5 Best Keto Bars for Your Home Office
Adopting the keto diet is a demanding regimen. It requires you to cut your consumption of carbohydrates down almost to zero. Considering carbs exist in most of the foods we consume in the form of sugars — it can be difficult to stick to the diet.
Normally, the energy that the body uses to function comes from carbohydrates. But while on a keto diet, this energy is instead derived from proteins and fats.
Preparing a proper keto meal isn't necessarily more difficult than preparing a normal meal.
But there isn't always enough time to prepare all your own meals from scratch.
Sometimes, the only time you can spare away from your desk is a bathroom break, grabbing a snack on your way back.
Moreover, hunger pangs may come knocking in between your scheduled meal times.
Before going on a keto diet, it was easy to grab a quick snack without worrying about the total carbs involved. You should still be able to stave off those hunger pangs now that you’re on keto. All you need is to have the right keto-friendly snacks by your side.
The keto diet involves snacks with low f net carbs, moderate proteins, and high fats.
So the question remains: what quick snacks can you grab on a keto diet?
Keto Bars: What Are They?
Keto bars, sometimes called protein bars, are low-sugar, low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein snacks. They're calorie-sensitive, ranging between 150 to 250 calories per serving.
There are times when the demands of work won't let you fix a quick keto meal. But a good keto bar can serve as an alternative without kicking your body out of its ketosis state.
So, what makes a good keto bar?
The ketogenic diet requires that 70% of calories consumed come from fats, 20% from proteins, and 10% from net carbs.
Unfortunately, many protein bars are either low in fat or high in net carbs. Others have more protein than fat. Either way, the delicate balance of the keto diet is disrupted.
Keto protein bars should contain approximately 15 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, and less than 5 grams of net carbs with roughly 200 calories.
With that in mind, how do you know which protein bars to buy?
What to Look for When Choosing Keto Bars
Not all protein bars will keep you in ketosis.
Next time you’re out shopping for healthy and keto-friendly snacks for your home office, look out for the following:
Keto Claims on the Label
To help you and other keto dieters spend less time searching, manufacturers now put labels on the bars’ packaging stating whether they’re keto-friendly. The labels are often designed to grab your attention.
However, the label alone isn’t enough to make it a good keto protein bar.
Total Macros Count
Successful implementation of the ketogenic diet is based on 70% fats, 20% proteins, and 10% or fewer carbs.
It’s important to maintain these macro figures for your body to stay within ketosis.
Protein bars whose protein content is higher than fats should be avoided. Also, stay away from those with higher than 5 grams of net carbs per bar.
The Ingredient List
While keto emphasizes high fat and moderate protein, not all sources of these nutrients are healthy.
Healthy fats are usually plant-based:
- MCT (Medium-chain triglycerides) oils
- Avocados
- Nuts, e.g., macadamia, almonds
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Seeds, e.g., chia, sunflower
- Cocoa butter
Source: Unsplash
Chocolate, egg whites, and sugar alcohols like erythritol are also often used in making a protein bar.
Number of Unidentifiable Ingredients
Most keto protein bars are made from only a few ingredients. Many of the ingredients, if not all, should be recognizable.
However, some contain artificial ingredients, supplemented vitamins, preservatives, and additives. Their names aren’t easily pronounced or understandable.
If the ingredient list contains a number of ingredients that you don’t know, then it means the keto protein bar is highly processed.
Highly processed foods increase the risk of chronic illnesses and hurt your chances of maintaining your body in ketosis.
Fiber Content
Fiber is a carbohydrate that’s non-digestible. When consumed, fiber takes longer to travel through the digestive tract — thus, you feel full for longer after eating.
As a result, it eliminates the need to snack frequently and unnecessarily.
Moreover, most fiber is usually prebiotic, meaning it feeds bacteria in the gut, leading to improved digestion. Also, it prevents constipation which is a common side effect of ketosis.
A high fiber content also spells a low glycemic index to effectively regulate your blood sugar levels.
