Are you looking for a quick snack? When hunger strikes and there’s no food around, what do you do? Most people would just cave in and stop past the drive-thru window of their local burger joint. What if there was a healthy alternative that tastes great?
Keeping protein snacks on hand is a great way to curb your hunger in between meals and deliver a healthy dose of quality protein to your body. You may be thinking that you simply can’t stomach another whey protein shake and you don’t have time to sit and eat a full meal. Relax, now there are protein snack alternatives that allow you to take a break from your shaker cup.
Protein bars and protein snacks come in all different shapes, sizes, and formats. They are a nutritious and delicious way to get your calories in, without the guilt associated with eating a candy bar. Protein bars are convenient, inexpensive, and a much better nutrition choice that opting for a fast food alternative.
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The Power of Protein – Why it’s Important
Protein is the macronutrient responsible for cell communication and repair. After a hard workout, your muscles will be filled with micro-tears from the stress of the workload in your training. In order to gain strength and rebuild your muscles back stronger, you need to eat the right amount of protein at the right times.
Protein should come from your diet and can be found in foods such as dairy products, eggs, fish, and meat. This poses a problem for many vegan and vegetarians athletes and trainees that are unable to derive their protein needs from these foods. Using a tasty protein snack as an alternative to plant-based proteins is a viable option for those looking to improve their protein intake.
Protein snacks allow you to take your nutrition on the road with you wherever you go. Never be caught without a meal again.
Quick, Fast, Nutrition in a Hurry
Do you ever find yourself stuck in traffic with nothing to eat? At these moments, you need access to quality nutrition to keep your diet on track. Making a pit stop past a fast food joint just isn’t an option, you value your health and the work you put into your diet and training matter to you.
Rather reach for a protein snack. Protein bars are made with quality ingredients. The best carbohydrates and quality whey protein packed into a tasty treat that comes in a variety of flavors and serving sizes. Keep a few bars in your gym bag and a few more in the car to satisfy your hunger with a delicious and nutritious protein snack.
There is no preparation with a protein bar, it is ready to rock nutrition that’s available to you on the spot, all you need to do is tear off the wrapper and get involved with some quality calories that help you meet your daily macros, without breaking your diet plan.
Timing & your Protein Treats
Timing your protein bars and protein snacks intake has tremendous benefits for both exercise performance and recovery from workouts. There are three different stages to your workout, pre-workout, during your workout, and after your workout. Each of these phases requires their own specific nutrients to assist the body in handling the stresses put on it during exercise.
Pre-workout and post-workout are ideal times to use protein snacks. If you are tired of your vanilla or chocolate shake and just can’t take the thought of slugging another one down, try a protein bar for a refreshing alternative. Keep a few in your gym bag and munch on them on the way to the gym and your commute home.
Protein snacks are not limited to around your workout. They are an effective meal replacement that you can introduce to your diet at any time of the day you choose. Between meals, or as a healthy dessert, protein snacks are the ultimate convenience addition to your nutrition.
The Facts
Every protein snack comes packed with quality ingredients to help you perform better in the gym or on the track while fueling your recovery in your rest period. Protein bars vary in their serving size and nutritional value. If you are looking for a protein treat to eat after your workout, choose a bar that has a few carbs in it as well. These cabs refuel your muscles with glycogen after a hard workout.
For those that are on a weight loss diet, consider a protein option with fewer carbs and fewer calories. Protein snacks offer a dense form of quality nutrition, so make sure that you don’t overdo it with them, or the results could be counterproductive. Just like with any other food, your protein snacks should be accounted for in your daily macronutrient intake. Take note of the nutritional information on the label when working out your daily calorie totals.
Recover Faster & Train Harder
Adding a protein snack into your daily macronutrient requirements is the easiest way to give your mind a mental break from the regiment of a clean diet. You can add them in anywhere you like, if you are on a weight loss diet, stick to post workout, but if you are just looking for a tasty meal replacement you can eat at any time of day, a protein snack is a healthy choice that supports your training goals and healthy lifestyle.
Recover from your workouts and be ready for the next session in the gym. The extra protein in your diet will reduce muscle stiffness and help your feel rested and ready to go the next time you set foot on the weight deck or the treadmill.
The Final Thought
Grab yourself a few protein snacks of your choice. Throw a few in your gym bag and keep some in the car for those snack emergencies when you absolutely need something to eat. Hopefully they will stop you from heading to the drive thru window and keep your diet and your physique on point.
Log your experiences in a training journal and take notes for a few weeks on your levels of energy throughout the day, as well as your workout performance. You will then be in a position to make your own pragmatic evaluation about protein treats and their value to your diet.
