Formula 1 Express Bars, explained
Formula 1 Express Healthy Meal Bars are 56g bars that replace a meal in a calorie-controlled diet. People use them at work, at the gym or out for the day, when making a shake isn't practical.
From Herbalife, tap to play
What Formula 1 Express Bars is
Each bar is a full meal replacement on its own, with nothing to mix. Dark Chocolate gives 207 calories and 13g of protein, and Cranberry and White Chocolate gives 209 calories and 15g.
Both flavours carry 25 vitamins and minerals, the same count as a Formula 1 shake. Fibre is 7g in Dark Chocolate and 6g in Cranberry and White Chocolate.
Protein Bars look similar but do a different job. They are 35g snacks with 10g of protein, and they don't replace a meal.
A box holds seven bars, which is one bar a day for a week.
What's in it, ingredient by ingredient
Soy crisps and soy granules
Soy crisps are 24.2% to 24.4% of the bar and soy granules 10.4% to 11.6%Soy crisps are small crunchy pieces made from soy protein isolate, tapioca starch and salt. Soy granules are a second soy ingredient, and together the two make up over a third of each bar.
Soy protein isolate is the protein from soya beans, separated out and dried. Soya supplies all nine essential amino acids, which is why it counts as a complete protein.
For comparison, the BDA puts a small 200g can of baked beans at 10g of protein. One bar gives 13g to 15g.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: They supply most of the protein a meal replacement needs, and they give the bar its crunch.
Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
Soya is one of the 14 allergens that must be declared on UK labels, so both flavours say they contain soy.
Promitor® fibre
6g to 7g of fibre per bar in totalThe NHS says adults should aim for 30g of fibre a day, and most manage about 20g. One bar gives a fifth to a quarter of the 30g target.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: Herbalife designs the bar to give the amount of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals a meal replacement needs. Promitor is the fibre ingredient Herbalife names on its product sheet.
Glucose syrup and fructose
8g of sugars per Dark Chocolate bar and 10g per Cranberry and White Chocolate barGlucose syrup and fructose are both sugars. The NHS lists glucose and fructose among the names for added sugar on ingredient labels.
The chocolate coating and candied cranberries add some sugar too. Most of these are added sugars, which count towards the NHS limit of 30g of free sugars a day for adults. The label's 8g to 10g of sugars is a quarter to a third of that figure.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: They sweeten the bar.
Chocolate, white chocolate and cranberries
Chocolate or white chocolate coating is 12.5% of the bar; cranberries are 2.2%Dark Chocolate uses couverture chocolate with at least 56% cocoa solids, plus chocolate chips and cocoa. Cranberry and White Chocolate uses a white chocolate coating made with whole milk powder, plus candied cranberries and cocoa nibs.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: They give each bar its flavour.
The white chocolate is why Cranberry and White Chocolate contains milk. Dark Chocolate has no milk ingredient but may contain milk from the factory.
Vitamins mixture and minerals mixture
25 vitamins and minerals, including 365mg of calcium (46% RI) per barThe label lists a vitamins mixture of 13 vitamins and a minerals mixture of 10 minerals, led by calcium carbonate. Chromium and molybdenum also appear on the nutrition panel, so the bar declares 25 vitamins and minerals in all.
One bar gives 365mg of calcium, about half the 700mg a day the NHS says adults need. Iron is 6.6mg in Dark Chocolate and 4.8mg in Cranberry and White Chocolate.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: A meal replacement must provide set amounts of vitamins and minerals, and this mixture is how the bar reaches them.
Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones. Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
The NHS puts adult iron needs at 8.7mg a day for men and 14.8mg for women aged 19 to 49.
Humectant (glycerol)
Glycerol, also known as E422, is a humectant. That means it holds on to moisture.
Why it's in Formula 1 Express Bars: It keeps the bar soft and stops it drying out.
EFSA re-evaluated glycerol in 2017 and found no safety concern at the levels used in food.
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate, rice crisps add crunch to Dark Chocolate, and vegetable oil adds a little fat. Flavourings, salt and citric acid, an acidity regulator, round out the taste. Soy lecithin in the chocolate is an emulsifier that keeps it smooth.
Reading the label
Per 56g bar (Dark Chocolate first, then Cranberry and White Chocolate)
- Energy: 207 kcal / 209 kcal. A Formula 1 shake made with milk is 227 kcal, so the bar is slightly lower.
- Protein: 13g / 15g. A little more than a small can of baked beans, which has 10g.
- Carbohydrate: 21g / 21g. This total includes the sugars below.
