By: Derek Beast Charlebois

Protein Bar Review #1:
ISS Oh Yeah! Bar

***Note that all nutritional info and pricing is taken from the BB.com Cyberstore.
***Note: I am doing these reviews from a fitness enthusiast/average person trying to get in shape point of view, not solely a competitive bodybuilder.

Click Image To Enlarge.
ISS Oh Yeah! Bar.

What's In It?

Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Bar
Servings Per Container: 12

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 380
Calories from Fat 180
Total Fat 19g
Saturated Fat 7g
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 5mg
Sodium 130mg
Total Carbohydrate 31g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 8g
Sugar Alcohol 15g
Protein 26g

Ingredients:

Peanuts, Protein Blend [(Oh Yeah! Blend Consisting of Whey Protein Isolate, Soy Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate), Hydrolyzed Gelatin], Chocolate Coating [Chocolate Liquor, Maltitol, Cocoa Butter, Sodium Caseinate, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Sucralose, Vanillin (An Artificial Flavor), Vanilla and Salt], Caramel (Sugar, Corn Syrup, Non Fat Dry Milk, Maltitol Syrup, Cocoa Butter, Corn Starch, Butter, Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Natural And Artificial Flavor), Soy Nuts, Glycerin, Peanut Flour, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Salt, Sucralose And Potassium Sorbate Added As A Preservative.

Click Image To Enlarge.
ISS Oh Yeah! Bar.

Fat Content:

19 grams (180 calories)
• 7 grams saturated fat
• Main source = Peanuts

Carb Content:

31 grams (124 calories)
• Fiber = 4 grams
• Sugar = 8 grams
Sugar, Corn Syrup
• Sugar Alcohols = 15 grams
Maltitol, Glycerine

Protein Content:

26 grams (104 calories)
Protein Sources
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Soy Protein Isolate
• Milk Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate
• Hydrolyzed Gelatin

Ingredient Profile Thoughts:

The ingredient profile of the Oh Yeah! bar is solid, though I would like to see it without the sugar, corn syrup, and hydrolyzed gelatin. I am a big fan of eating essential fatty acids with every meal, especially carb meals, so the inclusion of peanuts is welcome by me.

The glycerine content of the bar goes not bother me, and if I eat an Oh Yeah! bar pre-workout I actually notice an increase in the pump achieved during the workout. I do not get bloated or gassy from eating this bar either. I give the ingredient profile a 7/10 as it is decent for a protein bar.

Bar Satisfaction:

One thing I particularly like about the Oh Yeah! bar is it is filling. Unlike most bars which leave me hungry after eating them, the Oh Yeah! bar is satisfying. This is due in part to the size of the bar, but also that peanuts make up the largest part of the bar (this is visible in the above picture). I give the bar a satisfaction rating of 9/10.

Taste:

The taste of the Oh Yeah! bar is comparable to a candy bar. The Oh Yeah! bar comes in Peanut Butter & Strawberry (pictured above), Chocolate, Peanut & Carmel, and Peanut Butter, Peanut, and Carmel. The Chocolate, Peanut & Carmel flavor is my favorite, but if I am working at an expo the Peanut Butter & Strawberry always seems to hit the spot. Everyone who I have given a bar to has said it tastes very good. I give the flavor a 9/10.

Oh Yeah! Bar Final Score

• Nutrition: 7/10
• Satisfaction: 9/10
• Taste: 9/10

Final Score = 8.3/10

Protein Bar Review #2:
AST Vyo-Pro Bar

Click Image To Enlarge.
AST Vyo-Pro Bar.

What's In It?

Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Bar
Servings Per Container: 12

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 200
• Calories from Fat: 60
Total Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 240mg
Potassium: 250mg
Total Carbohydrates: 24g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 0g
Protein: 20g

Ingredients:

Protein blend (total milk protein, calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, ion exchange whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate, egg albumin, l-glutamine) maltitol, Dutch processed cocoa, peanut butter, canola oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, aspartame, and natural flavor.

Click Image To Enlarge.
AST Vyo-Pro Bar.

Vyo-Pro Bar Notables:

Protein Blend

• No soy or low quality protein sources. I do not think some soy protein is bad, though some try to limit their intake of it.
• Milk protein and calcium caseinate are the two main protein sources (both are slow digesting).

Fat Sources

• Cannot complain about peanut butter and canola oil as they are good sources of essential fatty acids (EFA).

Carb Source = Maltitol

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is absorbed more slowly than sugar, 90% as sweet as sugar, only has 2.7 calories per gram compared to sugar's 4 calories per gram, and a glycemic index (GI) score of 36 [1]. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than carbohydrates because they are not completely metabolized.

Maltitol may cause gastric distress in some people when consumed in large quantities. I feel AST should list the amount of sugar alcohols in the Vyo-Pro bar so consumers are fully aware of its content.

One thing I really like is there is no High Fructose Corn Syrup in this bar, which is hard to find in a protein bar. 8/10.

Taste:

The taste of the Vyo-Pro Bar is so-so. It tastes kind of like a brownie without the sugar to me, though other people who I have given it to were not too impressed and thought it "tastes like crap" (their exact words). While I have no problem eating this bar, I cannot say I ever crave one. 6/10.

Final Thoughts:

I feel AST's Vyo-Pro Bar is one of the better bars on the market nutrition-wise. Its lower calorie content compared to most bars makes it easy to fit into your calorie allotment, though I am still hungry after eating one bar, and I cannot eat 2 bars because I will be very gassy (and nobody wants that), making it hard to use as a meal replacement.

Some, including myself, experience some bloating and gas due to the maltitol, which makes me lenient of eating them frequently. The taste is decent for a protein bar, but not the best on the market taste-wise. 5/10.

Vro-Pro Final Bar Score:

• Final Nutrition Score: 8/10
• Final Taste Score: 6/10
• Final Satisfaction Score: 5/10 (based on still feeling hungry and gas)

Final Total Score: 6.3/10

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derek@scivation.com

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