What are the most popular protein bars?

Some people look for protein bars to give them energy on the go and bridge the gap between meals, others look for protein bars that might help with weight loss or muscle growth. Additionally, some people may be looking for a bar that specifically caters to their dietary needs, such as gluten-free, plant-based, or keto-friendly.

The best protein bar will depend on your personal goals and dietary needs. The best protein bars provide high-quality protein and important nutrients, all while having a desirable taste and texture. And in this article, we find 4 of the most popular protein bars, including brands and flavors!

The best-selling protein bars are:

• RXBAR

• One

• Pure

• Quest

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Details

Which protein bar is right for me?

When choosing a protein bar, it's important to know what you need. Is this dim sum? Given your lifestyle, is this a potential meal replacement?

Given the nutritional standards for protein bars, we believe they should contain around 180-250 calories per serving, with at least 10 grams of protein and at least 4 grams of fiber.

It's worth noting that if you're trying to lose weight, the maximum calories a bar should contain is 200. If you're looking to build muscle, a bar should contain at least 20 grams of protein.

Also need to look at net carbs (total carbs - fiber = net carbs) and look for products with 15 grams or less of net carbs to minimize blood sugar spikes and crashes which can affect their energy levels throughout the day. Likewise, carbohydrates play an important role in muscle building and repairing, so you shouldn't just be looking for low-carb protein bars.

You'll notice some sugars are higher than others. Ideally, protein bars should contain no more than 14 grams of sugar per serving.

If you eat protein bars regularly, you also need to limit ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, most sugar alcohols, and high doses of fiber such as inulin and chicory root, as frequent or large amounts can cause digestive upset in some people.

Based on the above information, I think you already have some idea of the important aspects of protein bars. So to find the most suitable protein bar for you, you can quickly find it through the comparison table below!

Best known protein bars comparison, a quick look at their differences

The Bar With the Simplest Ingredients: RxBar

#1.                                                                                         

RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt Chewy Protein Bar, 7.32 oz, 4 Count

• ($7.22, 4 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

• ($17.34, 10 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

• ($27.99, 12 Count FROM RXBAR )

Editor's review

Founded in 2012, RxBar revolutionized the protein bar industry with its emphasis on simple ingredients and packaging. 

RX Bars first gained popularity in local gyms but quickly found an enthusiastic following thanks to their transparent, simple ingredient list. 

These chocolate bars are so delicious and satisfying that one person described them as "the perfect snack." Chocolate Sea Salt and Peanut Butter Chocolate are both our top picks.

First, RX bars are a premium choice because they are minimally processed.

When looking at the wrapper, the first thing you notice is that the few, simple ingredients they use to make their bars are listed on the front. For example, the company's most popular flavor, chocolate sea salt, is made from three egg whites, six almonds, four cashews, two dates, chocolate, cocoa, natural flavors, and sea salt. That's it.

Each of the best-selling bars provides 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, which keeps blood sugar stable and helps make you feel full longer. 

Each chocolate sea salt bar has 9g fat, 240mg sodium, 13g sugar. There are no trans fats, which are generally considered bad for you. 

While they do have sugar, that's from the dates, not from any added sugar. They don’t have the intense sweetness or bitter aftertaste like some protein bars on the market that use sucralose. The flavour of this bar was pleasant and not overly sweet.

They have no gluten, soy, dairy, and get most of their protein from egg whites. The egg whites are not evident in this bar and blend in well. 

A chocolate bar contains 210 calories (200-220 depending on flavor). This amount is average compared to other protein bars on the market.

A chocolate bar has 23 grams of carbs (22-25 depending on flavor). Compared to other protein bars on the market, RXBAR has an average amount of carbs. The carbs in these bars come from dates.

Chocolate Sea Salt RX bars aren’t ideal for ketogenic diets, but the carb-to-protein ratio makes them a smart choice for people with diabetes, especially after a workout.

Of all the protein bars I've tried, the RXBAR is definitely the chewier one. They're not chewy enough to lose the quality and appeal of a protein bar, but they're chewy enough to get stuck in your teeth. Chocolate bars are slightly sticky on the outside, and then slightly fluffy on the inside, depending on the ingredients used.

Of all the RXBAR flavors, Chocolate Sea Salt is my favorite. It's covered in chocolate pieces and topped with sea salt. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

They're slightly lower in protein compared to other bars, offering only 12 grams, which isn't the best nutrition for a protein-oriented snack. Though technically billed as "protein bars" they're a practical snack for anything. You can throw them in a purse, hiking pack, or send along with kids for a snack both of you can feel good about. 