Considering these benefits, good keto-friendly protein bars should contain fiber to keep you full for longer. On average, a bar should have 7 to 9 grams of fiber.
5 Best Keto Bars for Your Home Office
While working at home, keto protein bars are quick and convenient to store within easy reach of your office desk. You can work and snack without leaving your office every time you’re feeling peckish.
Moreover, other than peeling off the wrapping, there's no further preparation required.
Below are the best keto protein bars that dutifully adhere to the strict standards of a ketogenic diet.
Original Beef Sticks
When it comes to keto snacking, healthy meat snacks are a superb alternative.
Our Original Beef Sticks are clean meat snacks made from 100% grass-fed beef. They’ve got the lowest carbs on this list at 1 gram net carbs per serving.
Fat: 6g
Protein: 7g
Net carbs: 1g
Calories per serving: 80
They contain no added sugars and they’re gluten-free. We offer a variety of beef sticks including:
- Jalapeno Beef Sticks
- Habanero Beef Sticks
Jalapeno Turkey Bars
Made from free-range turkey, our Jalapeno Turkey Bars are equipped to take you through your busy day in the home office.
Fat: 1g
Protein: 11g
Net carbs: 1g
Sugar: 2g
Calories per serving: 60
They have no added sugars and they’re gluten-free. Their ingredient list consists of free-range turkey and spices such as jalapeno peppers, black pepper, and garlic.
Carne Asada Turkey Jerky
Packed with 11 grams of protein, this jerky made from free-range turkey will keep you fueled throughout the day.
Fat: 1g
Protein: 11g
Net carbs: 3g
Sugar: 2g
Calories per serving: 60
To increase the nutritional benefits and flavor, this Carne Asada Turkey Jerky features added spices such as black and red pepper, garlic, lemon, and coriander.
Cracked Pepper Pork Sticks
When it comes to keto diets, dietitians highly recommend pork. Why? Pork has a high fat content.
Our Cracked Pepper Pork Sticks are packed with 8 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, and 1 gram of total carbs. This makes them low carb and suitable to snack on while working in the office.
Fat: 8g
Protein: 7g
Net carbs: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Calories per serving: 100
The ingredient list for these pork sticks is as follows:
- Uncured pork
- Cracked black pepper
- Encapsulated citric acid
- Garlic
- Celery powder
- Onion power
Hardwood Smoked Bacon Sticks
Bacon ranks best when it comes to keto foods. With our low carb Hardwood Smoked Bacon Sticks, now you can snack on bacon without ever leaving your office.
Fat: 8g
Protein: 7g
Net carbs: 2g
Sugar: 2g
Calories per serving: 110
Some of the ingredients include:
- Hardwood smoked bacon
- Pork
- Encapsulated citric acid
- Maple sugar
- Black pepper
- Celery powder
- Garlic
Want to Grab Health Keto-Friendly Meat Snacks?
Our first priority here at Mission Meats is to ensure you always have healthy keto-friendly meat snacks on the days you can’t cook. Or when hunger pangs persist yet your next meal is hours away.
We understand that you’ve got a busy work schedule to contend with. Our meat snacks ensure you’re not only fed but also keeping within keto macros.
Furthermore, our products do not contain:
- Gluten
- Dextrose Fillers
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
- Nitrates
- Nitrites
- Hormones
- Antibiotics
To prevent excessive snacking, all of our products are packed in small sizes. The small packaging also provides portability. This means your snack can be comfortably carried anywhere including to the gym, work office, or in the car.
Here’s what some of our happy customers have to say:
“Finally!! Don't look any further. I finally found the best-tasting Turkey jerky EVER! Perfect size, perfect amount of spicey, nice and dense, not stringy or tough like most jerky, and best of all... only 60 calories 1 g carbs zero sugars. Love them!!!!” - Christy
“Half a beef stick goes great with my morning grains meal and keeps me satisfied longer. I appreciate "grass-fed" and the fact that they're not too salty.” - Jean