While I think most people agree that whole foods are the best option for snacking and post-workout protein meals, some people opt for convenience. When time is short, we’ve all probably reached for something like a protein shake that might be more processed than we’d like. However, it never hurts to have a convenient option on hand that is also whole food.
Enter the About Time Fruit, Nuts & Protein Bars. I recently got the chance to try these tasty whole food protein bars and used them primarily as post-workout snacks. The bars are fruit- and nut-based and only contain six ingredients. They contain added egg white protein to bring the protein content per bar to 11g, giving them that whole food bar feel with a bit of a protein boost. The bars are fairly small, so it’s actually a decent amount of protein per bar. They are also dairy-free and gluten-free.
Since these bars are of the whole food type, there are no surprises when it comes to taste. No strange, chemical-flavored weirdness when you bite into them, just the flavors of fruit and nuts. As far as consistency goes, you won’t feel curious about how they managed to get the bar that shape or that hard, like you do with many bars. The bar is soft, moist, and easy to eat. It tastes exactly the way you’d think it should taste – like food.
The protein of some whole food bars is plant-based, but the added egg white protein in these bars is a great way to boost and balance the protein without compromising flavor. By contrast, many of the bars and shakes we often consume increase the degree of processing to try to get those strange tasting additives to taste just a little less strange. The About Time bar is also a good source of fiber, with 5g per bar.
My only reservation about these bars is the sugar content. With 20g of sugar per bar, it’s not for diabetics. With nearly a 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio, some people will prefer these bars as a post-workout snack, alhtough most of the current research on post-workout carb and protein ratios have shown that it matters less than we used to think. As such, for people who don’t want the extra sugar in their diets, sweeter foods like this might best be avoided.
Besides that, I enjoyed the About Time bars. I kept them with me to snack on during the drive home from the gym and found they kept me going until I could get a meal in. They also gave me some extra protein and nutrients from fruit, nuts, and egg whites to help my recovery. If you’re looking for a whole food bar with an egg white protein boost that isn’t hard, overly chewy, and full of chemicals, the About Time bar is exactly what you want.
About Time Fruit, Nut & Protein Bars are available for $2.99 each or $35.99 for a box of 12 at TryAboutTime.com.
