Best Protein Bars: Top 10 Brands for 2020

What are Protein Bars?

Protein bars are a simple and convenient way to get in the protein and nutrients you need without having to get out all the pots and pans associated with whipping up both a delicious and healthy meal.

What are the benefits of Protein Bars?

There are several benefits to eating protein bars, including:

• Helping you reach your protein requirements throughout the day
• Making it easier to reach your daily allowances of certain nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• Allows you to reach your health, wellness, and fitness goals while living an “on-the-go” lifestyle.

What makes a protein bar a “healthy protein bar”?

This is somewhat of a difficult question to answer; particularly because everyone defines the word “healthy” in a slightly different way. However, I’ll try to clarify this question as best as I can.

First, it’s key to make sure that the bar that you’re eating does not simply contain a bunch of filler ingredients. What I mean by “filler” ingredients is that it’s filled with “junk”, for lack of a better term, that is inserted in there to simply make it seem like there’s a lot of good stuff in there, when in reality they just inserted a bunch of healthy-sounding ingredients they make it sound like a better product than it actually is. These include ingredients such as dextrose and maltose, which are types of simple sugars, as well as an absurd amount of soluble corn fiber, which is a cheap type of fiber, that when used in high amounts, can cause gastrointestinal issues.

Look for protein bars that primarily contain ingredients that you would eat on a normal basis, such as oats, peanut butter, and almonds. You know, foods that you can ACTUALLY recognize! See our Qualities of a Good Protein Bar section for more details!

Are protein bars actually good for you?

As addressed in the previous question, this highly depends on what’s in the protein bar itself. The term “protein bar” isn’t regulated by the FDA. Therefore, the ingredients that are contained within them are not standardized; including how much of each ingredient is contained within the bar. So it’s difficult to address this question on a broad spectrum. Because of this, it’s important to recognize what is in the bar that you’re choosing to purchase. In this way, you’ll be able to determine if that specific protein bar is good for you.

Are protein bars a meal replacement?

Some can be deemed a meal replacement, while some wouldn’t really be ideal. Although the term “meal replacement” doesn’t have a formal definition, I believe that most people would consider it to have approximately the same amount of calories and nutrient profile of a small to moderately sized healthy, wholesome meal. So if we just throw some ballpark numbers out there as points of reference, if the bar is around 300-500 calories, has ~20+ grams of protein, less than 13 grams of added sugars, and at least 3-5 grams of fiber, than the bar could probably be constituted as a meal replacement. If the bar happens to fall short of these requirements, however, then you’re probably better off looking elsewhere for your meal replacement needs.

Can Protein Bars fix a poor diet?

Just like with the addition of any supplement (although protein bars are technically considered a food item, but that’s beyond the point), nothing can make up for the lack of a good, solid diet. There is no quick fix, end of story.

Are Protein Bars a waste of money?

One could say that some protein bars are certainly a waste of your money. Again, these bars are ones that are filled with those “junk” ingredients we were talking about earlier, like all those added sugars and other synthetic ingredients that you simply don’t need. You’re much better off spending your money on bars that actually suit your specific health and fitness goals which contain natural, wholesome ingredients.

So can some bars be a waste of money? Yes, of course. But that’s what we’re here to help you do; decipher between the garbage and the gold!

When is the best time to eat a protein bar?

This is different for everybody, depending on various factors such as what your personal work schedule looks like, as well as when your mealtimes are throughout the day. Some people like to use these as meal replacements for their busy lifestyles, while others like to pair them with a piece of fruit for breakfast to get in some added protein in the morning. No matter when you prefer to eat a protein bar, as long as it helps you to reach your goals and it fits within your lifestyle, then the time of day in which you eat it is irrelevant.

Is it bad to eat protein bars at night?

Eating a protein bar at night is the same as eating any other food at night. It doesn’t matter, unless for example it gives you stomach problems and you wake up with a stomach ache in the morning. But as far as body composition effects go, eating a protein bar at night as opposed to the morning or afternoon won’t make a world of difference. So go ahead, indulge in that delicious protein bar as your pre-bedtime snack!

Is it OK to eat a Protein Bar every day?

As long as it’s not taking away from your normal, healthy diet and you’re using it as a supplement to a healthy diet, then yes, eating a protein bar every day should be just fine.

How many protein bars can/should I eat per day?

