Protein bars are the grab-and-go recovery option for men on the move. Here’s our pick of the best tried-and-tested options available in 2023…
When hunger knocks post-workout, it’s easy to reach for handy snack bars. These can be loaded with unhealthy fats and sugars, however, which are often high in calories and lead to energy peaks and troughs. The best protein bars, on the other hand, pack in more of the good stuff – namely, protein.
Snacking on protein bars allows you to reach your daily protein goals and deliver a much-needed supply to damaged muscles. They also provide a simple on-the-go alternative to more cumbersome protein shakes or time-intensive meals. Plus, they usually taste pretty good, so it’s a win-win-win situation.
How we tested these protein bars
This list of the best protein bars was compiled by Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr). Hobson works with private clients looking to improve their health and body shape, and athletes looking to improve their performance. He also works with wellness brands, assisting with product development and insight.
“There are plenty of different protein bars on the market,” says Hobson, “and they differ greatly in terms of taste and texture. To narrow the field down – and to provide consistency of review – I only tested chocolate-flavoured bars.
“I tested and judged the best protein bars on their taste, texture, and nutritional effectiveness. I also took other factors into account, including the cost and availability, but also the amount of polyols: a type of sweetener which can upset the gut in high amounts.
“Ultimately, I’d recommend using Grenade protein bars. The texture is chewy and the taste is sweet without being too sickly. There are also a load of flavours to choose from and, crucially, a solid 20g of good-quality protein per bar.”
Best protein bars 2023
- Grenade Bar ($65 for 12, grocery.com / £25, grenade.com)
- Barebells Bar ($28.99 / £23.99 for 12, barebells.co.uk)
- Fulfil Vitamin and Protein Bar (from $24.99 for 12, amazon.com / from £24.69 for 15, amazon.co.uk)
- PhD Smart Bar (from $52.48 for 12, amazon.com / £23.99 for 12, phd.com)
- USN Trust Crunch ($37.95 for 12 + $14.99 shipping, fruugo.us / £25 for 12, hollandandbarrett.com)
- Healthspan Elite All Blacks HiLO Protein Bar (£29.99 for 12, healthspanelite.co.uk – not yet available in the US)
- Kinetika Deluxe Protein Bar (£28.99 for 15, uk.kinetikasports.com – not yet available in the US)
- Myprotein Layered Protein Bar (£16.99 for 6, myprotein.com – not yet available in the US)
- Applied Nutrition Protein Crunch Bar (£29.99 for 12, appliednutrition.uk – not yet available in the US)
- Reflex Nutrition R-Bar (£24.50 for 12, reflexnutrition.com – not yet available in the US)
- SiS Protein Bar (£32.99 for 12, scienceinsport.com – not yet available in the US)
Grenade Bar
BUY IT NOW:
$65 for 12, grocery.com / £25, grenade.com
Taste: 5/5
Health: 4/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
An obvious choice, perhaps, but the UK’s best-selling protein bars (previously called Carb Killas) is so for a reason. Loaded with 20g protein and just 1.4g sugar, it’s the best-tasting, least-sickly sweet bar we’ve tested.
The Salted Caramel flavour gets our vote, although there are no less than 14 others to choose from. The only downside is restricting yourself to one a day (but who are we to tell you how to live your life).
Read our full Grenade Bar review
Barebells Bar
BUY IT NOW:
$28.99 / £23.99 for 12, barebells.co.uk
Taste: 4.5/5
Health: 4.5/5
Protein: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
One of the less synthetic-tasting protein snacks, Barebell bars combine a variety of rich flavours with simple, natural ingredients. Of the 11 different versions, four vegan or soft protein options don’t make the 20g mark, but the rest hit the spot and are tasty too.
They all have a pleasant, rich taste, are low in sugar and don’t have the claggy or powdery texture that many of the best protein bars do.
Read our full Barebells Bar review
Fulfil Vitamin and Protein Bar
BUY IT NOW:
From £25.99 for 15, amazon.co.uk (not yet available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Health: 5/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Suitable for anyone with an eye for boosting more than just protein intake, Fulfil bars are fortified with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and E, as well as folic acid.
They hit the 20g protein benchmark, have half the calories of most protein bars and are available in 11 mouth-watering flavours, which sounds like a win-win to us.
