After reading most of this and doing up a spreadsheet on products from Nashua I'm going to place a bunch of orders this week - Nashua, Quest and Vitacost. I live fairly close to the CAN/US border so I'm going to ship everything to the closest border town and pick it up while I'm on vacation next week. At least then I just have to pay tax and not duty on it. :) I've brought other diet products and supplements over the border in the past, so hopefully there won't be any issues.

I've put together about a two month supply (although it's annoying that Quest never remembers your cart!). I'm still going to go to my clinic for awhile and stock up on some of the IP stuff that I really like, while starting on some of these new products.

I do doctor the chili up with lots of spices (did that with the IP one you, so by the time I did that to the PD one it tasted the same at less than half the orice. I also laid it up with a bunch of sautéed veggies.

Sent! Thanks again. :)

I have a pack of quest fettuccine noodles...they look a little scary. Has anyone made something delicious out of these?

Update on the protein powder samples I bought...

So far EVERYTHING that I've tried has been delicious! Most recently tried the Fuzzy Navel, the Wild Grape, and the Latte Cappucino. The Fuzzy Navel tasted as expected, the Wild Grape was just like Grape Soda without the carbonation (I think I'll mix it up with less water to start and then add in some club soda), and the Latte Cappucino tasted like a deliciously balanced cappuccino with a hint of cinnamon (yes, please!).

I can't wait to try even more of the samples tomorrow! :)

Great info from everybody! Been on the IP for a month. I have the same concerns that everyone has, namely, the cost. Looking for a good replacement bar. Anybody know the best bars and where to buy them. Are there any that are not restricted? Also, wanted some insight about coaches. My coach does nothing. Measures, weighs in, and order taker. Thanks in advance!

I think it depends on what kind of flavors you like best. I'm a peanut butter girl so I LOVE the IP vanilla peanut crunch bar. I tried to find a replacement alternative which evidently they used to have through proti-thin but not anymore. :( So, I tried the Protidiet peanut surprise and it was really good. Not an exact replacement but good in its own right. I just ordered two more boxes. Just an FYI, the pictures looked like it had a chocolate drizzle on it but it doesn't. It has a peanut butter drizzle.

Nashua sent me a Caramel Bar sample but I haven't tried it yet.

Okay, so I have had the opportunity now to try my alternatives and here is my review of them:

Protidiet Honey Nut Cereal- I liked the taste but didn't realize when I ordered it that it doesn't have the powdered milk like the IP crispy cereal. Luckily I read past posts that indicated this before the box came in and I grabbed a box of EAS Low Carb French Vanilla RTD when I was at the store. I put a little of that in my cereal.

Protidiet Maple Oatmeal - This is definitely not like IPs. It has a weird texture and a different taste. I'm not wary of weird textures so I will still buy it but it turned out lumpy...and not in a oatmeal type of way. haha. I still liked it fine though.

Protidiet Peanut Surprise- I LOVED this bar. Unfortunately my son did too ;/ so I bought a couple of more boxes. I figure that they would be good for him to bring one to school as a snack because the protein will make him satisfied when his blood sugar starts dropping. He is always starving halfway through the day at school and comes home famished. As I mentioned before, in the pictures it looks like a chocolate drizzle on top but it isn't...it is a peanut butter drizzle.

Protidiet Chocolate Drink- I am on the hunt for a replica of IPs chocolate drink. This is not it. It has a very different taste...it isn't as smooth as the IPs version. I'll still drink it but I will probably buy a different brand next time to experiment.

So, my overall impression is that the alternatives that I tried are good to save money (I bought 4 boxes for about $55 including tax and shipping) and I liked them (especially the peanut butter bar) but if you are looking for exact replicas of IP, these are not it.

Are those bars restricted? I don't do any restricted so just curious.

They are restricted. Very very similar in nutritional value to the IP bars.

Does anyone know of any bars that are not restricted. Thanks!

Not really. There are a couple of 160 calorie Quest bars that sit on the fence, but I count them as restricted.

Why no restricted? It's part of the plan.

I try not to eat restricted items every day. I think it's more of a mental thing for me. I also think that 'magic' number of carbs to stay below to stay in ketosis is a bit lower for me than other people, so limiting my restricted items helps with that.

Just starting out and learning about the plan. I am trying not to have bars, but if I do, I wanted to see if there were any that are not restricted. By the way, congrats. You look great!