Anyone that's gluten free have trouble eating protein bars?

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My DH is GF and lately he has been having issues with his stomach really bothering him.  He works out at the gym and will often eat 2-3 Quest protein bars each day.  He's busy at work and likes the convenience of them.  

 

They say gluten free on the label but he seems to always get symptoms when eating those.  Anyone else have this problem?

 

 

[teachermom2834]

I am not gf but I did find that a couple of varieties of Quest bars upset my stomach while the rest were fine.

[ktgrok]

It's probably all the fiber. There is like 12 grams of fiber or something in them. Also, I don't think Quest has it, but watch out for bars with chicory root at well. It's called 'the farting fiber" for a reason. And it's in a lot of protein bars these days. 

[ktgrok]

Oh, and some flavors have more sugar alcohols than others. Sugar alcohols have a laxative effect on some people. 

[GinaPagnato]

It's probably either the whey protein or the sucralose. Those can really upset stomachs of people who are more GI sensitive.

 

Other protein bars have sorbitol, which does a number on me!

[SparklyUnicorn]

Definitely could be the sugar alcohols.  If you ever look at sugar free candy, there is usually a warning about it having a laxative effect if you eat too much of it.

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

Kind bars are GF and more natural than a lot of the other GF bars.

[zoobie]

Yes, the sugar alcohols and fake fiber bulk are probably doing it. I don't think they're meant to be eaten 2-3 at a time! I wouldn't eat one daily honestly.

[redsquirrel]

If he's looking for gluten free and high protein tell him to check out the 'ThinkThin" bars.  They are a protein bar that is also made for a gluten free diet.

 

The Quest bars, aside from being disgusting, are loaded with some sort of fiber and lots of sugar alcohols. Both of those things are going to cause a lot of gas and stomach upset.  To be clear, I eat them myself, but I've never heard of anyone doing much more than choking them down. They are pretty gross.

 

So, he could switch to the ThinkThink bars or cut down to one Quest bar per day and work to find ways to include some actual food in his diet. I suspect that even eating several of the ThinkThin bars in a day is going to cause some stomach upset for the same reason. All that fiber and sugar alcohols are just not tolerated well. It's what they do. They are things we don't actually digest, we eat them but they move through our digestive system. So there is a good chance he is overdoing it.

 

 

 

If he's not looking specifically for low carb/high protein but only for a gluten free bar, then he has a much, much larger selection to choose from. But all of those high protein/low car bars are full of the weird fiber and fake sugars. They will all wreak havoc on a digestive system in larger (and maybe smaller) amount.

Edited July 19, 2016 by redsquirrel

[HSmomof2]

It's probably all the fiber. There is like 12 grams of fiber or something in them. Also, I don't think Quest has it, but watch out for bars with chicory root at well. It's called 'the farting fiber" for a reason. And it's in a lot of protein bars these days.

ITA^^^ I'm not gf either, but anything with chicory root fiber upsets my stomach.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Yup.  Probar Bite bars are the only ones that don't bother me but I can't have them often because of the carbs.

[kiana]

Honestly I'd look into different sources of portable protein + fiber. If he has access to a fridge, a ham and cheese roll-up (roll the ham inside the cheese) or a ham and cheese lettuce wrap might work, and boiled eggs are always handy. If he doesn't have a fridge, maybe some small bags of nuts or sunflower seeds? That'd get him the protein, and some baby carrots or an orange would get the fiber. 

[Katy]

Sugar alcohols cause me serious tummy trouble.  Sure I'm about to die until it gets out of my system from about 30 minutes after I eat any troubles.

[gardenmom5]

what else is in them?  soy? casein?

try another brand.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Do they have oats or oat flour?  Even the oats labeled GF bother me.  Just a thought.

[The Governess]

Also try Rise protein bars (can find on Amazon). Very few ingredients.