USN Pro Protein Bar (New Chocolate Mint) – Review

USN Pro Protein Bar – Chocolate Mint Flavour, isn’t even on the USN online shop yet, but it is in stores. This one has the taste, but does this justify the amount of protein it has per serving?

What is the USN Pro Protein Bar?

A protein bar is a nutrition bar that contains a high proportion of protein compared to carbs and fat. This is why it is important to note that if it doesn’t have this is high ratio of protein compared to the other macros, then it’s probably not as effective as it should be.

The Pro Protein Bar is one of the first protein bars that USN had released for its protein bar range. It has managed to create new flavours and change the packaging since the first Pro Protein Bar Review that I did.

Is The USN Pro Protein Bar Good?

The following will be the criteria for all protein bars that will be reviewed from now on. It is important to have consistency in what I am looking at, to keep it simple and easy to understand and applying in all protein bars that we choose.

I have been having protein bars for 5 years, so I know what I am looking for in protein bars now. I also know what you could look for in choosing yours easily and quickly when you’re looking for a one on-the-go.

It is important that you do see any protein supplement or snack as supporting your diet, especially post-workout for muscle repair and recovery. It mustn’t replace a healthy and nutritious diet.

1. The Amount of Protein

This is the most important criteria is the amount of protein that the protein bar has. The Dietary Reference Intake is 0,8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0,36 grams per kilogram.

I always recommend at least 1 to 2 kg of protein per kilogram of body weight, because it is easier to remember and track, especially if you’re looking to lose fat.

The way to look at it is that you’re having a serving of whey protein, which usually has at least 20 g of protein per serving, depending on if it’s whey protein concentrate, isolate or hydrolysate. This makes up about 30-50% of your Dietary Reference Intake depending on your weight.

The USN Pro Protein Bar has about 12 g of protein per serving, which is pretty low. The bar is 40g, so it is low in proportion to the weight of the bar even. In terms of the protein content, it is not a good look at all.

2. The Taste

The taste of the protein bar is another factor to it being good. You see the flavor that you may like when you choose at a store. It is of ethical importance that what the brand is selling, lives up to what it says it is.

Anything that contains chocolate or strawberry flavoured anything, makes me very biased to those products. I have experienced unique flavours like MyWellness Superior Whey Belgium Chocolate. I have had to become as objective as possible to provide better value for you.

The taste of the Chocolate Mint flavour, is great. It seems like the mint layer lines the protein bar on the top, right below the chocolate coating as can be seen below.

3. Carbs and Fat Content

It goes without saying that you’d want a protein bar that is low in these compared to your protein as was stated before. If your protein is lower in ratio, it sort of makes just another a candy bar, especially if its sugar content being the simple carbs that make it high calories.

Most protein bars have a chocolate coating these days which obviously has sugar or sugar substitutes that give it a sweet taste. The whey protein formula also has its own amount of carbs and fat that comes with how it is processed, either being concentrate, isolate or hydrolysate type of processing.

This protein bar contains 20 g of carbs and 4 g of fat. Compared to the 12 g of protein that was identified before, this shows that this protein bar really isn’t as effective as it should be, because it has a low ratio of protein compared to the other macros.

Cost per Gram of Protein

I would expect that the highest macro for any protein product would be its protein. This also ensures that you’re paying a decent cost per protein serving too.

This went for R17 per protein bar at the local Spargs, which means, with 12 g of protein, you’re paying R1,41 per serving of protein. The formula = price per package/amount of protein.

This is expensive, because a decent to high quality protein bar or powder would go for a maximum of R1 per gram and this is lenient, because usually it’s actually slightly over 90 cent per gram in South Africa.

There are a lot of cheaper options there, I am sure, so this wouldn’t be a go-to if I would want a high protein quantity and quality in a protein bar. The taste is great though.

The Rating

A protein bar must have a high proportion of protein compared to the other macros of a protein bar. This USN Pro Protein Bar is different from the first Pro Protein Bar I had reviewed and contains less protein too. The criteria used to rate this protein bar was:

1. The Amount of Protein
2. The Taste
3. Carbs and Fat Content

It is important to watch your budget when buying a protein bar. Once the costs is more than R1 per gram of protein, it is a bit expensive, so look out for that too.

I rate this protein bar at a 6/10, because even though it tastes really good, with a ratio of protein being at 12 g, while the other macros being higher, it really isn’t as effective as it could be for your protein per serving.