars.
If you’d like something more adventurous than trail mix, she loves Biena’s dried chickpeas, which contain about 12g of protein per handful.
Near a microwave? Nielsen also suggested pouches of edamame topped with salt or tamari.
Go back to the basics
Photograph: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy
When you picture a high protein meal, does your mind go straight to steak and eggs? There are plenty of less expensive (and plant-based) options. Nielsen reminded me that “all foods contain protein to varying degrees”.
She recommended preparing simple snacks, including my childhood favorite: toast and peanut butter.
Blend it into your breakfast
Photograph: Food and Drink Photos/Alamy
For picky eaters, Nielsen advised mixing cottage cheese into a smoothie or overnight oats.
“The hack on cottage cheese is that you can blend it into anything and it gives everything a cheese flavor, which is really delicious,” she said.
If you’re dairy-free, she has a recipe for a Snickers-flavored smoothie with the sneaky addition of blended tofu that jacks up its protein content.
Drink it
Photograph: Courtesy of Rebbl
Rebbl protein shake
$4.49 at Rebbl$5.19 at Amazon
Koia protein shake
$4.69 at Amazon
A protein shake is just as portable as a bar, but doesn’t require you to risk the “weirdly spongey” texture one of our testers noted.
Nielsen loves Koia and Rebbl, which are both free of artificial sweeteners and contain between 20g and 30g of protein.
