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Meal bars offer tasty dietary fill

Get Well

Ron Douthitt 

Last week, ABC's 20/20 aired an episode on supplemental drinks and nutrition bars that portrayed them unfavorably, without giving kudos to the exceptional ones. Nutritional supplement bars and drinks cover a wide variety of nutrition and flavor choices, a lot of which, unfortunately, taste horrible. But there's hope, I promise. 

I love to try every new nutritional bar and supplement drink as soon as it hits the market. I try them only if they contain the proper amount of protein per serving (at least 30 grams). Every once in a while someone actually works up some real tasty magic in the laboratory, and one of those tasty laboratories just happens to be right here in Houston.

Lee Labrada's protein bars range in taste from far better than average to borderline delicious, and should not be missed. Keep in mind that these are nutritional meal replacement bars and are not meant to be a total treat. But some of them taste almost like a real candy bar -- almost. 

For starters, unless you purchase a whole box of 12 bars at a time, expect to pay around $3 per bar. That may sound expensive, but it is a "meal replacement." 

The ab-fab Designer Whey Protein Company has come out with a new line of thick, chewy, caramel nougat chocolate protein bars that are delicious. The one bar, aptly named One Way, is the only way to go. If the last bar you purchased was one of those borderline scandalous tasting so-called Power Bars, the ones that taste and look like the cardboard bottom to a frozen pizza box, then the One Way is the bar for you. 

I couldn't understand why the woman on 20/20, the one who looked like a poster child for adult bulimia awareness, balked at how expensive all the supplement bars and drinks were, not to mention the foul faces she made with each and every taste. She never mentioned Lee Labrada's Lean Body or Designer Whey. Then she had the nerve to say you'd be starving to death in less than two hours. This is simply not true with the right meal bar. Most meal replacement bars offer insufficient nutrition and downright wretched flavors. However, there are ones that offer the right amount of protein. These are the bars that actually taste good and fill you up. 

I weigh 210 pounds, so I know what fills a big person up. These bars are perfect for filling up a big, empty tummy for up to three hours at a time, in between the other three meals. If you're trying to stay "in the Zone," these bars are a sure thing and must be eaten with an ample amount of water. They are thick, chewy, heavy and filling. Bon apetit.
 

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