A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Stockholm on business. I didn’t have much free time while I was there, but I did take advantage of my few hours off to scour the supermarket and fitness shops for products.
I discovered that there is no shortage of protein products in Sweden – and they may have even more options than we do in the UK. Between supermarket chains, sporting goods stores and health food shops, there is a plethora of choice when it comes to protein bars, spreads, shakes and more.
So, I did want any gym fanatic would do, and loaded my suitcase with oodles of Swedish goodies, which I will now proceed to review. I am hoping this will not only prove helpful to any Nordic readers, but that it will also highlight options for anyone travelling to Sweden. A few Swedish fitness brands, such as Barebells and Nocco BCAA, have already made their way to these shores, so some of the following may eventually follow.
1. Body Science: There are lots of Body Science protein goods sold globally, but Sweden has a few different brands. Oligo is one, and they come in a host of tantalising flavours - from banana caramel to creamy chocolate brownie to sweet liquorice lemon. I opted for the cinnamon bun flavour, since that is what Sweden is known for. The macros on these bars are pretty good, with each 60g bar boasting 192 kcals, 21g protein, 8.4g carbs and 6.5g fat. The flavour was great, tasting like a real Swedish cinnamon bun. However, it was a bit too sticky for my liking. Oligo bars have a similar consistency to Quest bars, and this stickiness is primarily due to one of the key ingredients being Vitafiber, which acts as both a binder and sweetener. Body Science also offers another standard range of protein bars called simply Body Science. These have a similar taste and consistency to Oligo but the macros aren’t as good, with a 50g bar boasting a lot less protein and a lot more carbs in the form of sugar (202 kcals, 15g protein, 22g carbs, 5.9g fat).
2. Gainomax: This is another popular protein bar company in Sweden. Their products include “Raise the Bar” and “Lean on Protein" - great brand names that, as a marketer, I appreciate! These bars are more bulky and chewy in nature, and aren’t plagued by the stickiness that I encountered with the Body Science bars. Whilst the range does have some interesting flavours, such as blueberry and toffee, I did find the taste slightly synthetic. The blueberry one tasted a bit like bubblegum, which doesn’t take like real blueberries at all. Both Raise the Bar and Lean on Protein have good macro profiles but the latter is probably the better, with almost half the sugar and the same whopping amount of protein: 20g to be exact.
3. Barebells Hazelnut Cream: A few months ago I did an article on Barebell protein bars, which in my opinion are the closest rivals to my beloved Carb Killas. Whilst browsing the supermarket shelves of a little grocery store outside central Stockholm, I fortuitously stumbled across Barebells Hazelnut Cream Spread. Boy is this good, and utterly moreish. Not only does it taste rich and chocolaty, like Nutella, but there is no protein aftertaste. The only problem I foresee with this product is trying to not eat the whole jar in one sitting. It contains no palm oil, and its macros aren’t too bad either, with a 10g spoonful equating to 52 kcals (2g protein, 3g cabs and 4g fat).
As you can see, it’s worth checking out local products when you travel. It’s not only fun, it also opens your eyes and palette to a host of delicious treats. Bring on more Swede sensations!