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Update: Due to the popularity of this post, there is now a follow-up post, Quest Bars, Demystified: 6 Nutrition Experts Weigh In.
Scroll down to see our top nutrition bars.
When I have choice, I prefer to snack on whole foods – fruit, veggies or nuts, or making my own nutritious superfood snacks (like these homemade protein energy balls). But living the busy New York lifestyle, sometimes a nutrition bar is a perfect on-the-go fix.
Not all nutrition bars are equal. And not every label that said “natural” stands for what it claims. After noticing the Quest bar craze on Instagram in the fitspo community, and I decided to give it a try. After trying just one bar, I felt unusually heavy and bloated. Upon a little research, I was shocked by the ingredients:
Protein blend (whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), isomalto-oligosaccharides, almonds, water, natural flavors, sea salt, lo han guo, sucralose.
Fooducate brings up a few very interesting points about Quest bars, advertised as “low carb gluten free nutrition bars”:
- The protein sources are not something you can make at home or buy from a farmer. Whey protein isolate milk protein isolates are a byproduct of cheese production. Bodybuilders buy them in powdered form to add to food and drink. In some cases, they may cause digestive problems such as bloating, cramps, and gas.
- Isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO), the source of fiber in the bar, is also known as fake fiber. It is a syrupy goop that tastes slightly sweet but is not considered a sugar because it is a long-chain molecule. Although it is found naturally in fermented foods, it is much cheaper to manufacture it in factories by applying enzymes to various starch sources. The problem with ingesting 18 grams of this IMO, is that it feeds only a small subset of our gut bacteria. A balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains will provide a much better fiber profile for your digestive system. Incidentally, Quest has been sued with the plaintiffs claiming that the actual fiber count is lower than stated in the package.
- The bar claims to contain “no added sugars” but what it does have is Lo han guo and Sucralose. Lo han guo, also known as monkfruit, is the Chinese equivalent of stevia. Instead of a leaf, this is a fruit. Monk fruit extracts, called mogrosides, can be processed to manufacture a powdered sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Monkfruit tends to be considered a “clean” sweetener. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that may or may not cause cancer, bowel disease, and DNA alterations in mice. According to Bulletproof’s Dave Asprey, “Sucralose damages healthy gut bacteria, and when heated it converts into carcinogenic and genotoxic chloropropanols.” [edited]
- Onto natural flavors. Added flavors are made in labs and serve to mask the lack of flavor of the other ingredients in the product. You can never truly know how they’re made, and this is where you almost blindly have to rely on each brand’s integrity.
Bottom line?
Low carb protein bar doesn’t equal healthy. Neither does anything labeled “gluten-free” or “organic”. Quest bars are a highly processed food-like product that has nothing to do with wholesome nutrition.
So where do you find an actually wholesome, nutrient-dense nutrition bar that has superfoods instead of loads of sugar and soy?
I’ve tried dozens of bars, and here’s my list of top delicious nutrition bars made from real food ingredients.
*This list was updated on June 29, 2020.
1. Primal Kitchen Collagen Bar
What’s to love: This is currently my absolute go-to protein bar. It’s perfectly chewy, light, and I love that the protein comes from grass-fed collagen – one of the most complete and easily digestible proteins that also improves your digestion (I wrote more about benefits of collagen in this butter coffee with collagen post). Made with chewy almonds and dark chocolate, it has a satisfying caramel-like texture. Primal Kitchen protein bars is non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, soy and canola free and have only 3 grams (!) of sugar.
Buy Primal Kitchen bars.
Use code BREAKFASTCRIMINALS for 10% off.
Ingredients, Dark Chocolate Almond Bar: Almond Butter, Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Bovine Collagen Peptides, Roasted Almonds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Egg Whites, Honey, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa (Pressed with Alkali), Water, Eggs, Cocoa Extract, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Organic Monk Fruit Extract, Organic Rosemary Extract.
Nutrition: Cal. 200, Protein 15g, Sugars 2g, Carb. 14g.
p.s. Primal Kitchen’s clean organic spicy ketchup, Rosemary Garlic mayo, Whole 30 Approved Balsamic Vinaigrette and soft, cookie-like protein bars are incredible, too.
2. Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bar
What’s to love: Have you heard the expression “eat fat, get thin”? I’m all about the healthy fats to fuel digestion, sharp focus and brain health. I love Bulletproof coffee and bars because they are made with Brain Octane® oil (MCT) that keeps you full and focused. Just like in previous option, protein in this bar comes from grass-fed collagen, which is currently my favorite type of protein to use in smoothies, coffee and lattes because it’s the easiest to digest. This bar is gluten free and paleo-friendly.
Buy Bulletproof collagen bars.
Ingredients, Lemon Cookie Collagen Protein Bar: Organic cashew butter, grass-fed collagen protein, chicory root fiber, Bulletproof XCT® oil powder (caprylic and capric acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut and/or palm kernel oil, tapioca dextrin, tapioca), organic cashews, Bulletproof Brain Octane®oil (caprylic acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut oil), organic coconut oil, lab-tested vanilla beans, sea salt, organic lemon oil, stevia.
Nutrition: Cal. 210, Protein 12g, Sugars 2g, Carb 13g.
3. Over Easy Breakfast Bar
What’s to love: Over Easy breakfast bars have a simple list of ingredients with no artificial sweeteners or refined sugars, no dairy, no soy and no wheat. They’re made with gluten-free organic oats and protein rich egg whites. Just like the name suggests, they make a great breakfast replacement on-the-go. My fiancee summarized Over Easy bars perfectly: “they taste great and have a great mouth feel.” Our favorite flavor is Banana Nut.
Buy Over Easy breakfast bars.
Use code BREAKFASTCRIMINALS for 15% off.
Ingredients, Banana But Breakfast Bar: Organic Oats, Almonds, Honey, Almond Butter, Tapioca Fiber, Dried Bananas, Egg Whites, Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt.
Nutrition: Cal. 220, Protein 9g, Sugars 9g, Carb. 25g.
4. GoMacro Organic Bar
How can a nutrition bar taste SO good? @gomacro @elliegoulding ? pic.twitter.com/n3Mu0VCdzH
— Breakfast Criminals (@breakfastcrmnls) July 11, 2016
What’s to love: This is hands down one of my favorite nutrition bars on the market. The combo of organic peanut butter and fair trade chocolate chips is dreamy. GoMacro bars are plant-based, gluten-free, USDA organic, vegan, non-GMO, kosher, and soy free. The carbs re high, however they’re complex, slow-burning carbs that give you energy.
Buy GoMacro bars.
Ingredients,Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bar: organic brown rice syrup, organic peanut butter, organic protein blend (sprouted brown rice and pea protein), organic puffed brown rice, organic fair trade chocolate chips, organic peanuts.
Nutrition: Cal. 290, Protein 11g, Sugars 14g, Carb 37g.
5. RX Whole Food Protein Bar
What’s to love: RX bars have a short and clear list of ingredients, a satisfying chewy texture, and a great assortment of flavors – I have many favorites, with Chocolate Sea Salt at the top of my list. RX have no added sugar, gluten, soy, dairy or GMO. They’re also paleo and whole30 friendly.
Buy RX Whole Food Protein Bars.
Ingredients, Chocolate Sea Salt bar: Dates, egg whites, almonds, cashews, cacao, sea salt, natural chocolate flavor.
Nutrition: Cal. 200, Protein 12g, Sugars 12g, Carb. 22g.
6. Kion Bar
What’s to love: Kion Bar is a clean, real-food energy bar that has the most perfectly chewy texture full of cacao nibs and coconut. It’s full of protein (including grass-fed gelatin) and a full spectrum of amino acids for athletic performance and recovery. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Kion’s co-founder, Ben Greenfield!
Buy Kion Bars.
Ingredients:
Nutrition: Organic honey, almonds, organic cocoa nibs, hydrolyzed gelatin, baby quinoa (kaniwa), organic chia seeds, coconut flakes, chocolate liquor (roasted and ground cocoa beans), water, organic rice protein, organic pea protein isolate, organic sesame seeds, cocoa powder, organic cocoa butter, sea salt, tocopherols.
