Yeah, these packages were once full, but they’re most useful empty and inside the body!
To build a great body, I train by the motto – more is more. But when it comes to fueling it, I have learned that sometimes less is best. I’m not talking about calories, of course, because your body needs a lot of them to maintain your energy and recovery. What I’m talking about is the ‘Meat and Potatoes’ of any performance supplement. And last month we had the opportunity to put these new Atkins Lift Protein bars and drinks to the test – and while the product was given to us for free (thank you very much) and is sponsored – our opinion is still very much our own. Let’s get down to it.
Meat and Potatoes
It may take a lot to fuel to support a growing body, but what your body does not need is all the extra sugar, gluten, and carbs. Each bar of Atkins Lift Protein comes with around 21 grams protein, 16 grams fiber, 5 grams of carbs, 4 grams fat, 200 calories, and only 3 grams of sugar. The protein comes from whey, fiber from corn, color from nature, sweetness from sucralose, and its additional ingredients list is kept short, including tapioca starch, lecithin, water, glycerin, coconut oil, and a touch of salt.
The Atkins Lift Protein drink includes an even shorter ingredients list: water, whey protein, natural flavor, sucralose, fruit/vegetable juice, phosphoric and citric acid. It has even fewer calories than the bar at 90, but maintains 20 grams of protein, 0 grams fat, and one gram of carbs.
So it appears that Atkins may be a little light on the potatoes – but it is heavy on the meat, and that’s what counts… at least for me.
Fluff
I don’t consider the taste of my protein supplements to be near as important as the meat and potatoes, but it is always nice to have. We were given the opportunity to sample both the Atkins Orange Lift Protein Drink and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. My favorite was the orange protein drink. It goes down smooth, has an awesome flavor and will not weigh you down before a workout.
Cookie Dough is a difficult flavor to replicate as a supplement in my opinion. But where most manufacturers fail, Atkins gets it close. It has plenty of sweetness, a nice cocoa flavor, and minimal bitterness. It does not go down quite as smooth as the drink, but it does ‘satisfy’ your hunger more. I actually preferred the bar right after a workout as opposed to before, but either one offers a nice shot of protein in a relatively small package.
Thumbs Up
I think Atkins has hit the mark with these two new offerings. There are a lot of options for supplements, but not many have such a short list of ingredients. I work with a dietician and have a strict level of vitamins and minerals I try to maintain. Every ‘body’ is a little different and requires its own balance of nutrition to function at its peak, so I don’t like when a ‘fuel source’ tries to be more than it should. Atkins understands this concept with their new Lift Protein bars and drinks, which makes me give them a hearty thumbs up.
More variety, more weight, more sets… that’s how to strengthen a body. Less junk, less ingredients, and less chemicals… that’s how you fuel it!
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About Dr. Eric J. Leech
Eric has written for over a decade. Then one day he created Urbasm.com, a site for every guy.
About Dr. Eric J. Leech