Met-Rx Protein Plus Bars
Met-Rx was founded in 1991 by Dr. A. Scott Connelly, who is considered a pioneer in bodybuilding nutrition. The company is now a part of the NBTY conglomerate, which also owns a variety of other, familiar supplement brands. The Protein Plus bars feature the company’s proprietary METAMYOSYN® blend, and are relatively low in net carbs. The bars come in 4 flavors: Chocolate Roasted Peanut w/Caramel, Chocolate Fudge Deluxe, Chocolate Chocolate Chunk and Mud Pie Fusion.
Manufacturer’s Description: Athletes, anyone pursuing a high protein diet and active people from all walks of life require a higher protein intake than the average person – and the new PROTEIN PLUS food bar is the best tasting, most convenient way to get that extra protein. PROTEIN PLUS bar delivers almost twice the protein per gram compared to most other bars, and it’s easily digested and absorbed for faster, more effective lean muscle growth and body fat loss. Each bar contains 32 grams of high quality METAMYOSYN enhanced protein-the exclusive protein formulation that is a fundamental ingredient in other MET-Rx products.
Product Label:
| Serving Size 1 Bar (85g) Amount Per Serving Calories 300 Calories From Fat 80 Total Fat 9g Saturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 5mg Sodium 130mg Potassium 100mg Total Carbohydrate 32g |
Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 3g Sugar Alcohol 18g Protein 32g Vitamin A 35% Calcium 25% Vitamin E 35% Riboflavin 35% Vitamin B6 30% Vitamin B12 30% Pantothenic Acid 35% |
Iodine 30% Zinc 35% Vitamin C 35% Iron 50% Thiamin 35% Niacin 35% Folic Acid 35% Biotin 35% Phosphorus 10% Magnesium 4% Copper 40% |
| Ingredients: Vanilla Creme Topping (Maltitol Syrup, Milk Protein, Sorbitol, Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor, Calcium Carbonate), Metamyosyn® VPP Protein Blend (Whey Protein Hydrolysate, And Milk Protein Isolate), Chocolate Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose), Glycerin, Soy Protein Isolate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Milk Chocolate Drops (Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Water, Soy Crisps (Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Malt Extract, Salt), Coffee Extract, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Instant Coffee, Inulin, Natural Flavor , Vitamin And Mineral Blend (Ascorbic Acid, Ferrous Fumarate, Tricalcium Phosphate, D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Sucralose, Wheat Germ, Peanut Flour, Almond Meal. | ||
Comments: I picked up a “Mud Pie Fusion” (shown above) and a “Chocolate Roasted Peanut w/Caramel” bar from my local Fred Meyer store, where they were on sale for only $1.67 apiece – quite cheap for bars of this size (3 oz. each).
After my first bite, however, I’m glad I didn’t pay more. Don’t get me wrong: each bar was chocolately and sweet, with a rich flavor. But biting into one of these bars was like chomping down on a chocolate- coated tire. One downside of low-carb bars made with sugar alcohols is that they tend to be chewy. Well, these were two of the hardest, chewiest bars I’ve ever eaten.
(And no…I didn’t accidentally purchase bars past their “best by” dates, either. )
It’s a pity, since the Protein Plus bars are actually rather tasty, and the nutritional profile’s not bad at all…with this amount of protein and the added vites and minerals, a Protein Plus bar could be a pretty decent meal substitute or on-the-go snack. But the corporate brain trust at NBTY needs to get with the program…food technology has advanced a lot over the last decade, and – as the makers of Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Bars have shown – it’s not impossible to make a low carb bar that you don’t have to masticate into submission.
Update: On a recent trip to Ohio, I stopped at a local Kroger’s to pick up a portable snack, and ended up with a Chocolate Fudge Deluxe Protein Plus bar…it was the only low carb, high protein bar on display. To my surprise, this one had a much better texture than the ones above…sure, it was chewy, but not excessively so. In fact, it was pretty good. I don’t know if it this just happened to be a “good” flavor, or I ended up with a couple of duds earlier, but – to be fair – I thought I should make note of it.
[usrlist “Taste:2.5” “Quality:3.5” “Efficacy:3.5” “Value:4.5″ avg=”true”]
