We Style-Examined 26 Manufacturers of Protein Bars—Right here Are Our Favorites

I’ve by no means bulked in my life, so the entire protein-packed world feels as international to me because the cult fandom behind Love Island. Nonetheless, I do know a scrumptious and nutritious bar once I see one. I typically snag a couple of bars earlier than daylong hikes, high-intensity health lessons, and marathon afternoons on the workplace. In recent times, protein bars have turn into a fixture of the checkout aisle: Rows of shiny bars in each taste and protein degree creativeness sit alongside sweet and gum, daring you so as to add one to your basket. The query is: That are value shopping for?

To seek out the perfect protein bars, our editors sampled 26 totally different manufacturers that you simply’re more likely to discover at your native grocery retailer or on-line. We centered on bars with not less than 10 grams of protein, slicing every into quarter-inch cubes and sampling them in random order with out figuring out which model was which. After snacking our method by way of a dizzying variety of bars, we tabulated the outcomes and topped an total winner, in addition to 4 worthy contenders that we might fortunately attain for once we desire a nutritious snack.

The Standards

Whereas protein content material issues, it is simply as necessary that the bars style good. An excellent protein bar should not style like protein powder, which may give bars a dry, chalky, and faintly bitter taste with an odd milky aftertaste. Chunky add-ins, comparable to nuts or rice crisps, and flavorings, together with vanilla and chocolate, might help masks the style. However when overused, flavorings—pure or not—can lead to cloying sweetness or a synthetic edge.

General Winner

Dealer Joe’s Chewy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Bars

“Nutty and salty-sweet. I like!” wrote our senior editor, Genevieve, who gave high marks for its taste and texture. Equally, our affiliate culinary editor, Laila, loved the sunshine, crisp textures of puffed rice and its peanut-forward taste. Each our affiliate visuals director, Amanda, and our senior social media editor, Kelli, praised the crunchiness of the protein bar, which stood out in a sea of dense (and at occasions mushy) contenders. Our editorial director, Daniel, most popular it over most others, because it contained “noticeable complete substances.”

Runners-Up

• GoMacro MacroBar, Darkish Chocolate + Almonds
• Grab1 Protein Bar, Peanut Butter & Oat
• NuGo Darkish Chocolate Pretzel Protein Bar
• Quest Double Chocolate Chunk Protein Bar 

Although our editors did not get pleasure from these protein bars fairly as a lot as our winner, they nonetheless thought the 4 under have been stable selections and can be completely happy to eat a full bar on the go. 

Finest Protein Bar for Sweet Bar Lovers: NuGo Darkish Chocolate Pretzel Protein Bar

This bar divided our tasters however hit a candy spot for these craving a salty-sweet, sweet bar-like snack. “Minty?” wrote Daniel, who discovered the general taste OK. Each Genevieve and Laila thought it was a contact too salty for a protein bar, however discovered it paired properly with the chocolate. Texture-wise, Kelli appreciated that it was “not too chewy,” and Amanda loved its crunchiness.

Finest Protein Bar for These Who Like To Chew: GoMacro MacroBar, Darkish Chocolate + Almonds

“Sure, I might eat a complete one,” wrote Kelli, who praised its slight chew and chocolate taste. Laila additionally loved this bar’s gentle sweetness and the flavors of espresso and dates, including that she’d fortunately eat a complete bar.

Finest Crispy Protein Bar: Grab1 Protein Bar, Peanut Butter & Oat

This bar’s texture was much better than its taste. Our editors, nevertheless, would nonetheless eat a full one. “Crunchy and ethereal, with a crisp chew—possible from crisped rice,” wrote Laila. Each Genevieve and Amanda loved its crispiness as properly. Nonetheless, most editors agreed it was method too candy, and Laila thought it tasted an excessive amount of like vanilla.

Finest Protein Bar With 20 Grams of Protein: Quest Double Chocolate Chunk Protein Bar 

This product has almost double the protein of most protein bars. Whereas additional protein normally comes on the expense of taste or texture, this bar struck a contented medium, and most of our editors thought this was simply high quality. “I may in all probability eat a complete bar,” mentioned Amanda, who was a fan of its fudginess. In the meantime, Kelli described the feel as “high quality.”

The Contenders

• 365 by Entire Meals Market Chocolate Chip Vitality Bar
• 88 Acres Banana Bread Pumpkin Seed Protein Bar
• Aloha Natural Plant-Based mostly Bar, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Balanced Tiger Protein Bars, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
• Barebells Protein Bar, Chocolate Dough
• Clif Bar, Chocolate Chip
• Fulfill Protein Bar, Chocolate Peanut Caramel
• Genius Gourmand Protein Bar, Chocolate Dream
• GoMacro MacroBar, Darkish Chocolate + Almonds
• Grab1 Protein Bar, Peanut Butter & Oat
• Kellogg’s Particular Okay Bar Protein Bars, Brownie Batter
• Kirkland Signature Protein Bars Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Kirkland Signature Smooth & Chewy Granola Bars
• Mezcla Puff-Crispy Bar, Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Misfits Plant-Based mostly Protein Bar, Caramel Fudge
• Nature Valley Protein, Peanut Butter Darkish Chocolate Protein
• NuGo Darkish Chocolate Pretzel Protein Bar
• Energy Crunch, Peanut Butter Fudge
• Pure Protein Bar, Chocolate Peanut Caramel
• Quest Double Chocolate Chunk Protein Bar
• Quaker Protein Bars, Peanut Butter & Chocolate
• RXBAR Protein bar, Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Suppose Excessive Protein Bar, Chunky Peanut Butter
• Dealer Joe’s Chewy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Bars
• Dealer Joe’s Vitality Bar, Chocolate Chip
• TRUBAR Protein Bar, Oh-Oh Cookie Dough

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

With so many alternative protein bars out there, it is no shock that there was loads of variation within the merchandise we tried. Some manufacturers naturally improve the protein content material of their bars by incorporating substances comparable to soy crisps, oats, nuts, and seeds, whereas others depend on protein powders. These protein powders are usually made with a mix of whey, milk, or soy, with every bringing its personal distinct taste. Our winners and runners-up are usually full of loads of good things—oats, nuts, and dried fruit—to masks the much less nice flavors of protein powder.

Peanuts, whether or not as complete nuts, flour, or butter, are in a lot of our high picks. Peanuts not solely add protein but in addition contribute a satisfying saltiness that balances the sweetness of the bar. Our winner, Dealer Joe’s Chewy Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Bars, contains a mixture of peanuts, soy protein crisps, and semisweet chocolate. One in every of our chewiest runners-up, the GoMacro MacroBar, is predominantly made with brown rice syrup, almond butter, and a proprietary protein mix. Of all of the runners-up, Quest’s Double Chocolate Chunk packs probably the most protein. The model lists a protein mix of milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate as its very first ingredient. 

Most bars use binders—comparable to cocoa butter, sugar, agave, brown rice syrup, and/or maltitol—to carry the substances collectively and improve taste. Our editors most popular bars that depend on cocoa butter, nut butters, and pure syrups, comparable to agave or brown rice syrup. Conversely, bars which might be heavy on sugar substitutes (also referred to as sugar alcohols) or palm oils have been much less fashionable, as they may give the bars a synthetic sweetness or a greasy end.

Our Testing Methodology

All style assessments are carried out with manufacturers utterly hidden and with out dialogue. Tasters style samples in random order. For instance, taster A could style pattern one first, whereas taster B will style pattern six first. That is to stop palate fatigue from unfairly giving anybody pattern a bonus. Tasters are requested to fill out tasting sheets, rating the samples in response to numerous standards. All knowledge is tabulated, and outcomes are calculated with no editorial enter to supply probably the most neutral illustration of precise outcomes attainable.