From the name, Pure Protein Bars sound like the perfect keto snack. I mean, pure protein sounds about as keto as it gets, right?
Don’t let the name fool you. While these bars may have a lot of protein, they are FAR from pure, and they are definitely not keto-friendly. I wouldn’t even call them healthy.
Let’s dig in. Here are the top 5 reasons Protein Bars should NOT be part of your keto diet.
Reason # 1 – They are Pure Carb Bars
Pure Protein bars are definitely packed full of protein – 20 grams of protein per bar to be exact. But those 20 grams come at a big carb cost.
Each bar contains 17-20 grams of carbs! So for a 150 lbs. person, one Pure Protein bar equals 14%-19% of a day’s protein, which sounds pretty good. But for that same 150 lbs. person, the 17-20 carbs in one Pure Protein bar equals 50-100% of the suggested carb intake for a keto lifestyle!
That means if you eat a Pure Protein bar, you better not eat little to no more carbs for the rest of the day. Is that little bar worth giving up a side of kale or side of asparagus with dinner? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
There are so many better ways to get 20 grams of protein out of a snack, without all those processed carbs. Plus, how filling can one little bar be?
Leave the bars on the shelf and eat a few ounces of beef jerky or half a cup of macadamia nuts. You will be fuller, get more nutrients and you can still have that side of kale at dinner.
Reason # 2 – They Are a Product of the 1990’s Low-Fat Craze
Protein and healthy fat are the foundation of a keto lifestyle. You need to eat fat to burn fat, and most of your calories in a keto diet should come from healthy fats.
Pure Protein bars have VERY little fat in them! If you eat too much protein without enough fat, all that “pure protein” will become pure glucose (i.e. sugar). The fat to protein ratio in Pure Protein bars is all off, and eating too many of these little bars is a sure-fire way to kick yourself out of ketosis.
Pure Protein bars are stuck in the low-fat diet past. The parent company of Pure Protein, Worldwide Sports Nutritional Supplements, was founded in 1995.
So it makes sense that this product is formulated according to the low-fat craze of the ’90s. You need to eat fat to burn fat.
Good fats help you lose weight and let’s get real, what kind of sweet keto bar doesn’t have at least some coconut fat in it?!
Reason #3 – Too Many Lab Ingredients
A keto lifestyle is all about getting back to the natural human diet of proteins and beautiful green things.
Pure Protein bars are a Frankenstein food. They contain fructose, glycogen, maltitol, and Hydrolyzed collagen. If you don’t know what these are, don’t worry, you don’t want to.
Suffice it to say, this cocktail of lab ingredients can spike your blood sugar, overwork your liver, dehydrate you, increase fat storage and trigger gastrointestinal discomfort.
The potential internal distress this Frankenstein food can wreak on your intestines is why the company recommends you drink a full glass of water with every bar.
Health foods shouldn’t come with instructions. They also shouldn’t come with warning labels. But, guess what, Pure Protein bars do! Smack dab on the package it reads:
The potential side effect of Pure Protein bars is why these bars are labeled as “for adults.” If you can’t feed them to your kids, how healthy can they be? I think you know the answer.
Conclusion
Remember, just because it has lots of protein, doesn’t mean its keto. There are so many gimmick bars and Frankenstein lab foods trying to jump on the keto bandwagon. Don’t be fooled.
Pure Protein bars sound keto, but they are a Pure Poser. Those 20 grams of dairy and gelatin-based protein are far from the most nutritious, and the carb cost and laundry list of potential side effects just aren’t worth it.
Don’t be fooled by the name. If you’re craving a sweet snack, pass on the Pure Protein bars and grab a hand full of nuts and few squares of dark chocolate, or a bit of jerky and some berries.
You will be more satiated; you won’t run the risk of gastrointestinal distress, and you won’t pay the high carb cost.
