fitdudefood
Protein Bars. We’re always looking for something quick, something easy to snack on, even replace a meal with when we’re busy or on a long trip, so we go into the nearest convenience store and grab whatever they’re trying to push as protein bars. It looks healthy compared to the candy bars, it usually comes from a brand we grew up with, it says chocolate somewhere on the label. In other words, we’re in a hurry and it’s the lesser of two evils.
While it’s easy to bypass the obvious least healthy options like Snickers Marathon Bar (chocolate, caramel, high fructose corn syrup..mmmm, healthy!) and the various Kellogg’s bars like Nutrigrain (high fructose corn syrup AND sugar?), beyond that it’s often a random grab. If it says protein or energy really big, it must be healthy and give you the best kind of fuel, right?
So I thought it might be worth investigating a bit further, do a series of comparisons of all the various protein bars out there. I’ve started with the following 7, and will continue finding more as a regular blog feature:
| Brand | Flavor | Cost | Size | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sugar | Sodium |
| Larabar | Ginger Snap | $1.39 | 1.8 oz | 240 | 5g | 14g | 20g | 0mg |
| Vega | Chocolate | $3.29 | 2.2 oz | 240 | 10g | 10g | 22g | 10mg |
| Odwalla | Chocolate Chip | $1.29 | 1.6 oz | 200 | 5g | 7g | 15g | 90mg |
| Kashi GoLean | PB & Chocolate | $1.49 | 2.75 oz | 290 | 13g | 6g | 31g | 280mg |
| Pro Bar | Original Blend | $3.00 | 3 oz | 370 | 9g | 18g | 23g | 35mg |
| Halvah | Chocolate | $1.99 | 3 oz | 150 | 2g | 9g | 7g | 15mg |
| Green Superfood | Chocolate PB | $2.99 | 2.22 oz | 270 | 12g | 14g | 19g | 190mg |
Larabar is a fruit & nut based bar, very gingery to the point of burning your tongue, chewy texture, not bad but wouldn’t want it every day.
Vega whole food energy bar is similar texture to Larabar, but completely tasteless and dry.
Odwalla is a tasty trail mix bar with chocolate chips on top.
Kashi GoLean Chewy has a nice chocolate coating, thick peanut butter filling, slightly powdery but tasty.
Pro bar is an interesting mix between a trail mix bar and a chewy fruity bar, filling.
Halvah tasted great, melting chocolate outside, butterfinger type inside.
Greens Super food is a chewy, somewhat crunchy bar, tastes like a green superfood, alright, not great.
What about the P90X protein bars?
Ah yes, of course! I actually need to order some more of those, but I will definitely include them in the series! Thanks for the reminder!
John, Thanks for the informative post. The thing I will not eat is soy, so if it is in a bar I'm outta there. Love Lara Bars. I usually get the lemon flavor. Interested to see your next post!
I use protein bars sometimes on my long bike rides while training. They add a little more consistency to my stomach when the gels don't cut it anymore.
Nice post.
-AJ
I compared Mrs. May's Trio bars to your list. I find it pretty competitive in the stats above. Though not considered a "protein bar" it has more protein than the Lara Bar, Odwalla and Halvah. You should check them out!
Great article John! What are your thoughts on the Cliff bar? Thanks!
Hey Jennifer, Clif Bars are good, very tasty, and a great solution when you're out and there are no healthy options around! However, the sugar content is higher than some other bars, so I wouldn't make them a long term solution!
Love to keep protein bars around for those times when I'm out and around and don't want to hit a drive-thru. Another one we found pretty good is Marathon Bar from of all places, Snickers! Pretty comparable to the bars above. Thanks for doing all the taste testing!