Protein bars are an excellent option to boost your energy. Discover when it’s ideal to eat Yes You Can! protein bars.

Changing how we eat requires a series of actions that allow us to approach changes in our habits enjoyably and simply. From understanding the nutrients each food provides to discovering new healthy recipes to add variety to our diet, each action makes this journey easier. In this article, we discuss another tool that can help you feel better about your new eating regimen: Yes You Can! protein bars. Join us to understand why and when to eat protein bars as part of a balanced diet.

What are Proteins?

Proteins are nutrients found in the food we consume regularly. In some foods, they are found in higher quantities, such as certain animal and plant products like meat and fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and legumes such as lentils and beans.

Why is Protein Important in Our Diet?

Proteins have specific functions in our bodies and are composed of amino acids that also handle fundamental processes. Amino acids are divided into essential and non-essential. Our bodies produce the latter, but essential amino acids can only be obtained externally, and we must include enough of them in our diet to meet our body's needs. Some functions that proteins and amino acids fulfill include:

• Growth and repair of cells
• Building and repairing muscles and bones
• Creating hormones and enzymes
• Being used as a source of energy

Not meeting our body’s protein requirements can result in muscle tissue loss, anemia, slow growth in infants, and edema, especially in the feet and ankles.

How Much Protein Should I Consume?

Like any other nutrient, the protein intake required by your body will vary based on your gender, age, weight, health status, as well as your activities and habits. You cannot compare the protein needs of a high-performance athlete with those of a young student with little physical activity.

Nevertheless, some recommended portions can serve as a guide to give you an idea of how much protein-rich food you should consume. According to Australia’s Better Health Channel, the recommended portions of lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans, and milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or substitutes (mainly low-fat) are as follows:

Yes You Can! Protein Bars

Now that you understand the importance of proteins in your diet, you’ll be pleased to know that there's an easy way to meet your protein requirements without jeopardizing your regimen and weight loss goals. Yes You Can! offers protein bars in its catalog. These are healthy protein snacks available in various delicious flavors such as:

• Cookies and Cream
• Churros
• Caramel-Nut
• Rocky Road

Additionally, our protein bars are gluten-free, have no added sugar, and each provides you with 10g of high-quality protein.

When to Eat Yes You Can! Protein Bars?

As a healthy snack for the whole family, you can eat Yes You Can! protein bars almost any time of the day. However, some key moments when consuming them could be more beneficial.

• On-the-go Snack: Did you leave home without having much to eat? Don't stress! You can always eat a Yes You Can! protein bar in the car, on the subway, or while walking to work. This helps maintain your energy, prevents hunger, and provides the nutrients your body needs.
• Before Bedtime: Thanks to their low sugar content, protein bars can be a fantastic option as a bedtime snack. They’ll also provide the amino acids to promote muscle growth while sleeping peacefully.
• Between Meals: Is it mid-afternoon, and the unhealthy craving monster starts lurking? Don’t torture yourself! Eating a protein bar as a snack between meals is the ideal solution to combat the hunger sensation that sometimes strikes between main meals.
• As a Meal Replacement: Following the comprehensive Yes You Can! program, you can use protein supplements as meal replacements. Remember that in these cases, you should follow the food planning that Alejandro Chaban — founder of Yes You Can! and certified nutritionist — has created to ensure the correct consumption of nutrients.

When to Eat Protein Bars: Before or After Exercise?

It is recommended that after exercising, even if it is low-intensity aerobic exercise - like a walk - you consume protein-rich foods to maintain the protein balance in your body. Eating a protein bar is an excellent way to meet this recommendation.

Who can eat Yes You Can! Protein Bars?

Yes You Can! protein bars are suitable for every family member. While each member can consume them for different purposes, these can be eaten by children, teenagers, and adults of any age. For the little ones, they can be a much more suitable snack than a packaged pastry with high doses of refined sugar and preservatives, as indicated by an article from the University of Nebraska.

Benefits of Yes You Can! Protein Bars!

Among the many benefits that consuming adequate amounts of protein can bring, some include:

• Reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods.
• Improving short-term glucose and insulin profiles.
• Helping maintain muscle mass.

Reducing the Consumption of Unhealthy Foods

According to a PubMed study, protein-rich foods have the quality of promoting satiety, helping us feel more satisfied and full. Eating protein bars increases the feeling of satiety and avoids feeling hungry between meals, leading us to eat unhealthy snacks.

 Improving Short-Term Glucose and Insulin Profiles

The same study indicates that replacing refined carbohydrates and fiber with protein has positively impacted glucose and insulin profiles.

Helping Maintain Muscle Mass

Naturally, as humans age, we lose muscle. Protein consumption is a way to help maintain muscle mass and strength.

Protein consumption is vital to keep our body in perfect functioning order, aiding in maintaining muscle mass and weight loss. While protein can be found naturally in many foods, thanks to Yes You Can!, now you know when to eat protein bars to meet your nutrient requirements and help transform your body and life. Yes, You Can!