Also, each chocolate bar contains about 12-16 grams of sugar, so it may not be the best for those trying to watch their daily sugar intake.

Plus, the bars are in the middle of the pack price-wise for our guide - $1.57 per bar and 15.3 cents per gram of protein. You can shop their 11 available flavors at most major retailers,  including Amazon, Jet, and Walmart for about $2 per bar.

If you live in urban areas, then their price per individual bar will be more expensive. And if you buy in bulk, then the price per bar drops depending on where you get the bars from.

RXBAR has also launched its plant-based products. RXBAR Plant contains 10 grams of protein and replaces the brand's signature egg white protein with pea and almond protein. Flavors include peanut butter and chocolate chip. Soft and chewy, this chocolate bar is formulated with dates, nuts and gluten-free oats without added sugar. The brand boasts the shortest list of ingredients among its competitive set.

One Protein Bar, Birthday Cake, 20g Protein, 4 Count

• ($31.39, 12 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

• ($29.94, 12 Count FROM One）

Editor's review

Monitoring your sugar intake is essential to managing diabetes, so it’s important to steer clear of protein bars that are high in sugar. There are numerous low-sugar protein bar options available on the market, but ONE Protein Bars are our favorite because of their great taste. 

ONE Brands knows that protein bars don't have to taste like chalk, and they're proving that great taste and good health are not mutually exclusive by delivering anytime, anywhere protein bars in decadent, totally indulgent flavors. 

Each ONE Bar is packed with up to 20 grams of protein, all while containing only 1 gram of sugar  – hence the name ONE. 

These are the popular flavors - maple gazed doughnut, almond bliss, birthday cake, and peanut butter pie. With over 15 flavors offered, it can satisfy just about every taste bud.

My favorite is the most popular birthday cake flavor, and I think One Bar does a good job at ensuring the sweetness of the birthday cake without overwhelming you with overly synthetic flavors. This bar reminds me of birthday cake flavored ice cream in flavor.

Each chocolate bar has a coating of icing, which gives the protein bar an extra layer of rich flavor. Most of the icing breaks apart when you take a bite, so you really feel like you're eating a dessert.

The inside is a chewy nougat texture, but overall it's less chewy than other protein bars. Sometimes they just sort of melt in your mouth, much like the corresponding baked goods and desserts do.

With 20 grams of high-quality protein from a milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate blend, the ONE Bar can help jumpstart muscle repair after a workout.

These bars have a moderate 3 grams of fiber, pack in nearly 30% of the recommended fiber intake, so they help curb cravings, as well.

The number of calories in each bar varies by flavor but usually ranges from 220 to 250 calories per bar. 

One of the downfalls of the One Bar is the sugar alcohol content. Although only one gram of sugar per bar sounds great, these snacks contain 6 grams of sugar alcohol per bar. Sugar alcohols are safe to consume in small amounts but can cause stomach upset and digestive issues in some people. 

They also have 9 grams of fat and 115 milligrams of sodium.

So if you're looking for something that's minimally processed and made from whole foods, you'll have to pass on the ONE bars and keep looking. But if your priority is just to increase your protein intake, then ONE Bars are a great choice. As a bonus, they taste great without that artificial aftertaste like many bars made with sugar alcohols.

These bars are stocked on the shelves of multiple stores including Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and GNC. They can also be found on Amazon for a quick an easy shipment to your door with a Prime membership. They generally cost about $2.50 each, and can be purchased in packs of 12 or four.

Ingredients

Protein Blend (Milk Protein Isolate. Whey Protein Isolate), Isomalto-Oligosaccharides (Vegetable Source), Maltitol, Vegetable Oil Blend (Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil), Vegetable Glycerin, Polydextrose, Sunflower Seed Butter, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Whey Protein Concentrate, Corn Starch, Sea Salt, Nonfat Dry Milk, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Distilled Monoglycerides, Sugar, Sucralose, Calcium Carbonate, Fruit And Vegetable Concentrates (For Color), Dextrin, Spirulina Extract (For Color), Confectioner's Glaze, Annatto Extract (For Color), Turmeric Extract (For Color), Carnuba Wax And Sodium Bicarbonate. Allergens & Warnings: CONTAINS: MILK AND SOY. MANUFACTURED ON THE SAME EQUIPMENT THAT PROCESSES PEANUTS AND TREE NUTS.

