There are SO many protein bars to pick from. How do you know which ones are the most nutrient packed and health supportive? Below is my framework for how to evaluate them and decide on what is right for you.
- Look for a small ingredient list. Ideally, aim for 10 ingredients or less. The fewer the ingredients, the
better. The higher the number of ingredients indicates more processing and more additives that are not health supportive—In fact, they can be pro-inflammatory. - Look for Whole Foods. This means actual food that your ancestors would recognize. Examples:
cashews, dates, pumpkin, eggs, almond butter, etc. - Be wary of added sugars. Added sugars can contribute to spiking blood sugar and energy slumps soon after. Look for the sugars to be naturally occurring in the ingredients. They should be coming from whole foods sources like dates, honey, and fruit. Dates and other dried fruits add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to a bar while also naturally sweetening it. Whereas, added sugars provide no nutritional value other than calories.
- Avoid sugar alcohols. Low sugar content isn’t always a good thing if there are a bunch of added
sugar alcohols. For most people, sugar alcohols can cause bloating, gas, and other GI symptoms. - Must include protein! Aim for 10 grams of protein or more per bar. Especially, if this is to replace a
meal (which ideally, it would not(. - Must include fiber. Aim for 4 grams or more of fiber per serving. Fiber helps stabilize blood sugar,
feed good bacteria, helps your feel full for longer, helps lower bad cholesterol, and is crucial for healthy bowel movements.
Let’s look at some examples:
Go Macro Bar
- Whole foods ingredients: yes!
- Short ingredient list: yes!
- No sugar alcohols
- 11 grams of protein
- 3 grams of fiber
- Highlights: Dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, low FODMAP
- Lowlight: Has 9 grams of added sugars
Kind Bar Plus Almond Butter Dark Chocolate
- Whole foods ingredients: yes!
- Short ingredient list: yes!
- No sugar alcohols
- 12 grams of Protein
- 6 grams of Fiber
- Highlights: Gluten-free, egg-free
- Lowlights: Has added sugars. Is not dairy-free.
My favorite two bars are below!!!
IQ Bar: Almons Butter Chip
- Whole foods ingredients: yes!
- Short ingredient list: yes!
- No sugar alcohols
- 12 grams of protein
- 8 grams of fiber
- Highlights: Dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, low FODMAP; high in healthy
fats!
Aloha Bars Chocolate Fudge Brownie
- Whole foods ingredients: yes!
- Short ingredient list: yes!
- No sugar alcohols
- 14 grams of protein
- 5 grams of fiber
- Highlights: Dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, healthy fats
- Lowlight: Has 4 grams of added sugars from cane sugar (not too bad though!)
It is hard to find a “perfect” bar and just because it doesn’t check all of the criteria above, doesn’t mean
that it isn’t a good choice for you. It depends on the purpose of the bar and what you pair with it. For
example, before a 8-mile or longer run I may eat a That’s it” pressed fruit bar, which offers a quick
source of easily digestible fuel. Or on a long hike I may eat a Lara Bar Pumpkin & Nuts along with some
beef or deer jerky for protein. The Lara Bar offers a lot of carbohydrates which you need when you’re
active for more than 3 hours.
Of course, you can also make your own protein bars! Here is my recipe for making your own health
supportive protein bars — Granola Protein Bar Recipe (I use Designs for Health’s Organic Pure Pea Protein in it). They check all of the boxes.
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