Nutrition: Cal. 220, Protein 11g, Sugars 10g, Carb. 18g.
7. Elemental Superfood Seedbar
What’s to love: Elemental Bars are my favorite bars right now! They are super clean, nutritious and double as a smoothie bowl topping when crumbled or chopped up. There simply isn’t a flavor of Elemental I haven’t loved, but at the very top of my list are Blueberry Cashew and Currant, Cacao and Hemp Seed.
Use code BREAKFASTCRIMINALS for 15% off Elemental Superfood bars.
Heads up: these bars have to be stored in the fridge.
Ingredients, Blueberry Cashew Elemental Bar: Organic Buckwheat, Organic Almonds, Organic Raw Honey, Organic Flaxseeds, Organic Coconut, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Organic Blueberries (sweetened with organic apple juice), Organic Sesame Seeds, Cacao Butter, Organic Lemon Zest, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Lemon Oil, Pink Himalayan Salt.
Nutrition: Cal. 225, Protein 6g, Sugars 8g, Carb. 16g.
8. Greens+ Chocolate Energy Bar
What’s to love: EcoCert® Certified Organic By Ecocertico, Non-GMO and Gluten-free, the Greens+ is made with living superfoods and high energy Herbal Extracts. You’ve probably figured out by now that I’m a dark chocolate lover. If you can get top notch nutrients from your greens along with a dose of dark chocolate, why not? This bar is made with 72% dark chocolate and tastes heavenly.
Buy Greens+ Chocolate energy bars.
Ingredients, Nut Butter Buddha bar: (*Organic) medjool dates*, almond butter*, quinoa sprout powder*, non-gmo soy protein isolate, original GREENS+ powder (non-gmo soy lecithin, Hawaiian spirulina*, apple fiber*, barley grass powder, wheat grass powder, Japanese chlorella, hydroponic soy sprouts, brown rice bran*, sprouted barley malt, alfalfa grass powder, royal jelly, Montana bee pollen, acerola berry juice, natural vitamin E, licorice root, milk thistle seed extract, echinacea root extract, siberian eleutreho root extract, astragalus root extract, licorice root extract, red beet juice*, dunaliella salina algae. nova scotia dulse*, ginkgo biloba leaf extract*, Japanese green tea extract*, grape seed and skin extract, Swedish bilberry extract*), brown rice crisps*, honey*, natural mixed tocopherols.
Nutrition: Cal. 250, Protein 8g, Sugars 22g, Carb. 34g.
9. Rise Protein Bar
What’s to love: The combo of taste (lemon and coconut go so well together!) , texture (creamy and chewy) and nutrition is hits the spot. I love the fact that the ingredients are simple, real foods with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. The Rise lemon cashew bars are vegan, paleo, non-GMO, soy free, gluten free and kosher.
Buy Rise protein bars.
Ingredients, Lemon Cashew bar: cashews, coconut nectar, pea protein, lemon extract.
Nutrition: Cal. 260, Protein 15g, Sugars 12g, Carb. 23g.
Other snacks & nutrition bars we love:
10. SuperFat Nut Butter Keto Snacks
I discovered SuperFat through Tim Ferriss, whose meticulous approach to health and nutrition can be trusted. These nut butter snacks have no fillers, no palm oil and no added sugar. They’re non-GMO, kosher, keto certified and easy to travel with. I love the protein flavor for road trips and flights (the protein comes from nuts and sunflower seeds). They’ll quickly become your favorite nut butter to snack on! Buy SuperFat Protein Nut Butter Keto Snack directly from their site to support the maker or on Amazon.
p.s. the packaging is brilliant and allows you to not leave a single drop of the nut butter behind! And if there is a drop stuck in the cap – use a straw to get it out ;)
11. EPIC Chicken Sriracha, Low-Carb Protein Bar
If you’re into savory bars and love meat, EPIC is a great choice. Buy it here.
12. Health Warrior Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Protein Bar
This bar tastes shockingly good given its simplicity and pumpkin seed domination. Buy it here.
Learn how to make delicious, filling breakfast that will keep you full for hours in the Breakfast Criminals eBook (digital download):
