PROTEIN is essential for healthy bodies.
It builds and repairs muscles and bones, is involved in producing hormones and enzymes and helps you feel fuller for longer.
Each day we need around 0.75g of it per kilo of body weight – that’s about two portions of meat, fish, nuts or tofu.
Plant-based foods have been shown to be the healthiest sources.
Jane Atkinson looks at new protein products on the market.
Sugar-free bar
IF you like a protein bar and you also love the coconut chocolate bars that many kids of the Eighties do, then you’re in for a treat with this.
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Barebells Coco Choco soft protein bar is a delight.
You would imagine it’s packed full of sugar, but it actually contains none.
It is made up of milk proteins, collagen, sweeteners including sucralose and xylitol, coconut flakes, cocoa butter, whole milk powder and flavourings.
Each soft, light and chewy 55g bar has 16g of protein.
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It also has 217 calories, 20 per cent fat and 2.4 per cent fibre.
If you want a chocolate bar with a totally tropical taste that will fill you up, this is lovely.
12 bars for £23.99, .
Cereal selection
CEREAL is a quick and easy breakfast for many of us – but in lots of cases it won’t fill you up.
Until Surreal, that is.
This breakfast treat comes in peanut butter, cinnamon, frosted and cocoa flavours and tastes a bit like kids’ favourites.
I tried the cinnamon, which has 14g of protein per 35g serving.
That is about a third of a woman’s daily needs and a quarter of a man’s – and roughly seven times what you’d get in the same portion of a supermarket cinnamon cereal.
It contains soya and pea protein, plus inulin, a plant fibre good for the gut.
It is also vegan and gluten-free.
There is no added sugar, but there are sweeteners.
I loved the warming flavour of cinnamon, which kept me full until lunchtime, despite only containing 134 calories per serving.
From 66p a bowl,
Fruity drink
A FRUITY, clear whey protein powder, Isovibe is available in three flavours – lemon and lime, peach and raspberry, plus cherry and apple.
I tried the latter and it’s delicious.
Light and easy to drink, it doesn’t taste synthetic like some of its rivals.
It’s made from fast-absorbing, hydrolysed whey protein isolate.
Whey is the watery portion of milk that separates from the curds when making cheese.
Isovibe has 20g of protein per 25g serving made up with cold water.
Each serving contains 92 calories and one per cent sugar.
That’s fewer calories and carbs than traditional protein shakes.
It was a little tricky to mix. You’re best to let it stand for a minute before stirring.
I will continue using this as it is low calorie but keeps you full.
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A 300g pouch costs £12.99 in B&M and you get around 12 servings per pack.
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