Updated 09/21/2024
When walking down the aisle in the grocery store, do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of protein bars available these days? Me too. So when I started getting questions from my patients for protein bar suggestions, I knew I had to write this blog post.
Before I dive into my top protein bar picks, let’s get a little education on protein and what it can do for the body.
Table of Contents
What is protein?
Protein which is naturally occurring in beans, nuts, dairy, and meats help to build and maintain muscle as well as provide satiety.
If you want to get more protein in your diet other than protein bars, check out my other blog posts
Proteins are made up of amino acids. The human body can produce some of them naturally. There are 9 that are essential, meaning the body needs to get them from food. By eating a balanced diet, you will have no problem getting all those amino acids your body needs.
How much protein?
This is another common question I get from my patients. On average, I encourage most of my patients to aim for 90g of protein per day. If you break this up between meals and snacks, it comes out to 25g per meal and 7g per snack (assuming you have at least 2 snacks a day).
And like all good things, it is possible to have too much protein. For the general population, I typically recommend no more than 150g per day. A very high protein diet when your body doesn’t need it long-term can be rough on your kidneys. That being said, it’s important if you have any medical conditions, to seek advice from a registered dietitian. They can help you determine your own protein requirements that best suit your needs.
When should you eat protein bars?
There are various situations where a protein bar can fit into your lifestyle – muscle building, an on-the-go snack, and even dessert. A high protein bar is a great option after a strength training routine. Eating protein within an hour after your workout can help build muscle. Another great time to have a protein bar is when you need that quick on-the-go snack. Making sure to have that protein in your snack will help keep you satiated until your next meal.
Looking for more quick on-the-go snacks? Check out my blog post: 5 On-The-Go High Protein Dairy Free Snacks
Keep reading to find out which protein bar is a good option for you.
Top protein bars
Just to make sure my recommendations were not based on my taste alone, I had my husband and a friend try these as well. In addition to taste and texture, my top picks are also targeted for those who struggle with high cholesterol as well as diabetes making them a good diabetic friendly option.
#1 CLIF Builders Bar
If you’re looking to gain muscle and need a post-workout recovery option, I recommend going for a high protein bar with about 20g. My top pick for this category is the CLIF Builders Bar. While this bar does have some drawbacks with 6g of saturated fat and 17g of added sugar, this is by far the best tasting high protein bar I found without being extreme in the nutrition profile. The CLIF Builders Bar had a nice texture with soft and crispy layers and the protein was not off putting.
#2 NuGo Slim
If you are looking for something that is lower in saturated fat and added sugar but still packs a lot of protein, NuGo Slim is your bar. It has 16g of protein with 3g of saturated fat and 3g of added sugar. The texture is crispy and crunchy without a strong protein taste. This bar was definitely a runner up in the high protein category.
Some of the NuGo protein bars have less protein and higher amounts of added sugars so I recommended opting for the Slim bar instead.
Quest and No Cow protein bars were a negative experience for all three of us. Even though they were lower in saturated fat and added sugar, they were just not worth it. In fact, my husband said the No Cow bar was “like sand in my mouth”. And I have to agree (we actually spit this one out and chased it with some water). The Quest bar had a VERY strong sweetener aftertaste which was not very tolerable.
#3 Barebells Protein Bars
If you are looking for a high protein, no added sugar option then the Barebells protein bars are a great option with 20g of protein. They come in a variety of flavors such as cookies & cream, pumpkin spice, birthday cake, creamy protein crisp, chocolate dough, caramel cashew, and salty peanut. These are not low FODMAP protein bars and do contain sugar alcohols. I wouldn’t recommend these if you are sensitive to sugar alcohols.
#4 Nature Valley Protien Bar
Now for those looking for a quick on-the-go snack, my top pick is the Nature Valley Protein bar.
A lot of the protein bars we tested were very dense and taffy-like. In fact, most of my patients are actually looking for the opposite. They want something more similar to a granola bar. The Nature Valley Protein bar is exactly that – a granola bar with 10g of protein while also only having 5g of added sugar. The nutrition profile really is perfect on this one.
With 15g of carbohydrates, 6g of fiber, and 3.5g saturated fat, this bar is a great option for those who have diabetes or high cholesterol. And in case you need another reason to choose this bar, it’s one of the cheapest options I came across. You can also buy these protein bars in bulk online or at your local grocery store.
#5 LUNA & RX BAR
Runner-up for snack options were the Luna Bar and RxBar. With the Luna bar, you still get that granola and nutty texture, but it does have a little more carbohydrates. With the RxBar, this is a more dense bar but still packs 12g of protein without the added sugar.
Protein Bars for Weight Gain
Now I’ve had a few patients who are looking for ways to gain weight. A protein bar can be a great way to get in a high calorie snack between meals. My top pick here was the Perfect bar at 330 calories. I chose this one because it packs a lot of protein at 15g. It had the best taste and texture resembling a buckeye candy (for the peanut butter and chocolate flavor at least). A couple of drawbacks that I had with this bar though is that it’s not very portable. You can’t just drop it in your purse and go since it needs to be refrigerated. Also, it has 12g of added sugar. The added sugar is still much lower than some others I had come across though.
If you’re going for a long hike, you’ll want an energy bar. This is when you should be focusing on increased calories rather than high protein. My pick for this is a CLIF bar. These bars are high calorie and have a moderate amount of added sugar to help replenish your energy levels. But they still have some protein to help you sustain that energy.
Are there any good vegan or plant based protein bars?
Yes! The ones I mentioned above – CLIF, Luna, CLIF Builders, and NuGo Slim are plant based protein bars. They are not made with any animal ingredients but may contain trace amounts of milk ingredients as they are produced in a factory that has other products.
Another option I recommded are the Aloha protein bars with 14g of plant protein, 10g of fiber, and 4g added sugar per serving. Not to mention, they are also gluten and soy free. If you’re looking for savory protein bars, I recommend the Aloha Peanut Butter Cup flavor.
There are so many protein bars out there that it can get overwhelming. But I hope this blog post has helped you narrow down some options!
And if you’re looking to lose weight, gain weight, manage your blood sugar, or didn’t find a protein bar above that suits your needs, schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with me and I would be happy to show you how I can help!
Disclaimer: I am not endorsed by or get paid by any of the products mentioned in this post. This is for informational purposes only.