Read our full Fulfil Vitamin and Protein Bar review
PhD Smart Bar plant
BUY IT NOW:
£23.99 for 12, phd.com (not yet available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Health: 4/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
With 20g plant-based protein per bar, you don’t need a doctorate to know PhD bars will meet your post-workout recovery needs. Some of the best protein bars on the market, there are eight rich flavours to choose from – though keep an eye on a calorie count that can reach 261kcal per 65g bar.
The texture might not be to everyone’s liking, but those recovery credentials make a bit of perseverance worth your while. Plus, they’re available in half-size and vegan versions.
Read our full PhD Smart Bar review
USN Trust Crunch
BUY IT NOW:
£25 for 12, hollandandbarrett.com (not available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Health: 3.5/5
Protein: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Sweet-toothed gym-goers will enjoy the dessert flavours (fudge brownie or raspberry cheesecake, anyone?), and 20g protein is optimal post-workout fuel.
It’s worth noting the sugar content: 2.5g sugar is slightly more than some of the other best protein bars in this list. However, 213 calories is about par.
Healthspan Elite All Blacks HiLO Protein Bar
BUY IT NOW:
£29.99 for 12, healthspanelite.co.uk (not yet available in the US)
Taste: 4.5/5
Health: 5/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
As you’d expect from any sports nutrition product endorsed by the All Blacks rugby team, the Healthspan Elite protein bars uses quality ingredients. Low in sugar and high in fibre, they also pack 20g of protein into each of their delicious flavours – black forest gateau, chocolate and salted caramel, and white chocolate. Plus, they’re Informed Sport approved, too, making them suitable for elite competition.
Read our full Healthspan Elite All Blacks HiLO Protein Bar review
Kinetika Deluxe Protein Bar
£28.99 for 15, uk.kinetikasports.com (not yet available in the US)
Taste: 5/5
Health: 4.5/5
Protein: 4/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Kinetika makes its bars with quality batch-tested ingredients. So, it’s no surprise they get the thumbs-up from WADA and Informed Sport. It uses milk protein from grass-fed, hormone-free cow’s milk and its bars have the best taste and texture of any on test.
It’s a shame there’s only 14g of protein in every serving, but they are small 45g bars, so why not have one and a half, or even two at a time?
Read our full Kinetika Deluxe Protein Bar review
Myprotein Layered Protein Bar
BUY IT NOW:
£16.99 for 6, myprotein.com (not yet available in the US)
Taste: 3.5/5
Health: 5/5
Protein: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
These layered bars feel indulgent, but pack in 20g protein as well as a carb and fibre hit, to tick all your nutrition boxes.
Available in eight mouth-watering combinations (brown sugar milk tea tastes much better than it sounds), the texture can vary between flavours. But they’re all pretty moreish, making them some of the best protein bars for foodies.
Applied Nutrition Protein Crunch Bar
BUY IT NOW:
£29.95 for 12, appliednutrition.uk (not available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Health: 3.5/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Try telling Applied Nutrition that protein bars can’t be moreish. Its Protein Crunch bars have three succulent layers, with a crunchy base and soft caramel middle covered in thick chocolate – and with just 1.8g of sugar.
It also delivers on the protein front too, with 21.7g per bar. The white and milk chocolate caramel versions are nice enough but just the thought of the milk chocolate peanut bar will give you an incentive to get through even the toughest training sessions.
Reflex Nutrition R-Bar
BUY IT NOW:
£24.50 for 12, reflexnutrition.com (not available in the US)
Taste: 3/5
Health: 4.5/5
Protein: 5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Free from any nasty ingredients, including preservatives, artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners, and loaded with whey protein from grass-fed cows, on paper these protein bars are some of the best on the pile. They are also low in sugar and high in fibre, making them a great all-round choice.
There’s no getting round the fact that they are quite dense, though, and the Chocolate flavour leaves a bit to be desired. However, there are 5 flavours to choose from, including white chocolate raspberry ripple, cookies & cream, and cherry bakewell.
SiS Protein Bar
BUY IT NOW:
£32.99 for 12, scienceinsport.com (not available in the US)
Taste: 4/5
Health: 4/5
Protein: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Science in Sport has become a popular choice for recovery products among plenty of elite athletes. Its protein bars are conveniently split into two portions, which together give you 20g protein, 22g carbs and just 1.2g sugar.
They’re also deliciously chewy and none of the four flavours – white chocolate fudge, cookies and cream, dark chocolate and raspberry and milk chocolate peanut butter – have the grittiness or synthetic taste of some protein bars.
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