Jessica Lockett
Protein bars are a convenient way to get some extra protein in your diet when you re on the go, but given that there are so many different varieties out there, it s hard to know which one to choose - especially if you have dietary requirements (such as being vegan), have allergies or suffer from IBS.
To make things easier, we asked nutritionist extraordinaire Jenna Hope to give an expert verdict on some of the most popular protein bars on the market right now (as well as subjecting them to a very rigorous taste test ourselves). Many protein bars contain a wide range of ingredients from polyols, to sugars, stabilisers and artificial flavourings, explains Hope. As a result, they shouldn’t be viewed as a healthy snack but rather a convenient way to increase protein and in some cases they can be seen as an alternative to a chocolate bar.
Jordan Lye
With its zingy lime green colouring and distinctive grassy flavour, matcha isn t your average cup of char. You ve probably spotted this new addition on the latte board of your local coffee shop, or seen matcha powder blitzed into a smoothie on Instagram.
Aside from the eye-popping colour, the next thing you ll likely notice about matcha is the price. A cup-full of this potent green powder certainly doesn t come cheap. So, what exactly
is matcha, is any healthier than regular old green tea, and should you be drinking it?
To find out more, we asked registered nutritionist Jenna Hope to reveal what matcha s made of, explain what it tastes like, and share tips on safe consumption:
Can a wine ever be called clean ?
Credit: Haarala Hamilton
A bottle of wine that’s better for your health, your hangover and the planet. It may sound too good to be true – but that’s exactly what a new crop of “clean” wine brands in the US is promising. Offered up as a healthier, purer alternative to traditional winemaking, clean wine is usually vegan, made from organic grapes and free from pesticides, preservatives, colours, added sulphites and sugars – or, as clean wine brand Scout & Cellar likes to put it, “yucky stuff”.
Cameron Diaz and fashion entrepreneur Katherine Power, who launched their clean wine brand Avaline in 2020, said they felt “real anger” at the lack of transparency in the traditional winemaking process. “All these additives… we had no idea,” they said. Other such brands include Good Clean Wine, which offers “wine that pairs with a healthy lifestyle,” and the Wonderful Wine Company, which claims to make “clean wine for better
The best protein bars for a nutritious snack
Whether you want to build muscle or follow a balanced diet, we’ve tried the tastiest, healthiest and most nutritious snacks on the market
Protein is essential for your body’s everyday functioning and immune response
Credit: Brent Hofacker/Alamy
Protein bars offer a convenient way to top up your protein intake when on the move – but from the multitude of brands and flavours out there, how can you tell which taste great, are healthy enough to eat regularly and deliver the protein punch you need?
To answer that, the first thing to understand is just why eating protein is important. “Protein plays a functional or structural role in all our cells,” explains Tom Clifford, a sports nutritionist and lecturer in physiology and nutrition at Loughborough University. “It’s principally involved in growth and repair, but it provides us with energy, too.” Put simply, protein is essential for your body’s everyday functioning and