Best Protein Bars of 2023, According to Dietitians

Protein bars are no longer just for the gym — they are a convenient food that can provide needed nutrition to your day.

Protein bars differ from energy bars by having a significantly higher protein content, while usually being lower in fat and carbohydrates.

The nutrition content of a protein bar will differ based on flavor, brand, and purpose. Most protein bars will provide:

• Calories: 100–400
• Protein: 10–20 grams
• Fiber: 5–15 grams
• Some micronutrients

There are endless reasons why someone may want to have a stash of protein bars around. Protein bars can be used as meal replacements, snacks when you’re on the run, or as fuel for workouts or recovery.

With so many protein bars available on the market, it can be difficult to make a choice on a quality protein bar. In this article, we break down some of the best and healthiest protein bars available on the market.

Summary of Our Picks

• Best overall: RX Bar
• Best high-protein: One Protein Bars
• Best organic: Aloha Bars
• Best for keto: MariGold Bars
• Best plant-based: GoMacro Bars
• Best budget pick: Pure Protein Bars

Best Overall: RXBAR

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Pros

• Low in added sugar
• Has products for adults and children
• Simple ingredient list
• Great for people who want a whey-free protein bar

Cons

• Has less protein that some other brands
• Not appropriate for people with nut allergies

RXBAR has a protein bar for nearly everyone, which makes this brand perfect for our best overall protein bars.

RXBAR is known for having products made with whole foods, minimally processed ingredients, and little to no added sugar.

They are transparent about their ingredients, choosing to highlight the main ingredients on the front of the products’ packaging so you know what you’re eating.

The main RXBAR protein bars provide:

• Calories: 200–210
• Protein: 12 grams
• Fiber: 3–4 grams

These protein bars come in over a dozen different flavors, including seasonal options so that everyone can find a favorite.

The protein in these bars comes from egg whites and various tree nuts and peanuts.

In addition to the regular RXBAR, there are RXBARs made with plant-based protein, RXBAR Minis, and RX Layers.

If you have children and need convenient snacks that aren’t high in sugar or artificial ingredients, RXBAR has a line of protein snack bars for children.

RX Kids protein snack bars come in 4 different flavors and provide 130 calories and 5 grams of protein per serving.

Every product from RXBAR is gluten-free, made with 0–2 grams of added sugar, and is made with non-GMO ingredients.

Unfortunately, all of the protein bars for adults contain at least one type of nut, making RXBAR protein bars unsafe for people with nut allergies.

Price: A 12-count box of RXBAR protein bars costs $27.95 on Amazon, which comes to approximately $2 per bar.

Best High-Protein: ONE Bar

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Pros

• Provides 20 g of protein per serving
• Has a variety of great-tasting flavors
• All bars are gluten-free

Cons

• Uses sugar alcohols, including sucralose and maltitol
• Products include multiple allergens
• High in saturated fat

ONE Bars are made for people looking for high-protein, low-carb protein bars that still taste delicious.

Founder Ron McAfee created the ONE Bar with sports nutrition in mind, wanting to make products with exceptional taste, texture, and ingredients.

Each ONE Bar has:

• Calories: 220–230
• Protein: 20 grams (from milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate)
• Fiber: 6 grams
• Sugar: 1 gram

In addition to their main line of ONE Bars, the brand sells vegan-friendly ONE PLANT Bars and ONE Minis.

ONE Bars come in a variety of dessert-like flavors, including s’mores, fruity cereal, blueberry cobbler, and cookies & crème for an indulgent experience.

To keep the sugar content of ONE Protein Bars low, sugar substitutes like sucralose and maltitol are used in their product formulations.

Studies find that sucralose may affect the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut and blood sugar control. (1)

Maltitol only appears to increase diarrhea frequency when consumed in doses significantly higher than would be present in a protein bar. (2)

ONE Bars contain at least two major allergens—milk and soy. Some flavors may also feature tree nuts, peanuts, or coconut.

Price: Depending on what flavor you choose, ONE protein bars cost approximately $25–$28 for a 12-count box on Amazon. Per bar, they cost about $2 each.

Best Organic: ALOHA

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Pros

• Certified USDA Organic
• Good protein content and high in fiber
• Vegan-friendly and free of artificial ingredients

Cons

• Smaller diversity in flavors
• Costly protein bar
• Most bars contain tree nuts

ALOHA makes high-quality organic and plant-based protein bars for people looking for filling protein bars that are also high in fiber.

ALOHA is an employee-owned company that aims to be committed to the greater good – for their employees, communities, and the environment.

A single ALOHA protein bar provides:

• Calories: 220–260
• Protein: 14 grams
• Fiber: 4–10 grams
• Added Sugars: 2–5 grams

Their protein is sourced from organic brown rice protein and organic pumpkin seed protein.

If you want a smaller snack, ALOHA has mini protein bars available.

ALOHA is great if you like protein bars that have chocolate-based flavors. Most of the available ALOHA protein bars have chocolate, but there are flavors like caramel sea salt and some limited-edition bars.

Instead of using stevia or sugar alcohols, ALOHA protein bars use organic monk fruit and organic coconut sugar as natural sweeteners.

ALOHA plant-based protein bars are also certified USDA Organic, GMO-free, soy-free, gluten-free, made with no artificial ingredients, and vegan-friendly.

Many of their flavors do contain tree nuts.

Price: ALOHA’s protein bars are pricier than some others on the market. A 12-bar box costs $32.99–$36.99 on the company's website, or about $2.75–$3.08 per bar. You can save up to 25% on purchases if you get a subscription.

