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WE NEED PROTEIN to build muscle, but it’s hard to shove a rotisserie chicken or steak in your gym bag to help you meet your macros. That’s where protein bars can come into play. These handy products provide fuel on the go, with a careful balance of nutrients to ensure you can stay on track with your health goals.
It’s important to point out these bars shouldn’t be in your main source of daily protein—and a lot of them don’t really match the grams of protein in a protein powder shake. Instead, they’re more of a solid snack or road food when nothing else is available. “They’re great if you are needing something convenient to meet meal nutrition goals when you do not otherwise have time to eat food, or it is impractical to eat food,” says Joey Gochnour, RDN, NASM-CPT, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics at Nutrition and Fitness Professional. Protein bars can also help tide you over when quick food is your only option.
Best Protein Bars
Unfortunately, the market is flooded with options, making it hard to know which are the best protein bars out there. “Not all protein bars are created equal, and many on the market are closer to candy bars with added protein,” says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. He recommends focusing on the protein content in the bar you’re considering, along with the source of this macronutrient. Also, be on the lookout for high amounts of sugar, which Keatley points out can lead to energy crashes and unnecessary calories.With that in mind, we tapped dietitians who focus on performance to weigh in on their go-to protein bars and chomped our way through each to see how they actually taste. Learn more about why we love the bars below, and keep scrolling for specific advice from our experts about what to look for in these packaged goods.
What to Consider
The right protein bar is one that meets your nutritional needs, as well as satisfies your taste buds—because there’s nothing satisfying about biting into cardboard. Keatley recommends considering why you want to have a protein bar in the first place, including whether you’re using this for muscle recovery, a meal replacement, or a quick snack before training. (More on how to choose a bar based on those factors in a moment.) But most protein bars should have some universal things in common, which is why it’s important to pore over the ingredient list. “The ingredient list is where I like looking first,” says Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition. Here’s what you should be looking for.
Protein Sources
Protein can come in a range of forms, but some are considered better than others. “Look for quality sources of protein such as lean animal protein sources, whey protein isolate, eggs/egg whites, or plant-based sources such as pea protein or brown rice protein, often found as a blend,” Asche says.
Protein Content
The exact amount of protein to strive for in a protein bar varies based on your goals and what else you’re eating throughout the day. But Asche recommends looking for a bar with at least 10 grams of protein. For muscle recovery, Keatley suggests aiming for 20 to 30 grams of protein to promote muscle repair. If you’re craving a quick snack, he recommends looking for 10 to 15 grams of protein, along with 5 to 10 grams of fiber to keep you feeling satisfied. And if you want a meal replacement, Keatley suggests having a “well-balanced mix” of 20 to 30 grams of protein, 10 to 20 grams of fat, and at least 5 grams of fiber.
Macronutrient Balance
The perfect macronutrient balance depends on what you’re using your bar for. “If you’re eating it around training, pre- or post-, you’ll want to find one that also contains some carbohydrates, around 30 grams,” Asche says. Fiber is also crucial, since it supports digestion and helps you to stay fuller, longer, Keatley points out. “Look for at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber, preferably from natural sources like nuts or chicory root,” he says. “Healthy fats from sources like almonds, cashews, or MCT oil are preferable to hydrogenated oils, which can contribute to inflammation.” While you’re at it, Gochnour recommends keeping tabs on the saturated fat content. “Keep the saturated fat to total fat ratio low,” he says.
Added Sugar
Protein bars can be sneaky sources of added sugar, heaping on extra calories you don’t need and promoting unstable blood sugar levels that can cause you to crash later in the day. “Some bars pack in 15 or more grams of added sugar,” Keatley points out. If your bar is on the higher end of added sugar content, you’ll want to make sure that it has the fat to temper it and to keep your blood sugar levels more stable.
Additives and Fillers
As with most foods, you really don’t want these in your bars. “The fewer artificial additives and fillers, the better,” Keatley says. “A short, recognizable ingredient list is a good sign that the bar is made from whole food sources rather than overly processed ingredients.”
How We Chose
Men’s Health Fitness and Commerce Editor Charles Thorp, NASM, and I have used protein bars for years to fuel up at work or before workouts, so we have a foundational knowledge and experience with them. To add to our expertise, we consulted with three performance-focused dietitians: Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition; Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy; and Joey Gochnour, RDN, NASM-CPT, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics at Nutrition and Fitness Professional. Each provided advice on what to look for in these bars, along with information on their favorites.
We then put the bars to the test, eating our way through each to make sure they met our high standards for taste and texture. When evaluating each bar, we considered factors like protein content and source, macronutrient balance, and added sugar. We also looked at reviews to see how others liked these nutritional tools and factored in price to make sure you’re getting value with your bar. These are the best protein bars to meet a range of needs, whether for a post-workout snack or meal replacement.
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