Before I dive in and discuss protein/energy bars, I want to be sure that we’re all on the same page. You want to focus your nutrition on a plan that incorporates real, whole, unprocessed foods – lots of plants, vegetables & fruits, lean and/or plant protein sources, healthful fats, and a plethora of herbs & spices. You do not want your diet to consist primarily of bars, powders, and potions. That said, a healthful protein/energy bar can be very helpful when time is limited and/or you’re on the go.

Shelves are lined with protein/energy bars, but choosing one may be a daunting task. Or rather, consuming and enjoying one may be the daunting part. So, for the past month or so, I’ve been purchasing and trialing bars that I had not yet tried in hopes of providing you all information that may help you find a bar that is healthful and tasty. I chose bars with real ingredients and protein and sugar sources that I felt most comfortable with based on the scientific literature.

A summative chart, you ask - that's thanks to an amazing friend of mine who is much more tech savvy than I. Thank you, Susan! A more comprehensive website version coming soon. For now, click on Protein Bar Chart.

While our palates are not all the same, I truly did try and evaluate as objectively as I could. And, in some cases, I was able to find other tasters, namely my children, for their feedback as well. In no particular order:

Atlas Protein Bar – I’ve been liking this one, has a good flavor, not overly chewy nor is it powdery; Peanut Butter and Raspberry really tastes like a PB&J. Mint chocolate chip is like a dessert. Atlas uses monk fruit as the sweetener, so only 1 gm of total sugars in a bar and a whopping 13 gm dietary fiber from non-GMO tapioca fiber. If you’re not already following a high-fiber diet, you may only want to eat a portion of this bar to start and then build up to a whole bar. For what it’s worth, my 15-year-old gave this bar a thumbs up and has consumed a few; my 13-year-old, on the other hand, took a small nibble and gave it a thumbs down. She, however, is not a fan of any bar (unless it’s devoid of nutritional value).

Julien Bakery Pegan Thin Bar – This bar too uses monk fruit and only 1gm total sugars. It uses a plant-based organic sacha inchi seed for protein and is VERY high in dietary fiber – 26gm in one bar! Now, that may be too much for some, so beware. I find the chocolate flavor edible and even enjoyable; you do need teeth for this bar (they can be quite tough, particularly if cold). Snow skiing and the Pegan Thin bar not a good mix on the slopes. The cinnamon raisin roll flavor, however, was disappointing - flat-out terrible and powdery.

Bhu Fit Keto Protein Bar – I couldn’t get my hands on this bar, but thought it deemed mentioning. If it’s on backorder, someone must like it. Plant-based with pea protein and cashews, 10 gm dietary fiber from tapioca, and only 1 gm total sugars (uses monk fruit as a sweetener).

Rise – I really like that the Rise bar uses simple and minimal number of ingredients. They use honey or coconut nectar as their sweeteners, so clean sugars, but definitely added sugar – 12-14 gm total sugars in a bar. Taste-wise, I like the bars that use whey protein more than those with pea protein. I find the pea protein-based ones more powdery; you’ll definitely need water. The lemon cashew one is the tastiest of the pea protein-based Rise bars; the sunflower cinnamon, well, put that one back on the shelf. I find the almond honey one with good flavor, but too sweet for my liking; the chocolate ones taste good, but as I noted, they do come with added sugar. My 15-year-old will eat these though not her favorite. These bars too can be a bit tough; you’ll need to use your teeth.

Aloha – It’s been awhile since I tasted these bars, but as I recall, they were decent. The chocolate mint one is like dessert. These too are plant-based with brown rice and pumpkin seed protein, 10 gm dietary fiber from tapioca, and 5gm total sugars.

RX – I love that these have limited and simple ingredients. They are very chewy and I find that some are not a big fan of their texture. My kids are not a fan. I find them on the sweeter side; they contain dates. Most bars contain 14-16 gm total sugars. For protein, they contain either egg whites or pea protein.

Kind - The dark chocolate nuts bar is like dessert; contains 7gm protein, so not exactly a high protein bar. Kind bars generally have 5 gm total sugars from cane sugar and glucose syrup, so not the best, but certainly healthier than a Snickers bar.

Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bar – Ok, this bar is edible, but chalky, and a bit of a funky aftertaste; not a favorite. Nutrition-wise, it contains 8 gm dietary fiber from the prebiotic inulin and 2 gm total sugars; most of the sweetness is from stevia.

Dang – The almond flavor was tasty (I always fall for almond/marzipan – yum!). This bar had no aftertaste or odd texture. Taste-wise, this was one of my favorites. Plant protein-based from pea protein sweetened with stevia, and 6gm dietary fiber from chicory fiber, coconut, and chia seeds.

REDD – This bar reminded me of an RX bar, but less sweet, which I liked. It’s chewy, but not hard. REDD is high in fiber (13 gm) from cassava fiber, plant protein-based (pea, hemp, pumpkin seed) with 2 gm total sugars from chocolate chips. And they add some maca, turmeric, and mushroom powders, all of which could be considered superfoods – is it enough to truly be therapeutic? Not so sure about that.

88 Acres – I tried the banana bread flavor and it did taste like banana bread. I enjoyed the texture with whole pumpkin seeds and it was plenty sweet, but not overly sweet. Simple, understandable ingredients. I like the pumpkin seeds as the protein, but not a fan of the sunflower oil. This bar contains 7 gm total sugars from the bananas, maple syrup, and brown rice syrup. While the taste of brown rice syrup is neutral and nice, note that it does have a higher glycemic effect, so has a greater influence on your blood sugar.

Cricket Protein Bar – So, I’ve never seen this bar on the shelves, but I had to include it. The protein source is crickets! And also egg whites and pea powder. I’m still at crickets. I know there is talk of insects as the protein source for the future, but I haven’t yet started incorporating them into my diet. Fiber is much lower with only 2 gm dietary fiber; contains 3 gm total sugars with allulose and monk fruit.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family & friends.

All the best,
Natalie