Biological And Biomedical Sciences: The Quest Bar Myth

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DATE \@ "MMMM d, y" February 25, 2018
The Quest Bar Myth
Quest bars, like many protein bars, claim to have weight loss effects. Many of the brand’s advertisements state that one can feed their cravings with the delicious treat without the worry of gaining weight. They claim that their mission is to provide consumers with food that is good tasting but with zero compromises. However, all health claims must be verified and tested, and unfortunately for Quest Bars, just like many weight loss products, the product lacks proof beyond reasonable doubt that it does in fact, aid to weight loss.
According to Dr. Robert Shmerling (2015) of Harvard Health Publications, when he compared the nutritional contents of a Snickers Bar to a protein bar, he found that the two had the same calorie counts gram for gram. The protein bar does have a good amount of fiber and protein however, it is unlikely to have much impact on the consumer’s health. Similarly, Quest Bars do not seem to have significant effects on weight loss. In an interview in an online health magazine, Breakfast Criminals, registered dietitian Willow Jarosh explained that the emphasis of Quest Bars on being a more wight-neutral alternative to food that you truly want and enjoy can lead to unsatisfied eating. In addition, they could also be unhealthy. The bars contain highly processed ingredients such as high intensity sweeteners that can cause a person to want to consume more sweets. It cannot even be considered as clean eating. “Our definition of clean eating is choosing the least processed version of a food. So, Quest bars do not fit that definition” (Quest Bars, Demystified).
The ingredients of a Quest Bar include: Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Lo Han Guo, Stevia. Erythritol, Sucralose, Whey Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Isolate, IMO Fiber (Isomalto – Oligosaccharide), Sea Salt, and Natural Flavors. This sweetener, Lo Han Guo, is a type of Stevie sweetener. But unlike Stevia, it comes from a fruit and these fruit extracts that have been processed to a powder-like substance can be much sweeter than sugar (2013). Still, nowhere in the label of a Quest Bar would you find this information that the sweetener had been extracted from fruits. This is why the bar is sweet despite it not having any added sugars.
It is understandable why people would be enticed to eat a Quest Bar as an alternative to eating say an unhealthy snack or a full meal. After all, the product promises to be filling without the consequences of getting fat, thus aiding to weight loss. But in reality, there are much better alternatives. While a Quest Bar may have a lower calorie count compared to a full breakfast, it contains small volume of real food. Willow Jarosh says that a good breakfast “combines a high fiber carbohydrate (potato, whole grains, etc.), fruit/veggie, a protein, and a healthful fat. That usually works out to roughly 350-400 calories. The Quest Bars have around 190-200 calories” (Quest Bars, Demystified).
At the end of the day, a Que...