Nothing beats the comfort of a tasty high-calorie protein bar on the path. To be clear: I’m not speaking about wimpy little granola bars right here. I imply huge honkin’ meal alternative bars that may meet your physique’s dietary wants and never depart you hungry once more in an hour.
As my out of doors adventures have grown extra bold I’ve discovered that the everyday Cliff bars, Lara bars, and so forth. simply don’t lower it once I want one thing filling and calorie-dense within the backcountry. If it doesn’t have a minimum of 300 energy, I’m not .
I’ve tried a number of excessive calorie power bars and protein bars in my seek for good path vitamin. Over time I’ve settled on just a few favorites for his or her dietary worth, style, and talent to pack a large variety of energy right into a small quantity of area.
Beneath I’ll present you my favourite bars for powering epic lengthy days exterior, whether or not on foot, bike, or nevertheless you want to maneuver. I’ll additionally inform you what I feel their execs and cons are, lay out key vitamin info, and evaluate them by the numbers so you may select the most effective excessive calorie protein bar to your out of doors (or indoor) vitamin wants.
However first, what makes a protein bar good for backpacking?
The Greatest Backpacking Bars Are…
Excessive calorie. A strenuous backpacking journey is not any time to go on a calorie-deficit food plan. Backpackers often have bother carrying sufficient meals to fulfill their each day power expenditure anyway. The very last thing you need to do is make a tough journey even more durable by depriving your physique of the gasoline it must get the job completed.
Small and dense. While you carry all of your meals in your again, it issues so much how a lot it weighs and the way a lot area it takes up. Backpackers are at all times looking for methods to pack extra energy into smaller and lighter meals.
Excessive in protein. Our our bodies want protein to construct and keep muscle whereas on the path, however protein is commonly onerous to seek out in basic carb-heavy path meals like pasta and rice. A high-quality protein bar is an effective way to complement a backpacking meal plan with extra of what our muscle tissue want.
Excessive in fats in comparison with carbohydrates. One gram of fats offers 9 energy, whereas one gram of carbs or protein offers solely 4 energy. Since our objective on the path is to pack meals that give us a lot of energy however aren’t too heavy, we wish meals with loads of fats.
Tasty and straightforward to eat. Let’s not overlook this! We don’t at all times really feel nice once we’re mountain climbing, operating, climbing or snowboarding. Typically we’re too scorching, too chilly, or nauseous from altitude or exertion. Essentially the most good stability of vitamins gained’t do any good if we will’t get choke it down once we want gasoline essentially the most.
Now that we’re clear on what we’re on the lookout for, let’s dive in and evaluate the most effective bars for backpacking, mountain climbing, and common adventuring.
Cliff Builder Bars
Let’s begin with a basic: Cliff Builders Bars. They aren’t the healthiest or the highest-calorie bar on this record, however they go down simple and so they’re obtainable nearly in all places within the US. When you’re resupplying from shops on a protracted backpacking journey, you’ll most likely find yourself consuming these eventually.
My favourite flavors: Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter
Professional Bar Meal
Professional Bar Meal bars are one of many higher “real(ish) food” choices on this record, for while you lastly get bored with feeling such as you’re consuming sweet bars all day. I like them for his or her mixture of various pure elements and yummy however not-too-sweet style. The flavors involving berries and greens are typically the closest we will get to recent fruits and veggies on a long-distance hike.
My Favourite taste: Superfood Slam
Met-Rx Massive 100 Protein Bars
I found Met-Rx Massive 100 bars whereas resupplying on the Tahoe Rim Path and have used them ever since. These tasty high-calorie bars resemble a sweet bar greater than a high-quality meal, however while you want tasty energy they get the job completed like nothing else. Since I first found them, they’ve been reformulated with extra fats and protein and fewer carbs, which I contemplate an enchancment.
My Favourite taste: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (it’s chewy and scrumptious)
Robert Irvine’s Match Crunch – “protein bars calories”
My first Robert Irvine’s Match Crunch bar was gifted to me by some pleasant motorbike riders I met whereas bikepacking in Oregon, and I’ve been hooked ever since. They pack simply as many energy and grams of protein because the above Met-Rx bars, however the macronutrient profile is shifted extra towards fats and away from carbs and sugars. This makes them a more healthy and extra filling choice. Plus, they’re scrumptious.
My Favourite flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream (I refuse to choose only one)
Vary Meal Bars
A single Vary Meal Bar packs 700 energy. 700 CALORIES! Lastly, a meal bar that’s truly a full meal. These epic bars, made by a small up-and-coming firm within the pacific northwest, earned a spot on this record for his or her burly dimension and dietary profile catering particularly to calorie-intensive out of doors actions.
My Favourite taste: Alpine Begin (chocolate, peanut butter, espresso)
Rise Protein Bars
Rise Protein Bars are one of many easiest, and objectively healthiest, bars on this record. I discover them to be a slower-burning gasoline, higher suited to meals or lengthy breaks than scarf-as-you-go snacking. When you get bored with sugary snacks on the path they is perhaps simply what you want.
My Favourite taste: Chocolatey Almond
“protein bars calories”