For most guys, protein bars seem like a no-brainer: They promise the protein you need to feed your muscles in an ultra-convenient package, while also offering up all sorts of tasty flavors. There are now entire aisles at the grocery store filled with countless options.
With so many of these dang things on the market, it can seem like a Sisyphean task trying to find a bar that tastes good but isn’t masquerading as a candy bar full of questionable ingredients and too little protein do much good. We all shouldn’t be so quick to associate the word “protein” with healthy. And it’s important to look beyond the front-of-label promises and tempting flavors. Let the nutrition facts and ingredient list do the talking.
To help you hunt down the perfect between-meal or post-workout protein-packed option, follow these guidelines when shopping for a bar and consider picking up any of these stand-outs that play by the nutritional rules.
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1. Go Bigger on Protein
For a bar that will tame hunger longer and help build your biceps, look for a bar that delivers at least 10 grams of protein (that’s more than an egg!). This can come from animal-based proteins like whey or egg white, or from plants such as pea protein and nuts.
2. Keep Calories in Mind
You may have noticed that calorie counts on bars range widely. For between-meal snacking, stick with bars that have about 250 calories or less. If you’re replacing a meal or eating a bar after a particularly arduous workout, going all the way up to 400 calories can make more sense.
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3. Scan the Sugars
With flavors like fudge brownie and salted caramel, many bars straddle dessert territory. In other words, they can be sugar bombs which can be bad news for your ticker. This 2023 study in the journal BMC Medicine found that it’s not the total amount of carbs in your diet that matters for heart health but the type you eat – total added sugar intake was the strong predictor of heart disease. Ideally, you want to choose a bar with no more than 8 grams of added sugar, with a preference for the sweet stuff coming from natural sources like dried fruits or more benign low-calorie sweeteners such as monk fruit, stevia or erythritol. Luckily, nutrition labels now have to state how much added sugar is included in a bar.
4. I.D. the Fats
For a bar that is going to be easier on your heart, you want one made with healthier unsaturated fats that come from ingredients such nuts, seeds and nut butters instead of a product full of less desirable sources like palm kernel oil or anything hydrogenated.
5. Know your Grains
If a protein bar contains any grains, they should be whole such as oats or quinoa. This will give you a bar with more essential micronutrients and fiber.
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6. Fight for Fiber
Fiber is important to help keep you feeling full and boost gut health, but not enough guys eat enough. It’s not essential that a protein bar also be high in fiber if your diet is already rich in high-fiber foods like vegetables and legumes, but it can be helpful to find one that has 3 grams or more per serving. With the caveat being if you’re not used to eating a lot of fiber at once, ease into bars that include high amounts of isolated fibers like chicory root or corn fiber to help side-step possible digestive woes like gas and bloating.
7. Less is More
It’s also a good idea to look for a shorter ingredient list to ensure your bar is somewhat less processed. A laundry list of mystery ingredients should be a red flag.
These bars pack in plenty of pumpkin seeds which are a good source of plant-based protein, beneficial unsaturated fats, and magnesium, an essential nutrient that most guys don’t eat enough of. Big on banana flavor and a tender texture makes each bite reminiscent of the classic baked good.
Almond butter lays the foundation for these delicious bars where grass-fed bovine collagen and whey protein supply the necessary protein. Chicory root fiber is known as a prebiotic fiber that works to help foster a better microbiome.
You don’t have to be going Paleo or full-blown carnivore to enjoy tearing into this meaty savory bar with a spicy kick. Like jerky, but less tough, and in handy bar form. The low-calorie count makes it a belly-friendly snack option any time of day.
Made with real dried strawberries as opposed to mystery berry flavoring, few bars on the market will have a cleaner ingredient list. The chewy bars cleverly glean their protein from egg whites one of the highest quality protein sources you can eat. Proof that sometimes less is more.
This one is packed with crunchy nuts and a crave-satisfying drizzle of dark chocolate. It could stand in for a more nutritious dessert option, just saying.
Few bars will provide more protein, from muscle-friendly milk and whey protein isolate, compared to the amount of carbs and fat. You also get a healthy dose of prebiotic fiber to support gut health.
A good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, makes this plant-based bar a good choice for a satisfying between-meal nosh or postworkout recovery boost. Having a bar with more fiber than sugar is always a bonus. And who doesn’t love a protein bar that has a big-time peanut butter flavor?
These protein bars have a whopping 20 grams of protein and just one gram of total sugar per serving. And with flavors like marshmallow hot cocoa and blueberry cobbler, it shows getting your muscle-making protein can be fun.
