Snickers Marathon Protein Bar - Functional Foods

Snickers Marathon Protein Bar

Given the enormous popularity of protein/energy/nutrition bars, it was just a matter of time before more conventional candy makers got into the act.  Thus, the Mars Corporation has extended its “Snickers” line of candy bars to include Marathon bars.  There are four basic types: Energy, Nutrition, Low Carb and Protein.  The Protein bars come in two flavors: Chocolate Nut Burst and Caramel Nut Rush.

Manufacturer’s Description: When you’re looking for a quality protein bar, SNICKERS MARATHON® Protein Bar delivers! And because it is from SNICKERS MARATHON® it tastes great!

…Made with our unique Protein Blend (soy, peanut, casein and whey), your body is supplied with crucial amino acids needed to build and repair muscle. Protein when consumed with carbohydrates (the primary fuel for endurance activity) helps you get the most from your workouts or gives an added boost of energy for that busy day!

And as low Glycemic Index foods, Protein Performance Bars help keep your blood sugar levels stable and provide your brain and working muscles the long lasting energy you require.

Product Label:

Serving Size 1 Bar (80g)
Calories 290
Calories from Fat 90
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 5g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg
Sodium 200mg
Potassium 250mg
Total Carbohydrates 40g
Dietary Fiber 11g
Sugars 20g
Protein 21g
Vitamin A 35%
Vitamin C 100%
Calcium 50%
Iron 45%
Vitamin D 0%
Vitamin E 100%
Thiamine 100%
Riboflavin 100%
Niacin 100%
Vitamin B6 100%
Folic Acid 100%
Vitamin B12 100%
Biotin 100%
Pantothenic Acid 100%
Phosphorus 30%
Magnesium 35%
Zinc 35%

Ingredients: Quadratein (Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Peanut Flour, Calcium Caseinate), Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin), Caramel (Corn Syrup, Polydextrose, Palm Kernel Oil, Sugar, Skim Milk, Glycerin, Salt, Whey Protein Isolate, Natural Flavors), Polydextrose, Glycerin, Corn Syrup, Soy Nuts, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Peanuts, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Sucralose, Natural Flavor, Almonds. Vitamins And Minerals: Tricalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Ascorbate, Niacinamide, Vitamin E Acetate, Biotin, Ferrous Fumarate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine HCl, Vitamin A Palmitate, Zinc Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid

Comments: The two Marathon bars (one of each flavor) cost $1.99 (each) at my local grocery store…a pretty standard price. The Caramel Nut Rush bar (shown above) was reminiscent of a real Snickers bar, with a chocolate coating and caramel/nougat center – the major difference was that the nuts were coarsely ground vs. intact. It was chewy and sweet without being overwhelming – nice.

The Chocolate Nut Burst bar was a little different, however. This was uncoated, and featured a nut/nougat layer sandwiched between two chocolate ones. The bar was a bit sticky, as well as chewier and less sweet than the Caramel Nut Rush.

I expected both bars to be decent-tasting (they’re made by a candy company, after all), and they were. The big surprise to me was the fact that both contain over 10g of dietary fiber – which is a pretty healthy amount. Likewise, the bars have a low glycemic index – the site doesn’t say HOW low, but I expect it fits the “textbook” definition…I didn’t experience any “sugar crash” after consuming one on a relatively empty stomach.

The bars have a decent protein blend and are fortified with an array of vitamins and minerals so – despite their origin – they have as much right to be viewed as a meal replacement bar as the ones made by various sports nutrition companies…on the basis of their labels, they’re hard to tell apart from the Protein Plus Power Bars, for example. This doesn’t make them health foods, of course, but they could certainly “work” as an occasional on-the-go snack.

[usrlist “Taste:4.0” “Quality:3.0” “Efficacy:4.0” “Value:3.0″ avg=”true”]

Author: elissa

Elissa is a former research associate with the University of California at Davis, and the author/co-author of over a dozen articles published in scientific journals. Currently a freelance writer and researcher, Elissa brings her multidisciplinary education and training to her writing on nutrition and supplements.

6 Comments

  1. Not good… it tastes good but upon analyzing all those ingredients it’s literally poison to your system. HFCS, Protein Isolates, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE (contains hexane which is a poison), Palm KERNEL oil (very bad, and gives any item a shelf life or plutonium) and SUCRALOSE! Sucralose is pretty much rat poison and/or pesticides that tastes sweet… the better alternative to sucralose is Stevia… better alternative to HFCS is Agave syrup, and better alternative to palm KERNEL oil is plain palm oil. Don’t eat this protein bar full of carcinogens. Go for a more natural approach that wont slowly take a toll on your body.

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  2. the review that rated this one star is not true. i have been using the bars for months and i eat one before every lift and it is fuel. i noticed trying different bars were not as good. not only do these taste good but they also work great. several friends of mine aswell use snickers protein bars and have the same results. The guy who wrote that review sounds like he knows what hes talking about but doesn’t ive been lifting for 30 years and i promise you these bars cause no harm they are fantastic

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  3. I’m not sure what you’re talking about “Michael”, but RMDELETE is right on as far as the carcinogens in Snickers Marathon bars. Just because you’ve been lifting for x years means nothing when it comes to knowledge of the brainwashing you’ve been spoon-fed regarding products you’ve been taking. Sugar makes people fat? ok.. let’s make something that they’ll bite on. Sucralose gives you the $hits and lots of gas. Eventually, what you eat does devour you. Keep eating toxins and you will get cancer.

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  4. After researching the ingredients you declare as carcinogenic I found no such evidence. I appreciate those who try to inform consumers, but if this protein bar was as bad as you claim there would be a little black box placed by the FDA declaring the product a hazard to ones health. I enjoy the taste of this bar and it provides the protein I’m looking for.

    Editor’s comments: Good point; there’s lots of nonsense thrown around here about the supposed dangers of various ingredients, but no one is actually citing their comments with references to peer reviewed clinical studies. In other words, if you’re going to tout the dangers of an ingredient, you need to provide credible proof of such statements.

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  5. Great taste and a quality protein bar. Compare the taste to any other protein bar and it’s sad…this one tastes gooood! Nutritional value vs any other protein bar and it’s equal….add a great taste on topic that and it’s a no brainer!!

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  6. Score correction!! Great taste and a quality protein bar. Compare the taste to any other protein bar and it’s sad…this one tastes gooood! Nutritional value vs any other protein bar and it’s equal….add a great taste on topic that and it’s a no brainer!!

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