As consumers, we are faced daily with choices about what to eat. As a bodybuilder, we are bombarded with protein bars that promise everything from tons of protein, low carbs, less fat, and the cheapest bar on the market. But rarely do any of the bars meet the most necessary requirement of them all. If the bar doesn't taste great, then I don't want to eat it.

Regardless of how much protein might exist in a particular bar, if Bar A has more but tastes worse then than Bar B, I'm still more likely to choose Bar B. As a consumer of protein bars, I don't feel like forcing myself to eat something two or more times a day just because it has the best whey-protein on the market. And while some bars can claim to be great tasting, they never do the definitive real taste test.

The real taste test is a bar that not only health conscious adults will enjoy but one that you can give your child and it won't come home in his/her backpack. If your child (if you are childless, get a bar and test it out on a niece/nephew) won't eat the bar, chances are there's a reason for that. Because it doesn't taste good.

Over the last few years, low sugar, low carbs has become such a big deal. So now we have some of the healthiest bars on the market. But nobody wants (I didn't say won't) to eat them. Because it's like going to the dentist. Who wants to go? We go because we know the consequences of not going are worse. But is that really how you want to feel about something that you eat two or more times a day?

How about eating a bar that tastes good, has enough of the good stuff in it, and eating it two times a day is a treat? Okay, so you might get more sugar. Again, you might get a few more carbs. But statistics prove that you will be more likely to consume all that good stuff more often if you like doing it. Most of us don't daily do something that we don't like doing unless there is a compelling reason to do so. The lure of money comes to mind when I think of work.

Choose a bar that has enough protein in it and enough carbs. And sugar isn't all that bad. When you workout, your body needs instant fuel. Sugar is a better source of immediate fuel then protein. Having some sugar before your intense bodybuilding workout is not a bad thing. Forget all the science of the bar. Taste is most often overlooked in choosing a good protein bar. Give the bar to your child and see if they eat it. If they do, chances are, you will too.

Marc David is a bodybuilder, writer, and author of the the e-book "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding" (BGFB): What Every Beginner Should Know but Probably Doesn't. Marc has written over 20 articles and has been featured in several health and fitness websites. Marc's opinionated and informative articles on bodybuilding, weight loss and training are featured regularly on: http://www.freedomfly.net

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