Protein shakes and bars are often marketed as convenient replacements for meals or snacks, or as a necessary addition to your diet to help with recovery from exercise.

But are they a good choice? Protein shakes and bars are highly processed and often contain artificial sweeteners or added sugar. For this reason, we suggest aiming to meet your protein requirements through whole foods instead, like eggs, meat, dairy, lentils, legumes, and nuts.

If you’re used to having a protein shake after exercise, we'd suggest switching to an alternative high-protein snack to help with recovery such as a handful of nuts, plain Greek yoghurt, or hard boiled eggs. Having said this, if you’re planning to eat a meal within an hour of exercising, in most cases you won’t need the shake as the meal should provide sufficient protein.

Feel free to ask your health coach if you'd like additional information on this or advice for how to switch to whole food sources.