Real Advantage Vitamins Nutritional Supplements Articles & Resources

The number of choices are so vast that selecting the right one for the right purpose--whether for weight loss, athletic performance or just a healthful snack--can be daunting. The trick is to know which ones fit your specific needs.

Nutrients

Meal replacement products may look like candy bars and milk shakes, but they're actually a unique delivery system for nutrients--proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. When eaten periodically, they offer a healthful alternative when a conventional meal isn't available, says Susan Kundrat, RD, a dietitian at the University of Illinois and Strawberry Fields Natural Food Store in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

Many people don't think about how nutritionally dense these products are. For instance, one meal replacement bar or drink may contain anywhere from 35 percent to 100 percent of the recommended daily intakes (RDI) of vitamins and minerals. If you eat a bar in addition to taking a daily multivitamin, you may exceed the RDI's for some vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, which can be harmful. Kundrat advises consumers to read labels and keep track of how many bars or drinks they consume.

Proteins and Fats

The cornerstone of meal replacement drinks is protein, typically whey or soy, as well as allergen-flee and vegan protein sources from rice and peas. Bars also include protein blends of whey, soy and casein. Most contain 15-18 grams of protein, the equivalent of just less than a cup of tofu or 2 ounces of a roasted chicken breast. Since the announcement that soy proteins help prevent heart disease, the bar and drink market has wasted no time in packing as much soy as possible into its products. It's now possible to get a day's worth of the recommended amount of soy protein--25 grams--from one bar and a drink.

But as with other nutrients, soy intake can go too far. For instance, one of Kundrat's male clients drank two soy shakes and ate a couple of bars daily. He backed off when Kundrat told him his total soy intake exceeded 60 grams per day. "We don't yet have enough studies to know what exceeding [high quantities] of these nutrients will do," she says.

And to make sure you're getting healthful fats in your bar or drink, read labels carefully and compare products (see "Nutrition Bar Comparison Chart," p. 44). Otherwise you may be eating unwanted hydrogenated fats. Many bars and drinks now include heart-healthy essential fatty acids from nuts, seeds and fish oils.

Calories and Weight Loss

Meal replacement bars and drinks are just that--a meal not a snack. Because of the high calorie content--anywhere from 200 to 400 per bar or shake--many people with good intentions sabotage their diets by eating bars as snacks instead of as meals. "It's important for people to understand how many calories they need in a day," Kundrat says. "An extra 200 calories a day can add up over a period of time and cause a setback in weight-loss goals."

Bars and drinks designed for women or for weight loss are generally lower in calories than those designed for body building and athletic performance. Kundrat recommends eating fruit and yogurt along with a bar or shake to balance the nutrients and fiber and provide a little more staying power. Bars and shakes are easily digested; therefore, when you cat them alone, they may not satisfy your hunger for very long.

For obese individuals, especially those who have difficulty making wise food selections, meal replacement bars and drinks have evolved into useful tools because they offer a nutritious balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats in a calorie-finite meal. A year-long study reported in the March 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that women who followed a 1,200-calorie-per-day diet made up of meal replacement drinks along with fruits and vegetables were able to maintain their weight loss more successfully than those who followed a self-planned whole-foods diet. And a Columbia University study published in the July 2003 issue of the International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders examined half a dozen similar cases and found that study participants who used meal replacement drinks lost on average 5 more pounds than people on conventional diets.

Carbohydrates

For athletes, the carbohydrates in bars and drinks are a fast way to replace glycogen stores--essential food for muscle repair-which are lost during heavy exercise. "Right after an intense workout, energy, bars and drinks offer a nutritional punch that helps the body recover quickly," Kundrat says. But for individuals who workout moderately--30 minutes, a few times per week-whole foods with lower calories may be a better choice.

The low-carb craze certainly hasn't been lost on the meal replacement market. And for some products, sugar alcohols such as xylitol, glycerine and other sweeteners such as lo-han and stevia have replaced cane sugar in bars and drinks to bring down their carb counts.

In a further effort to appeal to the low-carb market, many bar manufacturers don't list all carbohydrates, such as carbohydrates from fiber and glycerine, on their products' front labels. Instead they list only those carbs that may affect blood sugar levels--termed net carbohydrates. Therefore, the front labels of many low-carb products advertise about 2-3 grams of these net carbohydrates, a term that has raised confusion for consumers and controversy among food industry experts. So be sure to look at the back panel for the complete carbohydrate count.

A 2001 study, for instance, found that out of 30 products tested, 60 percent failed to match their labeling claims for carbohydrates. Some bars were off by as much as 100 calories. A new study is expected in September 2004, says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of in White Plains, New York. Regardless, "All carbohydrates count as calories," Kundrat says, "so don't take the label as gospel."

The Bottom Line

With dozens of varieties of products in the market, taste is still the No. 1 consideration when choosing a meal replacement bar. Unless you have a specific need for sports nutrition or serious weight loss, find a product that suits your taste buds and your calorie needs. That way, you're less likely to digress toward the nearest drive-through window at a fast food joint.

