Bars as food supplements

Did you know...

Bars as food supplements are recording an increase in the consumer demand with incredible numbers, just think that an overall sale equivalent to 6,2 bilion dollars is expected in 2018!

Why?

• time: in a frenzied era in which time ia an even more precious resource, a bar becomes a practical and quick snack which enables us to supply energy comfortably. In America, for example small snacks are even more common during the day instaed of the three traditional meals (brekfast, lunch and dinner);
• saving: with one/two bars we can have a complete nutrient intake spending less money that how much we will spend with a traditional meal;
• flavor: the choice of flavors and type of bar is wider and wider and this satisfies the most demanding people.

Which bar types are on the market?

The bar consumer is diversified according tohis need, that's why tere are so many bar types on the market. Let's examine the main ones:

• protein bars: they are used by people who practice sport activity and by people who are on a diet to lose weight. There are many protein sources, at present milk protein and soy protein are very highly rated;
• meal replacer bars: they are used by people who want a nutrient and quick snack where the ingredients are very clear. They are made of a mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and other possible energy stuffs (amino acids and derivates, caffeine);
• energy bars: high carbohydrate content bars, they are mainly used by sport people who practice endurance sports.

How are bars made?

As you can imagine there are a lot of different types:

• covered: in slang words for covered bars is meant chocolate-covered snacks. It can be dark chocolate, surrogate chocolate (cheaper), low sugar chocolate, biological chocolate and so on.
• not covered: all bars without a coverage of chocolate, simple dough;
• crunch or muesli bars:they are bars with cereals and/or dried fruit, thay can be chocolate-covered or not.

Costs?

The costs can vary considerably from a bar to another one. The two main factors that determine the price are:

• basis weight:it can be a banality but the dimensions are important! A 20g bar will be less expansive than a 40g;
• ingredients:another important element, even more than basis weight, is the content. A bigger protein quantity will cause aconsiderable increase in the final price of the bar.

Enjoy your meal!