Although there is no set limit, I would advise not to eat more than one per day. This is because you should view a protein bar as a supplement. It should make up a small part of your diet in order to help you reach your goals, but it shouldn’t make up the bulk of your diet. When that happens, it starts to take away from the healthy foods that you’d normally eat throughout the day if you didn’t have the protein bars, which may create nutritional gaps in your diet.

What happens if you eat a lot of protein bars?

While this does depend on the protein bar itself, most people will find that if they eat a lot of protein bars, they will get some sort of gastrointestinal upset due to the preservatives and other ingredients that give the bar its taste and long shelf-life. So as I addressed in the previous question, I would advise against eating more than one protein bar per day.

Should I eat Protein Bars if I don’t work out?

Protein bars are considered food, so you don’t necessarily have to work out to get the benefits that added protein and micronutrients provide.

Should I eat Protein Bars if I don’t diet properly?

Again, as stated earlier, implementing protein bars into your diet does NOT give you an excuse to have a poor diet. Protein bars can help to augment the positive effects of proper dieting, but it will do absolutely nothing to mitigate the negative effects of a poor diet.

Should I eat Protein Bars on days I don’t work out?

Eating protein bars on days you don’t work out is just fine. Protein bars are a part of your diet, not your training protocol.

Should I take a break from Protein Bars?

It may benefit you to take a break from protein bars in order to see if you can address gaps in your diet first. Also, it may benefit you to take a break from your current protein bar in order to try a different brand of protein bar to see if that better suits your needs. But in terms of pure physiological effects on your body, as long as the protein bar hasn’t been giving you issues, there’s no physical need to take a break from protein bars.

Can you eat too many Protein Bars?

Yes, you absolutely can eat too many protein bars, just like you can overeat any food. Too much protein in one sitting can cause gastrointestinal upset (SOURCE), as well as the preservatives that are commonly used in protein bars. Also, eating too many protein bars takes away from the quality of your diet overall, as it takes away from other healthy foods that you’d normally be eating.

Are Protein Bars safe to eat?

Protein bars are a food product, so they are safe to eat for the general public. However, if you do happen to have concerns regarding whether a protein bar is safe for you personally, consult your physician.

Are there any side effects of Protein Bars?

Since protein bars are a food product, they don’t often contain side effects for most people. However, there are particular ingredients in specific protein bars that may or may not agree with you from a digestive perspective. The information included throughout this guide will help you to determine which protein bar is right for you.

Do Protein Bars cause damage to the kidneys and liver or any other organ?

No, there is absolutely no reason for a protein bar to damage any of your organs.

Can I take a Protein Bar with other supplements?

Yes, of course!

Should I take Protein Bars if I take Protein Powder?

Adding another supplemental protein source to your diet begs the question of “Is your diet in check?” While there are exceptions of course, most of the time, if you feel you need multiple protein supplements just to reach your protein requirements for the day, there are adjustments that could be made in your diet first before adding another source of protein supplementation into the mix.

Are protein bars good for losing weight?

Protein bars can be good for losing weight as many of them have not only a high amount of protein, but also added fiber to aid in that feeling of fullness and satisfaction.

Can Protein Bars increase testosterone?

This is very unlikely, as there are no hormonal agents in protein bars that would help accomplish this.

Do Protein Bars help you build muscle?

If including protein bars in your diet helps you to reach your protein requirements for the day, then the answer to this question would be yes. However, this is no magical, direct method in which protein bars illicit a muscle-building response in the body, if that’s what you’re asking.

Do Protein Bars give you more endurance?

No, as there are no commonly-included ingredients in protein bars that have been shown to do this.

Do Protein Bars give you energy?

This depends on the ingredients included in the protein bar, but the short answer to this question is yes, they certainly can as long as they include the “right” ingredients.

For example, oats have been long touted to provide long-term sustained energy, as they are a form of low-GI (glycemic index) carbohydrate, which raises blood sugar more steadily and for a longer period of time in contrast to a simple sugar such as sucrose (table sugar), which causes a rapid rise-and-fall of blood glucose, causing what’s commonly known as a “crash”.

Can Protein Bars make you stronger?

Again, if including protein bars in your diet plan helps you to reach your protein requirements for the day, then sure, they can make you stronger in an indirect fashion. But just as with the question regarding muscle gain, protein bars do not contain any sort of special ability to increase your strength all on their own.