Nutrition Bar Comparison Chart

 Weight Fat Carbs. Protein
Name Company (gm) (gm) (gm) (gm)

ABB Steel Optimum 65 4 36 16
 Nutrition
Advantage Bar Atkins 60 12 19
Balance Bar Balance Bar 50 6 22 14
Balance Plus Balance Bar 50 6 22 14
Bio Protein GeniSoy/MLO 81 6 43 21
Boulder Bar Boulder Bar 71 2 43 10
Carb Minders American Health 60 9 24 20
Clif Bar Clif Bar 68 43 8
Complete Optimum 50 19 20
 Protein Diet Nutrition
Detour Next Proteins 75 10 25 30
Doctor's Diet Universal 8 19
 Nutrition
Endulge Atkins 35 9 17 6
Energy Bar York Barbell 56 9 36 7
Especially Nature's Plus 50 4 32 4
 Yours
GeniSoy GeniSoy 34 14
HeartBar Cooke Pharma 50 3 27 13
Ironman Twinlab 7 25 16
Keto Bar Keto Foods 65 7 24 24
KetoSlim Nature's Plus 60 10 24 21
Keto Mini Bar Keto Foods 32 5 12 12
Luna Clif Bar 48 24 10
Meso-Tech Muscle Tech 85 8 38 25
Myoplex Carb EAS 70 7 20 29
 Sense
Myoplex Lite EAS 54 28 15
Nitro-Tech Muscle Tech 88 7 31 35
Power Bar Power Bar 65 45 10
Pria Power Bar 48 8 21 10
Promax Bar SportPharma 75 5 36 20
Protein Plus Power Bar 70 7 30 22
Protein Low Glycemic 60 8 22
 Revolution Tech
Pure Protein Worldwide 78 4 14 30
Real Food Bar All Goode 9 29 5
 Organics
Source One Met-Rx 60 20 15
Soy Sensations Twinlab 50 5 23 15
Ultimate 2 Lo Country Life 60 8 3 22
 Carb
Ultimate Lo Country Life 60 7 2 25
 Carb Bar
Ultimate Country Life 78 6 20 32
 Protein Bar
Zone Perfect Zone Perfect 50 7 24 14

 Fiber Manufacturer's
Name (gm) Calories Protein, Primary Description

ABB Steel 1 250 Mixed High Protein
 Energy Bar
Advantage Bar 1 210 Soy, Whey, Low Carb Food
 Caseinate Bar
Balance Bar 1 200 Soy, Caseinate, 40-30-30
 Whey Complete Nutr
 Food Bar
Balance Plus 1 200 Soy, Caseinate, 40-30-30
 Whey Complete Plus
 Antioxidants
Bio Protein 2 310 Whey, Soy High Protein
 Nutrition Bar
Boulder Bar 5 200 Soy Endurance
Carb Minders <1 240 Soy High Protein,
 Low Carbs
Clif Bar 5 220 Oats, Soy, Rice Nutrition for
 Sustained
 Energy
Complete N/A 180 Mixed Meal
 Protein Diet Replacement
Detour 3 310 Designer Whey Whey Protein
 Energy Bar
Doctor's Diet 0 234 Soy Low Carb, High
 Protein
Endulge <1 140 Whey Snack Bar
Energy Bar 2 250 Mixed Energy Bar
Especially 1 190 Soy Nutrition Bar
 Yours for Women
GeniSoy 1 220 Soy Soy Protein Bar
HeartBar 3 190 Soy Heart Bar
 (Arginine 3g)
Ironman 1 230 Soy, Caseinate 40-30-30
 NutritionBar
Keto Bar 5 260 Soy, Whey Low Carb, High
 Protein
KetoSlim <1 230 Soy, Whey Low Carb, High
 Protein
Keto Mini Bar 2 140 Soy, Whey Low Carb, High
 Protein
Luna 2 180 Soy, Oats Nutrition Bar
 for Women
Meso-Tech 1 320 Whey, Soy Nutrient
 Packed,
 Energy bar
Myoplex Carb <1 250 Mixed Low Carb, High
 Sense Protein
Myoplex Lite 1 190 Mixed Lower Fat,
 Lower
 Calories
Nitro-Tech 2 290 Whey High Protein,
 Muscle Gain
Power Bar 3 230 Milk Energy Bar
Pria 2 170 Whey, Caseinate, Nutrition Bar,
 Soy Low Carbs
Promax Bar 2 280 Whey, Caseinate, Protein Bar
 Soy
Protein Plus 1 260 Whey, Caseinate, High Protein,
 Soy Low Carbs
Protein 0 230 Hydrolyzed High Protein,
 Revolution Protein (?) Low Carb Meal
 Replace
Pure Protein 0 270 Caseinate, Whey High Protein,
 Low Carb Meal
 Replace
Real Food Bar 3 200 Milk Powder Organic, Highly
 Nutrition
Source One 3 170 Milk Protein, Nutrition Food
 Whey Bar (Women?)
Soy Sensations 5 180 Soy Wholesome Heart
 Food
Ultimate 2 Lo 0 250 Caseinate Low Carb, High
 Carb Protein
Ultimate Lo 0 240 Soy, Whey Low Carb, High
 Carb Bar Protein
Ultimate 1 290 Whey, Caseinate High Protein,
 Protein Bar Low Fat
Zone Perfect 2 210 Soy Natural
 Nutrition Bar

N/A = Information not available at press time