Despite assertions to the otherwise, they are mostly low-quality and unwise food choices, IMHO.
Better choice:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup fine grain oats (you can use 1 cup, depending on texture preference)
6 tablespoons natural peanut butter
6 scoops favorite whey/casein/what have you
1 teaspoon natural vanilla
1/2 cup water
Method:
Combine oats, protein and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl, and fold in. After a thorough mixing, the 'batter' should be crumbly and dry, forming into little clumps. Add in 1/2 cup water and vanilla, and stir until smooth. Pre-grease a cooking sheet with Pam, place batter onto sheet, and place in the fridge or freezer. If you decide to place in the freezer, ensure you pre-cut the squares, in order for easy access.
This entire process takes about 20 minutes, and you can ensure only high-quality, whole ingredients are used.
I think 'a calorie is a calorie' is an oversimplification of how our body uses calories, and an under appreciation of food 'quality'. For example, a gram of polyunsaturated fat found in natural peanut butter, and a gram of trans fat found in McDonald's fries have the same caloric value - do they affect our metabolic pathways the same? The answer is no.
I appreciate the fact our bodies are bound by the laws of thermodynamics, however they speak to quantity - that is, calories in vs., calories out dictates the amount of weight put on but not the quality of weight put on. For those who stringently and over-simply follow 'calories in vs., calories out', here is a challenge: you eat a diet comprised in sole by low-grade whey, sugar, and trans fats, balancing your macronutrient profile how you may; on the other hand, I will eat nothing but whole, unprocessed protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources, and the results would speak for themselves.
Lesson of the day: certain foods exert metabolic effects on our bodies irrespective of their caloric value (i.e., counting calories is only half of the battle).
