Meat Bars or Protein Bars?

According to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board long distance runners need about 50% more protein than most people.

The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board probably also know they need a 50% shorter name. In the meantime, they’ve cottoned onto this whole protein thing as it affects or enhances runners (and athletes in general).

As a rule, competitive long distance runners eat on the run and are fed nutrients and water by a team of people. In the main, these are protein bars to pep up energy levels. Same with water, nothing ever changes there; dehydration will always be dehydration and water will always be the best way to avoid it. But aside from water, runners need protein in a convenient, hand-held configuration that can be eaten like a relay baton without losing pace.

Raising the bar

Until now this has amounted to protein bars. Yes, they contain protein, but they usually contain plenty more besides. And that means all manner of highly processed nasties, stomach-churning sugar alcohols, and other additives best avoided.

There had to be a way to get serious animal protein into bars, but it needed to be lean, healthy and full of the right calories.

Effectively that eliminated spicy chicken drumsticks from a KFC Family Pack. Meat is meat, but runner’s meat is an entirely different thing.

What are the real advantages of meat bars?

They’re the perfect high protein snack on the run or during a heavy workout. Why? Well, for a start, they’re packed full of important nutrients, yet low in exercise-defeating calories. In other words, you can throw a few in your bag and munch away without guilt.

Better still, meat bars are usually organic, which means grass-fed beef and free-range chickens with not a pesticide, genetic modification or non-organic chemical in sight.

And we’re not finished yet. Meat bars aren’t just meat; most mix in a healthy blend of fruit, veggies, and spices.

Are meat bars the next big thing?

Well, they’re certainly one of them. And while they’re not entirely new, they are still in what could be called fad mode right now. As a result, every Tom, Dick and Harry hasn’t had a chance to jump on the meat wagon quite yet.

Who knows what will happen when they do. One thing’s for certain, the current crop of protein-rich and essentially pure meat bars may take a quality hit.

So do your homework, read package labels and choose your meat bars carefully. The good ones are genuinely good and an excellent addition to your on-the-go snack options.

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