Review: Chocolate bars with a protein punch

Have you jumped on the protein trend yet? Lots of products have been released over the last year or so hoping to help us get the right amount of protein to keep our bodies healthy and to boost athletic performance.

The recommended amount of protein is 0.8g per kg of body weight or 0.36g per lb. This amounts to 56g per day for the average man, 46g per day for the sedentary woman. Of course, active people and athletes would be looking to intake more.

Sales of protein shakes and bars have soared 27% in two years, from £52 million to £66 million. One in ten consumers now claimed to have eaten a protein bar in the last three months. However, some products aren’t always very pleasant to consume, having a powdery texture and chalky taste.

Snickers, Mars and Bounty have all launched a protein-rich version of their chocolate bars recently, allowing you enjoy a tasty treat at the same time as taking in a protein boost. Discount Supplements sent us one of each of these well know chocolate bars to review.

Bounty Protein

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of coconut in chocolate bars so my husband tested this one. He discovered the Bounty Protein bar had no discernable difference from the regular chocolate bar which is a positive as some protein-rich products can have a strange texture. The bar had the classic coconut taste you expect from Bounty with the addition of 19g of protein per bar with the bar coming in at 192kcal with 5.7g of fat. The original Bounty bar comes in at 139 calories with 1.1g of protein. If you’re a fan of coconut and chocolate then this might be a good way for you to get some additional protein in your diet.

Snickers Protein

I love Snickers chocolate and peanut bars, so I was very happy to test this one. The Snickers Protein Bar is a delicious combination of nuts, caramel and chocolate with a soft nougaty centre with again no discernable difference from the regular chocolate bar (no odd texture or chalky taste). The bar has boasts 18g of protein, 7g fat and has a calorific value of 199. For comparison, the original Snickers bar comes in at 245kcal with 4.5g of protein. I could certainly see myself slipping a couple of these into my gym bag for a post-workout snack, although at nearly 200 calories I’d have to be careful how many I ate! 

Mars Protein

Again Vlad wanted to try the Mars Protein bar, which combines caramel and chocolate for that distinctive Mars taste. Once more there is no discernable difference from the regular chocolate bar (no odd texture or chalky taste). The bar comes in at 200 calories with 4g of fat and 19g of protein. Compared to the regular Mars bar which has 2.2g of protein and 230kcal  it certainly makes for an enticing protein-rich alternative.

For me, taste has to be the major factor when taking any sort of supplementary food products as  I am unlikely to keep having something which tastes awful even if it is supposed to be good for me! These special protein-rich editions have no discernable difference from their regular, delicious chocolate bar originals and make it easy and enjoyable to get more protein.

I would be weary of people forgetting that they do also contain fat, sugars and salt which can be harmful in large doses, however, I am happy to award them 4 out of 5 stars as an alternative to less tasty options!