Protein Bars, Shmotein Bars
In her article, Love protein bars? You shouldn’t if they have one of these six ingredients, Joy McCarthy does an excellent job of shaming key ingredients found in most protein bars. The dirty six are:
- soy protein isolate
- high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- fractionated/hydrogenated palm kernel oil
- artificial sweeteners
- BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene
- natural flavourings
McCarthy’s descriptions of each ingredient get to the core of what their functions are, why our bodies don’t actually need these functions, why they’re unhealthy, and how marketers get away with promoting these bars as ‘healthy’ when in fact there are no health-promoting properties in most of their ingredients.
In our humble opinion, the norm amongst nutritionists and wellness professionals is to be preachy and write in a tone that sounds like they are talking down to us. We’re huge fans of McCarthy’s writing and videos because of her ability to translate her deep passion for helping people embark on, maintain, or even deepen their wellness journeys into everyday language. With McCarthy, there’s no jargon, no scare tactics – it’s as if we’re journeying through the jungle with her and she’s just a bit ahead, pointing out dangers and finding the delicious edible stuff for us. Her nutritional advice is good-old-fashioned, black and white, common sense: “Stick to real food. Apply this rule not only to protein bars, but any food you put in your mouth”.
Joy McCarthy is a certified holistic nutritionist (CNP, RNCP), founder of the wellness clinic, and a faculty member at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. The author of Joyous Health: Eat & Live Well Without Dieting, she is also a nutrition expert on Global TV’s The Morning Show and CBC’s “Steven & Chris.” You can follow her on Twitter here, Instagram here and on Facebook here.
