Happy Monday! I often get asked what kind of protein bars I like to buy so I thought I’d share my favourite ones. While I do prefer to make my own protein bars and bites (find the two newest recipes here and here), I find that these are convenient to have around for days when you don’t have any homemade ones (sometimes there’s just no time to make any), when you need a snack and you are out and about, or when you’re traveling (I always bring a good stack with me wherever I go). There hasn’t been one single time I have regretted taking them with me on a trip, on the contrary they have saved me from either starving or making a poor food decision (I like to believe that this is healthier than consuming one giant chocolate chip cookie right?).
Now, I strongly suggest you make your own because being so easy to make you can’t get any healthier, but, with our busy lifestyles there are times when one of these comes in handy. Also, keep in mind that I’m not a nutritionist, I just read labels and apply some common sense. These have come to the top of my list based on what’s available here in Canada, protein-to-sugar ratio, ingredients and flavour. I’d love to know if anyone has any others to recommend, so if you have a favourite please leave a comment so that we can all check it out 🙂
There are TONS of protein bars in the market and not all of them are healthy. In fact, MOST of them are loaded with sugar, so much sugar, that it makes you wonder why the hell are they called protein bars? A protein bar that has more sugar content than protein makes no sense to me. You might as well eat a chocolate bar, you know? So, with this being said, what are the best options out there and more specifically what do I normally buy and keep handy? I have three favourites (not suitable for Vegans, sorry!):
1. Cliff Protein Bars: Fairly new, these come in 4 flavours and offer 14g of protein and 5g of sugar. My favourite flavours are peanut butter chocolate and coconut almond chocolate (haven’t tried the other two because they don’t really appeal to me). They have a semi-crunchy texture, and if you have a sweet tooth, they’ll for sure calm down the craving. I’ve seen them at Noah’s and Loblaw’s but you can also order them online on Amazon (here).
2. RX Bars: I discovered RX Bars last year and love them because their ingredients are pretty straight forward. While the sugar content is not exactly low, it mainly comes from the dates. I like that these bars have no added sugar, no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no artificial flavours, no preservatives, no fillers, and they are non GMO and kosher. The protein comes from egg whites and their texture is more on the chewy side with some chunks of nuts. My favourite flavours are chocolate sea salt, coconut chocolate and chocolate chip (top choice). I have seen them at Target, on Amazon, and now some natural food stores like Noah’s are selling them too.
3. OatMega Protein Bars: Similar to Cliff bars, their protein is also whey based with the difference that is grass-fed from New Zealand. They contain 14g of protein and 5g of sugar and they come in 8 different flavours: chocolate peanut, chocolate mint, chocolate brownie, vanilla almond (my fave), chocolate raspberry, blueberry, lemon chia and chocolate coconut (another good one). I’ve seen them at Loblaw’s Noah’s, Target and Amazon.
Below you can compare each:
