Discover the best Protein bars for your needs.

Protein bars are supplements made to provide concentrated sources of protein plus other essential macro and micronutrients. They can be eaten as pre or post-workout snacks to deliver a high-protein content of carbs, fats, and fibers for people seeking to manage weight, build muscles, or support an active lifestyle.

There is between 10-30g of protein in a typical protein bar with 25g being the average. The versatile nature of protein bars makes it possible for them to cater to a diverse or broad spectrum of nutritional or dietary needs. At one end of the spectrum are vegan protein bars made purely from plant-based ingredients for those with vegan diet preferences.

At the other end of the spectrum are keto protein bars formulated to align with the dietary needs of people looking for low-carb diets. This is especially useful for diabetics or people trying to lose weight. The array of protein bars means there is a suitable product for everyone regardless of dietary restrictions, health, or fitness objectives.

In previous posts we discussed how protein powder is made, the best protein source, and the recommended daily protein intake. In this article we’ll discuss a couple of the varieties of protein bars, the best bars, and if they can make you lose or gain weight.

Best protein bars.

The best protein bar is subjective. What may be the best for one may be the worst for another person, however, there are products designed to meet diverse individual needs. Whether you prefer vegan bars, keto, or low-calorie bars for weight loss you’ll always get what matches your taste and preferences. Below are some of the most common protein bars and what makes them unique.

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• Quest protein bars: This is one of the highly rated and known for its rich flavor and high protein content. It contains a unique blend of milk protein plus other ingredients like almonds, unsweetened chocolates, prebiotic fibers (Polydextrose), glycerin, coco-butter, sucralose, and stevia sweetener, but is low in carbohydrates.
• Raw rev glo: This is formulated for those seeking vegan protein bars. It provides a blend of plant-based sources with healthy fats, seeds, and nuts.
• RXbar: RXbar protein bars have a minimal list of ingredients. They contain only egg whites, nuts, and dates. They are essentially free of artificial additives which makes them one of the healthiest protein bars out there.
• The ONE bar: It has about the lowest sugar content in this list but is rich in protein. It is a perfect fit for anyone watching sugar consumption due to diabetes, weight management, or any other reason.

Protein bars for weight loss.

One of the things that make proteins crucial for any weight loss program is their impact on appetite control by maintaining feelings of satiety or fullness much longer than without it, This has been discussed in a previous article on how proteins help with weight loss, you may want to read. A caloric deficit is one of the proven strategies in weight loss programs. Research has proven that increased protein intake during periods of caloric deficit prevents a loss in muscle mass as published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.¹

Protein bars present the means by which you can easily boost your protein intake during your weight loss journey for better results. However, not all protein bars are suitable for this purpose. For weight loss, you should consider protein bars that are low in calories and carbs. Also, in your list of considerations should be keto protein bars which prioritize protein and fat delivery to your body over carbs.

Are protein bars good for weight gain?

Weight gain boils down to a surplus in caloric intake and protein bars can effectively achieve this surplus. Not all protein bars can serve this purpose as some have low carb and calorie content.

For weight gain with the consumption of protein bars, you’ll need high caloric and carbohydrate content bars. Those with a rich combination of proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs should be your target. Protein bars with a rich combination of nut betters or seeds can contribute healthy fats while those with oats content offer complex carbs.

So long as weight gain is the goal, protein bars with added refined sugars shouldn’t be a problem since the sugars contribute to their overall caloric content. It is noteworthy that refined sugars are the main drivers of weight gain.

vegan protein bars.

They are formulated for people seeking alternatives to animal-based proteins and are made from ingredients like pea protein, hemp protein, and brown rice protein. It is known most plant-based proteins are incomplete but vegan protein bars are derived from a wide variety of plant sources such that the combination provides you with a complete protein profile.

The No Cow bar and Orgain Organic are two of the most common vegan protein bars due to their nutritional composition and delicious flavors. The No Cow protein bar contains peanut butter chocolate flavor and has 20g of protein with 2g of sugar. This makes it a choice supplement for people in search of low-calorie bars.

Unlike the No Cow bar, the Orgain organic bar has only about 10g of plant-based protein per bar but is gluten- and GMO-free. Being GMO-free means they are devoid of proteins from GMO plants. As we all know, GMO crops raise safety concerns and have remained a thing of hot debate all over the world to this day as published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology² and Food Science and Nutrition (FSN).³

Low-carb protein bars.

These are delights to people who for any reason are after low-carb or ketogenic diets. To be considered low carbs, protein bars have to contain less than 20g of carbs per bar. The low carb content proves advantageous for people on weight loss plans.

Additionally, low-carb bars can trigger ketosis. This is a metabolic condition where the body takes to burning fats for energy thereby leading to weight loss and better body composition. Triggering of ketosis by low-carb protein bars is in addition to their high protein content which promotes feelings of fullness or satiety. Feelings of satiety result in less food consumption.

Reduced food consumption ultimately means consuming fewer calories, For people on a caloric deficit, low-carb protein bars help them feel less hungry thereby enhancing their weight loss efforts. In some cases, processed sugars when added to protein bars may hinder their potential to enhance weight loss by increasing their overall calorie content.

For this reason, you should always read the label on the protein bars. To be effective in meeting your objectives, a low-carb protein bar should contain low-calorie natural sweeteners like stevia and erythritol. This helps maintain a low sugar content and by extension low carbohydrate content of these bars

Low-calorie protein bars.

These favor people seeking weight loss. Low-calorie protein bars typically contain fewer than 200 calories per serving. However, when selecting a bar, it is crucial to examine not only the calorie content but the quality of the protein and overall ingredient list.

There are low-calorie bars with added sugars which detracts from their benefits. Some protein bars are believed to contain as much sugar as candy bars. Choosing bars made from whole ingredients, minimal processing, and lower sugar content is important for better health outcomes.

Protein bar brands like those mentioned earlier in this article have developed their formulations to include fewer calories without compromising on flavor.

Keto protein bars.

These are characterized by low carb (less than 5g per bar) and high healthy fat content. The high-fat content aims to shift the body’s metabolism away from glucose to fat metabolism, a phenomenon known as ketosis. This transition is beneficial in the management of obesity as published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation.⁴

Keto protein bars appeal to people on ketogenic diets. Some of the best protein bars for the ketogenic lifestyle often contain ingredients like almond butter, coconut oil, or nut flours that ensure they are nutritious yet low in sugar.

Typical keto protein bars contain a high protein-to-carb ratio. Brands usually indicate these ratios on their labels thereby simplifying the process of selecting the right protein bar that meets your dietary choices.

So that’s it on this topic and I hope it answers your questions on protein bars. Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

References.

1. Longland, T. M., Oikawa, S. Y., Mitchell, C. J., Devries, M. C., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: A randomized trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), 738-746. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.119339 ↩︎
2. Bawa, A.S., Anilakumar, K.R. Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns—a review. J Food Sci Technol 50, 1035–1046 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-012-0899-1 ↩︎
3. Dona, A., & Arvanitoyannis, I. S. (2008). Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 49(2), 164–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390701855993 ↩︎
4. Barrea, L., Caprio, M., Camajani, E. et al. Ketogenic nutritional therapy (KeNuT)—a multi-step dietary model with meal replacements for the management of obesity and its related metabolic disorders: a consensus statement from the working group of the Club of the Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE)—diet therapies in endocrinology and metabolism. J Endocrinol Invest 47, 487–500 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-023-02258-2 ↩︎