FIGURING OUT RXBAR

What is protein?

Protein is a large molecule composed of amino acids that are attached to one another by peptide bonds, forming a long chain. Proteins contain both polar and non-polar joined together by non-covalent hydrogen bonds which form alpha helices and beta strands. Proteins are very essential in our diet. They build and maintain muscle and body tissue. Protein can be found in eggs, seafood, meat, or dairy.

How much protein in one RXBAR MIXED BERRY contributes to the % DV? What does that mean?  What ingredients contribute the protein?

The bar contains 21% of the daily value of protein, which means one bar provides 21% percent of the protein an average person needs each day based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It also means that an average person should be eating approximately 60 grams of protein a day in their 2,000-calories diet, and this bar provides 12 grams of protein. The ingredients contribute the protein are egg whites, almonds, cashews, and dates.

How many calories in one RXBAR MIXED BERRY are due to protein? How can you tell?

There are 48 calories from protein in one bar. Protein contains 4 calories per gram, and one bar has 12 grams of protein. So 48 calories from this bar are contributed from protein.

What is fat?

Fats are a type of lipid which are known as triglycerides. They consist of three fatty acids bound to a molecule of glycerol. They are non-polar, and hydrophobic. There are four major fats in the food we eat: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fat.

Saturated fat (mostly found in animal foods, such as milk, cheese, and meat) is solid at room temperature, which has only single bonds between carbons in the hydrocarbon chain; while monounsaturated has one double bond in a fatty acid and polyunsaturated contains multiple double bonds, and they are both liquid at room temperature, and are mostly in oils from plants. Unsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on our health.

The double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids can be either a cis (two hydrogens associated with the bond are on the same side) or trans (two hydrogens associated with the bond are on opposite sides) configuration. Trans fat, which is an unsaturated fat contains trans double bonds rather than cis double bonds, is formed through a process called hydrogenation. It is mostly in processed food such as chips or cookies.

How much fat in one RXBAR MIXED BERRY contributes to the % DV? What does that mean? What ingredients are contributing the fat?

There is a total percentage of 9% daily value of fat coming from one bar. This means based on a 2,000-calorie diet, a healthy adult needs to eat around 70-77 grams of fat a day, and they are getting 7 grams of fat, which is 9% daily value of fat if consuming this bar. The ingredients mostly contribute the fat are almonds, and cashews.

What types of fats does one RXBAR MIXED BERRY contain? What are those different kinds of fats and why should we care?

As listed on the nutrition label, this protein bar contains 7 grams of total fat which includes 0.998 grams of saturated fat, and 0 gram of trans fat. It does not list the unsaturated fat content but we can calculate by subtracting the saturated fat and trans fat content from the total fat to get the unsaturated fat content, which is 6 grams in this bar. As mentioned above, saturated fat does not have double bonds, and is solid at room temperature, while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated contain double bonds, and they are both liquid at room temperature. Trans fat is created in an industrial process by heating vegetable oils to make them more solid. We should care because saturated fats and trans fats have a detrimental effect on our health such as raising our bad cholesterol, and putting us at higher risk for heart disease. I think this is the reason why food manufacturers are required to list saturated and trans fat information on the nutrition facts label. Besides, unsaturated fats are known as “good” fats which are essential in our diet.

How many calories in one RXBAR MIXED BERRY are due to fat? How can you tell?

Usually the nutrition labels on the packaging will show the calories from fat, but the packaging of this protein bar does not. However, it is pretty obvious to see that there are 63 calories that come from fat in this bar. Fat has 9 calories per gram, which is more than twice that of carbohydrate and protein, and this bar contains 7 grams of total fat. So if we multiply the total grams of fat by 9, we will have 63.