#3.                                                                                         

Pure Protein Bars, Chocolate Peanut Butter, 20g Protein, 1.76 oz, 12 Ct

• ($9.43, 6 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

Editor's review

Packing in 20 grams of protein, 17 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of sugar per bar, Pure Protein Bars are one of the best options to consider if gaining muscle mass is your goal. 

The protein blend is mostly isolates, which ensures you’re getting closer to 90% pure protein content, compared to 80% with concentrates. But to help keep the price low, the milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate have been combined with whey protein concentrate.

Pure Protein bars have become a popular option for people who are doing ketogenic diets; however, this trend is slightly misleading because none of the varieties of Pure Protein bars actually has enough fat content to lend itself to keto. With just 5 g of fat per bar, the calories are kept low.

And their fat content really isn't coming from healthy sources of dietary fat — instead, much of the fat is coming from ingredients like palm oil and dairy, which are sources of saturated fat.

While 17 grams of carbs is very low, it's not the best if you're following a very strict low-carb or keto diet.

Some of the flavors available include chocolate salted caramel, chewy chocolate chip and birthday cake. We might like the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor, which does remind of the Built Bar because it looks and tastes like a candy bar.

Pure Protein Bar sells well on Amazon, presumably because some people love the taste (and may not realize they're unhealthy).

They are full of artificial sweeteners - maltitol and sucralose, and some of the bars have only a gram of fiber in them.

This Pure protein bar tastes awfully chalky. It is very sweet. They have a nougat texture and are chewy, like a Snickers bar (but without the caramel or peanuts). They have a more enjoyable taste and texture than Quest Bars.

Where Quest Bars shine, however, is in its dietary fiber content. Quest Bars contain nearly triple the amount of dietary fiber that Pure Protein does. 

The sodium on the bar is around 180mg. It’s not terrible, but it’s also not that great. The key is to look for bars that have fewer additives if high sodium is something you’re trying to avoid.

Ingredients

Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Glycerine, Maltitol Syrup, Soy Protein Isolate, Water, Maltitol, Peanuts, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Peanut Oil, Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Cocoa (processed with Alkali), Natural Flavor (includes Annatto and Turmeric added for color), Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose, Almond Butter

#4.                                                                                         

Quest Protein Bar, Gluten-Free, 21g Protein, Cookies & Cream, 12 Count

• ($9.32, 4 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

• ($24.74, 12 Count FROM Walmart - Get Up To 3% Cash Back)

Editor's review

It is said that you should consume at least 20 grams of protein after a workout to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Despite this advice, relatively few protein bars actually hit that threshold.

One such bar is the Quest Nutrition Protein Bar, which contains 21 grams of protein in each 60-gram bar.

Quest Bars boast an impressive amount of protein. Secondly, it has 14 grams of fiber, all with no added sugar and less than a gram of total sugar. For any diet conscious, busy consumer, Quest Bars seem like the perfect grab-and-go snack.

Although the brand advertises itself as such, a closer look at the ingredients label reveals that this bar may not be as healthy as we once thought.

If you're getting used to ultra-sweet foods like Quest bars, you might start craving other sweet foods that could be higher in calories. For its sweet taste, the Quest bar relies on a combination of stevia, sucralose, and 2 grams of the sugar alcohol, erythritol. This helps the calorie count stay low at just 200. 

The chocolate bar left a weird taste in my mouth due to the strong taste of the sugar alcohols. 

In addition to sugar alcohols that can upset your stomach, the fiber additives in Quest bars, called isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO for short), and whey protein, may cause indigestion.

They offer some unique flavors in their bars not seen by competitors such as White Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Sprinkled Donut, and Lemon Cake.

Tasting much like an Oreo, Quest’s Cookies and Cream bar brings the same delight. I like Quest Bars but there are plenty of clients that say they taste like sand because of texture. This should be worth agreeing with. When eating Double Chocolate Chunk, it feels grainy, like chewing pure protein powder.

Ingredients

Protein Blend (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate), Soluble Corn Fiber (Prebiotic Fiber), Almonds, Water, Cocoa Butter, Natural Flavors, Erythritol, Palm Oil, Dextrin, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Sea Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sucralose, Coconut Oil, Xanthan Gum, Baking Soda, Steviol Glycosides (Stevia)

Which bar has the most protein?

Three brands offer 15 to 22 grams of protein per serving: Pure, Quest and One. 

The highest protein bars pack around 20 grams or more, ONE bars contain 20 grams of protein per bar and are designed to help recovery after a tough workout.

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