- of which sugars: 8g / 10g. A quarter to a third of the NHS limit of 30g of free sugars a day, though label sugars also include any natural milk sugar.
- Fibre: 7g / 6g. A fifth to a quarter of the 30g a day the NHS recommends.
- Fat: 6g, of which 2.7g saturates. The same in both flavours.
- Salt: 0.55g / 0.49g. Under a tenth of the 6g adult maximum the NHS sets.
- Calcium: 365mg (46% RI). About half the 700mg adults need each day.
- Iron: 6.6mg (47% RI) / 4.8mg (34% RI). Dark Chocolate gives about three quarters of a man's daily need.
- Vitamin D: 1.5µg (30% RI). The NHS says adults need 10µg a day.
%RI is the share of the reference intake, a standard daily amount used on food labels. 46% means one bar gives just under half.
Unlike the shake, the bar's figures don't depend on what you mix it with, because nothing is added.
Pick a flavour
Dark Chocolate
Cranberry and White ChocolateHow to use it
Swap a meal
Eat a bar in place of a main meal, as part of a balanced and varied diet.
Herbalife's label sets out two ways to use the bars. Substituting two of the main daily meals of an energy restricted diet with meal replacements contributes to weight loss. Substituting one of the main daily meals of an energy restricted diet with a meal replacement contributes to the maintenance of weight after weight loss.
The label also says it is important to drink enough fluid and stay physically active. A bar fits in a bag or desk drawer, so it works on days when you can't sit down to a meal.
Keep the box somewhere cool and dry.
Good to know
Who it suits
- Both flavours are suitable for vegetarians.
- Neither flavour contains artificial colours.
Check first
- Both flavours contain soy. Cranberry and White Chocolate also contains milk.
- Both may contain eggs, cereals containing gluten, nuts, peanuts and sesame, and Dark Chocolate may also contain milk. Herbalife does not label the bars gluten-free.
- If you are pregnant, take medication or have a medical condition, speak to your GP before you start replacing meals.
Questions people ask
Are these the same as Protein Bars?
No. Protein Bars are 35g snacks with 10g of protein and seven added vitamins. Express Bars are 56g meal replacements with 25 vitamins and minerals.
Bar or shake, which should I choose?
They do the same job. A Formula 1 shake made with milk gives 227 calories and 18g of protein, while a bar gives 207 to 209 calories and 13g to 15g. The bar needs no milk or blender, so it suits days away from a kitchen.
Are they vegan?
No. Both are suitable for vegetarians, but Herbalife does not label either flavour vegan. Cranberry and White Chocolate contains milk, and Dark Chocolate may contain milk.
Can I have two bars a day?
Yes. Herbalife's directions cover replacing one or two main meals a day, with at least one balanced meal alongside.
Do I need a drink with it?
Herbalife's label says it is important to keep up your fluid intake. A glass of water with the bar is an easy way to do that.
Why is there so much calcium?
Calcium carbonate is part of the minerals mix. It gives each bar 365mg of calcium, about half of what the NHS says adults need each day.
Where these facts come from
- nhs_sugar: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect
- nhs_cut_sugar: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/how-to-cut-down-o
- nhs_fibre: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-
- nhs_salt: nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/salt-nutrition/
- nhs_calcium: nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium/
- nhs_iron: nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron/
- nhs_vitc: nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/
- nhs_vitd: nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/
- bda_protein: bda.uk.com/static/61ad81e4-ea30-41d3-a03717a2467754d9/Practical-guide-
- fsa_allergens: food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses
- nhc_reg_432: legislation.gov.uk/eur/2012/432
- efsa_glycerol: efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4720
- hl_balancing_protein: herbalife.com/en-gb/wellness-resources/articles/balancing-protein-and-
- hl_label_article: herbalife.com/en-gb/wellness-resources/articles/how-to-read-a-nutritio
- xb_dark_fs: Herbalife product information and label
- xb_cran_fs: Herbalife product information and label
- xb_dark_pn: Herbalife product information and label
- xb_cran_pn: Herbalife product information and label
- xb_marketing: Herbalife product information and label
- f1_pn: Herbalife product information and label
- pbar_fs: Herbalife product information and label
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Formula 1 Express Healthy Meal Bars are meal replacements for a calorie-controlled diet. Use them as part of a varied, balanced diet and a healthy, active lifestyle. Herbalife images and video are the property of Herbalife. Speak to your GP before changing your diet if you have a medical condition, take medication or are pregnant.
