Tip #4 – The Protein Bar Should Have Enough Fat to Match Your Desired Calories

Basically, the amount of fat in the bar is only going to affect the calorie content. If it’s a meal replacement you’re after, then shoot for > 10 grams, but there’s not a whole lot of variety in this department.

Protein bar manufacturers haven’t gotten into optimizing their fat profiles yet, but I predict they will be doing this soon. Very soon. And when they do, look for things like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs), coconut oil, cocoa butter, etc. In one study, subjects assigned to supplement with 20 g/d MCTs lost more weight than those who received olive oil. 6

In a study by Romestaig & colleagues, rodents fed a diet enriched with coconut oil ate more calories, but gained less weight than those fed a butter-enriched or low fat diet. 7 Lastly, unlike most common vegetable oils, cocoa butter is resistant to oxidative stress, 8 9 lacks pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids 10 ,and has a naturally long shelf-life