Walk down the packaged breakfast foods aisle and you’ll see the same claims everywhere: 20 grams of protein! High fiber! Zero added sugar! Low carb!

But those numbers on the front of the package don’t tell the whole story.

To achieve impressive protein and fiber numbers while keeping sugar and calories low, many bars, protein snacks and baking mixes rely on concentrated proteins, added fibers and alternative sweeteners. Many of these ingredients can cause bloating, gas, cramping or diarrhea, especially when consumed regularly or by people with sensitive stomachs (pretty much all runners!).

As athletes, we care about what our food actually does for us: Does it give us energy? Does it sit well before a run? Does it keep us satisfied? And, just as importantly, do we actually enjoy eating it?

Here are a few ingredients worth knowing the next time you flip over a package.

1. Sugar Alcohols

Look for: erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol

Sugar alcohols are commonly used to make protein bars and other packaged foods taste sweet while keeping the sugar content low.

The tradeoff is digestion.

Many sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed in the small intestine. Depending on the specific sugar alcohol and the amount consumed, they can draw water into the digestive tract and/or be fermented by gut bacteria.

For some people, the result is gas, bloating, cramping or diarrhea.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to avoid sugar alcohols. But if your “healthy” protein bar consistently leaves your stomach feeling less than healthy, check the ingredient list.

2. Inulin, Chicory Root Fiber + FOS

Ever look at a tiny bar boasting 10 or more grams of fiber and wonder where all that fiber came from?

Sometimes it’s not simply coming from oats, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Manufacturers can add concentrated fibers such as inulin, chicory root fiber and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) to dramatically increase the fiber number on the Nutrition Facts panel.

These are prebiotic fibers, which means they can feed beneficial bacteria in the gut. That can be a good thing.

But they’re also highly fermentable. For many people that fermentation can mean a whole lot of gas and bloating.

It’s another example of why more isn’t automatically better.

3. Concentrated + Isolated Proteins

Look for: pea protein, soy protein, milk protein, wheat protein and vital wheat gluten

Protein is having a moment. And as athletes, we absolutely need it.

But a giant “20G PROTEIN” claim on the front of a package doesn’t tell you where those 20 grams came from or what else is in the food.

One way manufacturers dramatically increase protein is by adding concentrated or isolated protein ingredients such as pea, soy, milk or wheat protein, which may be hard to digest and aren’t absorb as well as protein from minimally processed sources. 

We don’t believe every food needs to be engineered to contain the maximum possible amount of protein at the expense of balanced macros. 

More protein ≠ better fuel.

Athletes need carbohydrates and fat, too. Carbohydrates are particularly important for fueling exercise, while protein plays an important role in recovery, muscle repair and overall health.

Rather than looking at one giant macro number, look at the entire food.

We crafted Superhero Muffin Mixes to provide protein from recognizable ingredients like almond flour, oats, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, eggs and yogurt while also providing the carbohydrates and healthy fats active bodies need (yes to butter!).

4. Allulose

“0g added sugar!”

Sounds great. But flip over the package and ask: What is making this food taste sweet?

Increasingly, the answer is allulose.

Allulose is a low-calorie sugar that occurs naturally in very small quantities in some foods but is manufactured commercially for use as a sweetener. Because of the way it’s metabolized, it contributes very few calories and doesn’t count toward “Total Sugars” or “Added Sugars” on U.S. Nutrition Facts labels.

For many people, modest amounts are well tolerated. At higher intakes, however, allulose can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort and diarrhea.

There’s another consideration for athletes: “zero sugar” isn’t necessarily the goal.

Carbohydrates are our bodies’ preferred fuel for moderate- to high-intensity exercise. If you’re eating something specifically to fuel a run, ride, hike or workout, choosing a product designed to eliminate nearly all available carbohydrate may be solving a problem you don’t actually have.

We sweeten our Superhero Muffin Mixes with whole dates ground into a powder, providing carbohydrates for energy along with naturally occurring fiber and micronutrients. Because the whole fruit is simply dried and ground, the sugars in date powder are not added sugars.

5. “Natural Flavors”

This one sounds particularly wholesome.

But what does “natural flavors” actually mean?

Under FDA regulations, “natural flavor” is a broad labeling category for flavoring substances derived from natural sources. These flavors may be extracted and processed, and the individual components generally don’t have to be spelled out on the ingredient list. 

Our preference? We’d rather get flavor from the actual food. If we want something to taste like cinnamon, we use cinnamon. If we want blueberry flavor, we use blueberries. 

Many of us have become accustomed to the big, amplified flavors of highly formulated foods designed to keep us reaching for more. By comparison, our Superhero Muffin Mixes may taste more subtle and that’s intentional. We let real ingredients like dates, fruit, vegetables, cocoa, and warming spices create the flavor, rather than relying on added flavorings.

6. The Bigger Question: What Are You Eating Every Day?

We’re not here to tell you to never eat another protein bar.

Bars are incredibly convenient. We throw them in backpacks. We eat them in airports. Sometimes they’re exactly what you need when the alternative is nothing at all.

The more useful question is:

What are you relying on every single day?

If you’re regularly experiencing bloating, gas or digestive discomfort, take a closer look at the ingredient lists on the packaged foods you eat most frequently.

And if you’re an athlete, don’t let HIGH PROTEIN, HIGH FIBER and ZERO SUGAR claims convince you that a food is automatically healthy.

Sports Fuel Can Be Freshly Baked

We created Superhero Muffin Mixes because we wanted an alternative to living on packaged bars.

Our approach to sports nutrition looks more like this:

Oats.
Almond flour.
Dates.
Fruit + veggies.
Chia seeds.
Pumpkin seeds.
Real spices.
Eggs.
Yogurt.
Butter.

Foods that provide carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber without trying to maximize one number at the expense of everything else.

Because sometimes the best sports nutrition innovation isn’t another highly formulated bar, but something freshly baked and delicious.