Shownotes
Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Form Bars by Form Nutrition. A bar that boldly claims to raise the bar with 15 grams of protein, 12 grams of fiber, and just one gram of sugar. It sounds almost too good to be true, so does it deliver? Jenn digs into the ingredients, the nutrition facts, and the marketing claims to find out what this bar is really made of. There are some things she genuinely likes and some things that give her pause. Does the fiber content make it better suited for before or after your workout? And what about those fat sources they conveniently left out of the headline? Tune in to find out where Jenn lands on this one. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full-length episodes of new releases every Wednesday. Have an idea for a nutrition nugget? Submit it here: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/
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KEYWORDS: Jenn Trepeck, Nutrition Nugget, Salad With A Side Of Fries, Health Tips, Wellness Tips, Plant-Based Protein Bars, Nutrition Label Literacy, Protein Bar Review, Chicory Root Fiber, Pea Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Concentrate, Pumpkin Seed Protein, Prebiotic Fiber, Gut Health, Short Chain Fatty Acids, Postbiotics, Net Carbs, Natural Flavoring, Stevia Extract, Xylitol, Cocoa Butter, Sunflower Oil, Almond Paste, Inulin, GLP-1, Blood Sugar Stability, Fiber Benefits, High Protein Snack, Low Sugar Bar, Vegan Protein Bar, Dairy-Free Bar, Gluten-Free Bar, B Corp Nutrition Brand, Post-Workout Snack, Pre-Workout Nutrition, Packaged Food Awareness, Nutrition Label Reading, Ingredient List Analysis, Form Nutrition, Certified B Corp, Green Tea Extract, Nootropics, Vegetable Glycerin, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Fiber, Satiety, Snack Bar Ingredients, Best Plant-Based Protein Bar for Gut Health, How to Read Nutrition Labels on Protein Bars
Transcripts
[00:00:27] I don't know if you've seen this. They popped up on my Instagram and the ad that I saw said the bar that raises the bar and the company is called Form Nutrition, as I always do. I made a note for us to look at it together and well, here we are. So as always, I started their website, which says the same thing as the ad, the bar that raised the bar.
[:[00:01:25] But let's learn a little bit about the company. So they say we started with a simple belief that you can realize the greatest version of yourself while being mindful of others. I'm pausing because I think I'm on board for this. It's also just a little. Odd to me. Like admittedly, I'm not clear why those are an either or, like who says that we are choosing between those two things, and I'm not totally sure how that [00:02:00] translates into what's in your protein bars, so I'm a little confused by that.
[:[00:02:31] In what we saw of the ad and kind of conversation to the bar. There's nothing about nootropics there, so I'm curious. Then they tout being a certified B Corp where every purchase you make helps support those in need via the formed feeding fund at a hospital in The Gambia. They tout being one of the first nutrition brands to become a certified B Corp when they did this in [00:03:00] 2019.
[:[00:03:29] Their head of nutrition is Dr. Adam Collins. Admittedly, I don't know. Anything other than what they're telling us here. So his bio reads a qualified nutritionist for 20 years. Dr. Collins holds an ms. A Master's in Science, in Nutrition and Metabolism, and a PhD focusing on energy expenditure and body composition.
[:[00:04:16] So all of this leads me to believe that this bar is focused on our exercise performance. I don't know if it's pre-workout or post-workout, so we'll see. I'm curious. They do have a lot of other products as well. We're focused on. The protein bar today. So if you take a look at this or when we're done, if you know you wanna look at some of their other products, let me know.
[:[00:05:11] Then they say high protein, high fiber, low sugar. We're on board with all of that. They call it your new Gym Bag Essential, a genuinely enjoyable bar. They recommend it for post-workout or is a smart, satisfying anytime snack. So it's interesting to me that they're calling it post-workout even with all that fiber in there.
[:[00:06:01] For longer. This helps feed beneficial gut bacteria, encouraging the production of short chain fatty acids. That's your postbiotics, right? Feeling fuller, longer is also fiber, and that GLP one activation and supports digestion and overall wellbeing. It also slows carbohydrate absorption. We know that about fiber helping maintain more stable energy without the spikes linked to high sugar snacks.
[:[00:06:45] So again, maybe it is their other products. One more piece that I like. They say consume the bar as desired any time of day. Best served ambient temperature, so sort of like room temperature. Then it says this product should not be used [00:07:00] as a substitute for healthy lifestyle and balanced diet store in a cool, dry place.
[:[00:07:41] So before we get into the ingredients, a couple things. First, it's a little bit of a yellow flag that there's one set of nutrition facts for, they have two different flavors of the bar. Although the ingredient lists are different, but whatever. Okay, then we see 15 grams of [00:08:00] protein as they claimed. So remember, that's about two ounces of protein.
[:[00:08:27] This is where I was, right. So, you know, they weren't talking about the fat content in the beginning and I was like, I wonder what that is. So we do see the fat part is a little higher than we would ideally like it. To be from like a single packaged food. And so really it comes down to the ingredients so that we can decide based on the source of that fat, are we okay with this or would we prefer to pass?
[:[00:09:16] Then pea protein isolate dark chocolate flavor coating with sweetener, says 15%. I don't know if that's the sweetener is 15% says that's made of cocoa mass. The sweetener is xylitol cocoa butter. The emulsifier is ethen. Then separate from the dark chocolate flavor coating ingredients, we're back to the main bar ingredients.
[:[00:10:15] The sweeteners. There's xylitol in that dark chocolate flavored coating. And then we also have stevia extract. Some people feel very strongly about stevia, so you get to decide. We also see natural flavoring in the list, which again, for some people, that's a no boy, no. So you get to decide on that. Looking at the fat.
[:[00:11:15] If there's enough in there to make a difference. I wish they told us more info about that ingredient, like the source and the quantity, but again, maybe it doesn't matter because maybe there's so little in there it's not doing anything. And I suppose all in, right. Where do we land on this one? I feel like with the two ounces of protein equivalent and the 11 grams of fiber.
[:[00:12:05] So if the other pieces work for you, great, go for it. They say it tastes great. We'll have to taste it for ourselves and decide, but there you have it. Friends, my take on form bars, by the way, let me know if you tried them. I wanna hear about it. Well, as always, everybody, I'm Jen Trebeck. Connect with me on Instagram or all social media.
[:[00:12:47] Thanks so much for having me. I really enjoyed the conversation. Well, likewise, and friends. If you are not already, join us in the Happy Healthy Hub. You'll go to a salad with the side fries.com/membership. This show your support for this [00:13:00] podcast, this community, and most importantly, your health. On top of this week's episode, in full video with some behind the scenes pieces and your 24 7, ask me anything in the community board.
[:[00:13:33] Share us with a friend and we'll be back next week. Always remember you deserve it and you are worth it. Happy, healthy.