25 Jan Protein Bar – A Review
Last year, I had a few people ask me what protein bars I would recommend, and my standard answer was none. Many protein bars on the market contain so many chemicals and are so processed that, as an advocate for consuming clean, whole foods, protein bar just didn’t fit in with my philosophy. With that being said, I understand the need for a quick breakfast or pre-workout snack, and often protein bars are just convenient and too easy to pass up. TO educate myself on what was available to consumers I went on a quest.
I tried 10 bars to date, and I will add more reviews as I continue to discover bars. I would only try bars if they met a generalized list of criteria: I had to be able to identify most of the listed ingredients, the sugar content should be offset by the fiber content, basically anything I would consume regularly. My favorite brand, by far, was GoMarco. The Healthy Warrior was also good pre-yoga.
If you have a favorite and would like me to add my two cents on it, send my a message and I’ll try it. In the meantime, eat clean, eat healthy.
Best Snack
The Complete Cookie, Snickerdoodle
Cal 180 * Fat 4 * Carbs 27 (sugar 15 * fiber 4) * Protein 8
TASTE: Taste & mouth feel is like a cookie; not a lot of protein, but could make a good pre-run snack (because of the higher carb count)
Healthy Warrior Chia bar, Dark Chocolate Cherry
Cal 100* Fat 5 * Carbs 14 (sugar 5 * Fat 4) * Protein 3
TASTE: You can definitely feel the chia seeds, they kinda stick in your teeth so drink plenty of water with these. Taste is pretty good. Uses brown rice sugar as a sweetener. Makes for a decent snack if you’re craving sweets
Best overall
GoMacro, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Cal 290 – Fat 11 – Carbs 37 – (sugar 14 – fiber 2) – Protein 11
TASTE: Same general mouthfeel and appearance as most protein bars, with chunks of what appear to be chocolate chips. I actually like the taste of these and there is no GI issues after.
Best Meal Replacement
Bobo’s, Maple Pecan bar
Cal 340 – Fat 16 – Carbs 46 (sugar 16* – fiber 4) – Protein 4
TASTE: The serving size on the package says 1/2 the bar, I don’t know who would just eat half, so I listed the nutritional information as a whole bar. This was more of a granola bar texture then a protein bar, but the carbs can power you through a 60 minute spin class with ease. It was good and pretty filling.
*contains xanthan gum, but no artificial sweeteners
The rest of the pack…
FitJoy, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cal 220 – Fat 7 – Carbs 25 (sugar 4** – fiber 13) – Protein 20
Decent, texture is what you expect from protein bars; chewy, slightly mealy. No upset stomach, fueled a hard spin class
**contains erythritol, dextrose, stevia
Best Protein Bar, s’mores
Cal 240 – Fat 9 – Carbs 28 (sugar 4** – fiber 15) – Protein 20
Pretty good, chewy, but no after taste or chemical flavor. Fueled a spin class with no digestive upset.
**contains stevia, sucralose and sugar alcohols
Oh Yeah One, Birthday cake
Cal 220 – Fat 7 – Carbs 24 (sugar 1** – fiber 9) – Protein 21
Basically a protein bar with frosting; looks like a birthday cake with sprinkles, but basic protein bar on the inside; used a meal substitute for breakfast, and was filling.
**contains maltitol, distilled monoglycerides, sucralose, and artificial colors
Quest Bar, Cookie dough
Cal 190 – Fat 9 – Carbs 20 (sugar <1g ** – fiber 14g) – Protein 21g
Slight chemical aftertaste, maybe minty? Was very filling, and had no stomach upset (ate this before a run)
**contains erythritol, stevia and sucralose
Elite Protein Bar, Peanut Butter
Cal 270 – Fat 9 – Carbs 25 (sugar 8** – fiber 6) – Protein 25
Same mouth feel as most protein bars, mealy, but edible; no ups tummy, did a decent job fueling my spin class
**Contains beef gelatin (not vegetarian), and stevia
Power Crunch, cookies and creme
Cal 205 – Fat 13 – Carbs 9 (sugar 5** – fiber 1) -Protein 14
Takes and feels like a wafer cookie, no artificial after taste; no intestinal distress noted; eaten prior to a spin class
**dextrose, sucralose, stevia
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