Best Keto: MariGold

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Pros

• Made with fresh ingredients
• Great variety of flavors
• High in protein

Cons

• Should be refrigerated for longer freshness
• Expensive protein bars

MariGold protein bars are a great keto-friendly option for people looking to maximize their protein intake on a ketogenic diet without sacrificing taste.

MariGold bars are fresh, gluten-free protein bars that were created by Mari Ann and Steve Lisenbe.

They wanted to create protein bars that were made with real ingredients, high-quality protein, low sugar, and without grains.

MariGold bars have:

• Calories: 171–299
• Protein: 20–23 grams
• Fiber: 3–8 grams
• Fat: up to 17 grams
• Sugar: 1–5 g

MariGold bars come in 16 different flavors, some of which are limited edition and seasonal. Each bar has a 14-day shelf life at room temperature, but can last longer if refrigerated or frozen.

MariGold Bars are non-GMO, made with organic ingredients, low-sugar, gluten-free, soy-free, free of preservatives, lectin-free, and made with grass-fed protein.

Like most protein bars, MariGold bars have some allergens, including milk, tree nuts, and peanuts.

Price: A 12-count box of MariGold is $47.50 on the company's website, which comes out to $3.96 per bar. These bars are a bit pricey, but if you get a subscription, you can save 15% on your purchase.

Best Plant-Based: GoMacro

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Pros

• Vegan-friendly
• Caters to several dietary needs, has some nut-free options
• Many flavors to choose from

Cons

• At times not available for purchase online
• Somewhat higher in added sugar compared to other bars

GoMacro bars are plant-based protein bars that are great for people who also have different dietary restrictions.

GoMacro was created by mother-daughter duo Amelia Kirchoff and Jola Sonkin. Amelia first created GoMacro bars during her battle with cancer, when she decided to adopt a plant-based macrobiotic diet while undergoing treatment.

Each MacroBar provides:

• Calories: 270–290
• Protein: 10–11 grams
• Fiber: 2–3 grams
• Added Sugars: 9–13 grams

There are 14 different flavors to choose from, including peanut butter chocolate chip, mocha chocolate chip, and maple sea salt.

Most of GoMacro’s protein bars contain nuts, but they do have a few flavors that are nut-free.

GoMacro bars are certified organic, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, Kosher, and FODMAP-friendly.

Price: A 12-count box of GoMacro bars costs around $31–$35 on Amazon, which comes down to around $2.60–$2.92 apiece.

Best Budget Pick: Pure Protein

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Pros

• High protein
• Bars have extra vitamins added to them
• Great variety of flavors

Cons

• Contain multiple allergens
• Has sugar alcohols

If you’re looking for a protein bar that won’t break the bank, Pure Protein bars are high-quality protein bars at an affordable price.

This company makes a line of products that are high protein and low sugar to provide quick and sustained energy during workouts.

Each Pure Protein bar contains:

• Calories: 180–210
• Protein: 19–21 grams
• Fiber: 0–4 grams
• Added Sugars: 2–5 grams

They come in 13 different flavors, including birthday cake, cookies and cream, and chewy chocolate chip.

Pure Protein bars are gluten-free and have a vitamin and mineral blend to provide extra nutrients.

Pure Protein bars contain several allergens – milk, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. To keep the sugar content low, customers should be aware that these bars have sucralose and maltitol.

Price: Pure Protein bars are cheaper than many other protein bars. An 18-count box is $45.91 on Amazon, which is about $2.55 apiece. On the company's website, you can save more by buying in bulk (48-pack), and a subscription can save you an additional 10%.

Things to Consider When Shopping for Protein Bars

Protein and Carbohydrate Content

The nutritional content of protein bars can vary wildly, so you need to consider your needs before choosing a bar.

A snacking protein bar may be lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates. A protein bar for workouts may be higher in healthy fats and protein, but very low in carbs and sugars.

Beyond this, look for protein bars that are low in added sugars (less than 3 grams of added sugar), made with natural ingredients when possible, and don’t have a lot of saturated fat or sodium.

Saturated fat should be less than 5 grams and sodium less than 500 mg.

Type of Protein Used

Depending on your diet and personal preferences, you may want to be picky about the type of protein that’s in your protein bar.

Many protein bars contain whey as their primary protein source, but there are plant-based options. The market has bars that get their protein from nuts and seeds, soy, pea protein, brown rice protein, and other sources.

Related: Best Plant-Based Protein Sources, According to a Dietitian

Potential Allergens

Protein bars are known to contain some major allergens, so checking the ingredient list is vital for avoiding allergic reactions.

Common allergens found in protein bars include tree nuts, peanuts, coconut, milk, and soy.

Fiber Content

Part of a protein bar’s job is to help you feel satiated, and fiber helps achieve that goal. Look for protein bars that have at least 5 g of fiber per serving in order to feel fuller from your bar.

If you’re on a keto or low-carb diet, you may want to look for protein bars that are high in fiber to reduce your net carbohydrate intake (total carbs minus grams of fiber).

Price

A good protein bar should fit into your budget. Consider how often you plan on having protein bars and how much you’d like to spend.

If you’re infrequently using protein bars, perhaps you want to choose a pricier bar. Otherwise, a more moderately priced bar may be better if you’re using protein bars frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Protein bars are a great item to have around for convenience or to increase your protein intake for the day.

When you consider a protein bar, think about its nutrition content, the quality of ingredients, and whether the protein bar is from a reputable brand.

Protein bars can be a great source of protein, but should not be the only way that you get protein.

Choose lean meats, poultry, fish and seafood, and plant-based proteins like beans to get enough protein in your diet.