For many people, deciding whether or not to include protein bars in their diet can be a real struggle. On one hand, they’re such a convenient way to significantly increase protein intake, but at the same time, they traditionally don’t taste all that great. At least that’s how I felt about protein bars for the longest time. I remember trying protein bars in the past and always being left with a dry, sandy texture in my mouth, as well as a heavy, indigestible lump in my stomach. As a result, I avoided protein bars for quite a while, and always looked to alternative sources for protein.
However, I’ve seen a lot of new companies enter the protein bar market since then. Willing to give protein bars another chance, I recently tried some of the most popular brands in an attempt to find the best tasting protein bars and add a new staple snack to my diet, as well as provide some recommendations for those of you who’ve, up until now, found yourselves in a similar dilemma.
In this post, I’ll share my favorite protein bars purely based on taste and enjoyment, in no particular order. While you should certainly factor in other criteria, including calorie content and ingredients, when choosing any snacks or supplements, taste is understandably still one of the most important attributes people care about. Therefore, through this list, you’ll hopefully be able to find one or even several great protein bars you’ll actually want to eat.
1. Barebells – Best Overall Protein Bar
These have become one of my favorite protein bars. Firstly, I really like the texture. In the past, texture has typically been a big downside of protein bars for me, but these are very enjoyable. The crunchy top layer and soft center make for a nice contrast that keeps things interesting so you’re not sick of eating them after a few bites.
The taste is also very pleasant. Protein bars can often be quite rich and heavy, but luckily these bars are relatively light, as they’re not too sweet or dense. In addition, they don’t leave any strange, chemical aftertastes in your mouth. Overall, I have no complaints about these protein bars, and would highly recommend them.
2. Think! – Eating This Is a Piece of Cake
If you’re generally not a fan of thick and gooey protein bars, you’ll find these to be a great alternative. They’re fluffier and airier than most other protein bars, and while some people think this can make them taste a bit dry, I like that this gives the bars a very cake-like texture. In addition, they’re also not too sweet.
Overall, this means they’re very light and easy to eat. Unlike other protein bars that can be a struggle to finish, I can see myself eating several of these in one sitting.
3. Pure Protein – What a Proper Protein Bar Should Be
Another great option in my opinion. The texture really seems to vary depending on the flavor you choose; some taste more like candy bars while others taste more like brownies. However, of the several flavors I’ve tried, they’re all pretty good.
In general, this is the best version of a traditional protein bar. If you’re a fan of a chewy texture, these bars will give you that without being exhausting to eat. They’re also on the denser side, but they don’t feel heavy in your stomach.
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4. Redcon1 MRE – A Welcome Surprise
As the name suggests, these protein bars are also meant to serve as meal replacement bars. Yes, there are many ingredients derived from whole foods, more so than in other protein bars, which might make them better for you from a macronutrient standpoint. However, I’m not quite sold yet on the idea that they can truly serve as meal replacement options. Plus, with less than 300 calories per bar, I certainly doubt they could satisfy your hunger as well as an actual meal.
However, as a protein bar, these are great. You might think a meal replacement bar might be extremely dense and unpleasant to eat, but that’s surprisingly not the case. While they’re thicker and a bit drier than other options, they’re not chalky; in fact, the texture is very similar to a chewy cookie. On top of that, they aren’t too sweet, don’t have any strange chemical aftertastes, and generally have a pretty light taste to them. I’ve always been hesitant to try these, but I’ve got to say these were the biggest surprise of the bunch, and in a very good way.
5. Alani Nu – High Risk, High Reward
If you’ve ever come across these protein bars before, the first thing you likely noticed was the vibrant and eye-catching packaging. If you looked a bit closer, you probably would’ve also noticed that despite the flavor selection being a bit limited, flavors like Rocky Road and Munchies are certainly meant to grab your attention. But do the protein bars themselves live up to the marketing and hype? Well, kind of.
The bars are certainly very unique. They’re thicker and more gooey than any of the other protein bars I tried, and eating them can definitely become a bit of a jaw workout. That doesn’t necessarily make for an unpleasant experience, though, as it’s similar to eating a chewy candy bar, and who doesn’t like candy?
With regards to the flavors themselves, they do generally taste pretty good, but the innovative efforts do come at a slight cost. For example, the Peanut Butter & Jelly bar does have a slight chemical taste towards the end, but it’s nothing too noticeable. In the end, these probably aren’t for everyone, but if you’re a big fan of candy bars or just want something very different, it’s worth giving these a try.
What Didn’t Make the Cut
Of course, there are also protein bars that don’t fall into my top spots. I’ll go over those below and give you a quick overview of why that is. However, I’m not saying that these are all outright bad, and especially if you’re not satisfied with my recommendations above, I’d still encourage you to try these out for yourself.
Quest Nutrition
I don’t mind these, as I actually used to eat these all the time. However, their texture is on the chalkier side, and many of the flavors do have quite a strong chemical aftertaste. I always thought these were inherent characteristics of protein bars, but after having tried quite a few alternatives now, I realize that doesn’t have to be the case.
Jym
From my list above, you can probably tell that I prefer protein bars that are light to the taste. These bars, on the other hand, are quite the opposite, as they’re very sweet and rich. Also, despite these bars being relatively low in calories compared to many of the other protein bars I tried, they feel quite greasy and dense. Honestly, I’m not sure if I believe the nutrition labels on these in terms of the listed calorie content.
ONE
These were initially very enticing to me, as these come in some very interesting flavors, including Maple Glazed Doughnut and Cinnamon Roll, but unfortunately, they’re not all that remarkable. The texture is very standard, and while the initial taste of each bite is quite good, there is a rather potent chemical taste that quickly sets in.
Anabar
The brand advertises these as high-protein candy bars, and there’s good reason for that. They have a texture very similar to a Butterfingers, and they’re also very sweet, which makes sense when you look at the nutrition facts and realize that one bar contains around 20 grams of sugar.
These can be a nice treat every once in a while to get a boost of protein while satisfying your candy cravings, but like candy itself, the high sugar content means you probably shouldn’t be consuming these on a regular basis.
