I wrote this article to help answer these questions:
- What’s the purpose of protein bars?
- What are they made of?
- Should I eat protein bars?
- What are the best and worst protein bars?
To get right to the point, here are the “protein bars” that I prefer after trying about 20 different kinds:
1. Bulletproof grass-fed collagen bars
2. NUGOslim (not the other NUGO types, due to unwanted ingredients)
3. Primal kitchen grass-fed collagen bars
I have three rules for bars, and if they’re not all met I won’t eat them:
- Great taste
- No soybean oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil due to potential oxidation
- 5g or less sugar per bar. I prefer xylitol, stevia, and erythritol for sweeteners.
Here’s the ingredient list on each of the bars above:
1. Bulletproof grass-fed collagen bars
Chocolate: Organic cashew butter, grass-fed collagen protein, inulin (chicory), Bulletproof XCT® oil powder (caprylic and capric acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut and/or palm kernel oil, tapioca dextrin), cocoa powder, organic cashews, BulletproofTM Brain Octane® oil (caprylic acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut oil), vanilla extract, organic coconut oil, sea salt, organic stevia leaf extract.
Vanilla: 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 extract, sea salt, stevia.
Mint Chocolate: Organic cashew butter, grass-fed collagen protein, inulin (chicory), Bulletproofä XCT® oil powder (caprylic and capric acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut and/or palm kernel oil, tapioca dextrin), organic unsweetened chocolate, organic cashews, Bulletproofä Brain Octane® oil (caprylic acid triglycerides from highly refined coconut oil), organic cacao nibs, organic coconut oil, non-GMO sunflower lecithin, vanilla extract, sea salt, organic stevia leaf extract, peppermint oil.
2. NUGOslim (not the other NUGO types, due to sugar)
Crunchy Peanut Butter: Protein Blend [Soy Crisp (Soy Protein, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Rice Protein, Soy Protein], Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Chicory Root, Vegetable Glycerine, Peanuts, Peanut Flour, Almonds, Chocolate Liquor, Rice Bran, Natural Flavors, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Peanut Extract, Salt.
Mint Chocolate: Protein Blend [Soy Crisp (Soy Protein, Tapioca, Salt), Soy Protein, Rice Protein], Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter), Chicory Root, Vegetable Glycerine, Alkalized Cocoa, Rice Bran, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Salt, Natural Flavors, Peppermint Extract.
Roasted Peanut: Protein Mix [Soy Crisp (Soy Protein, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Rice Protein], Dark Chocolate (Chocolate Liquor, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla), Chicory Root, Vegetable Glycerine, Peanuts, Chocolate Liquor, Peanut Flour, Rice Bran, Natural Flavors, Peanut Oil, Salt, Almonds.
3. Primal kitchen grass-fed collagen bars
Chocolate Hazelnut: Prebiotic Tapioca Fiber, Hazelnuts, Bovine Collagen Peptides, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, Egg Whites, Honey, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Eggs, Water, Cocoa Extract, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Monk Fruit Extract, Rosemary Extract
Coconut: Cashews, Prebiotic Tapioca Fiber, Bovine Collagen Peptides, Pumpkin Seeds, Egg Whites, Coconut, Honey, Coconut Flour, Water, Eggs, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Monk Fruit Extract
Sea Salt Macadamia: Prebiotic Tapioca Fiber, Almonds, Bovine Collagen Peptides, Macadamia Nuts, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, Egg Whites, Honey, Eggs, Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Monk Fruit Extract
Chocolate Almond: Almonds, Prebiotic Tapioca Fiber, Bovine Collagen Peptides, Pumpkin Seeds, Egg Whites, Honey, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Eggs, Water, Cocoa Extract, Vanilla Extract, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Monk Fruit Extract, Rosemary Extract
Where to find them
So far, whole foods, market district, and my local grocery each carry a couple of my favorite brands listed above. Any store I’ve seen carries the more popular brands like Clif, Luna, Kind, Larabar, and Quest. However, these bars almost always have oxidation-prone vegetable oils (sunflower, corn, soybean, safflower) and over 10g of sugar per bar. Quest doesn’t have the sugar content, but I haven’t found a Quest bar I thought tasted good.
What’s the purpose of these bars?
For me, the only reason I’d eat one of these is for pleasure. I think of them as a dessert that isn’t unhealthy–it’s more health neutral. I could argue that “convenience” is another reason, but they aren’t nutritious enough to call them a convenient meal-replacement. They’re simply to curb hunger, but that’s another way to say they make me feel better, which is another way to say pleasure.
For those seeking vegetarian protein sources, or convenient protein to fit with workout schedules, I would consider these effective options.
Where does the protein come from?
From the Bulletproof website: Bulletproof™ Collagen Protein contains just one ingredient (hydrolyzed collagen powder), and comes from pasture-raised, hormone-free cows. And unlike cheaper collagen that can end up damaged by heat, Bulletproof Collagen is enzymatically processed several times, to leave its nutrition-giving peptides intact. That makes it highly bioavailable (for maximum nutritional potency) – giving a neutral-tasting, odorless protein that doesn’t thicken or clump.
The Primal Kitchen bars also use “Bovine Collagen Peptides” for the main protein source.
For the NuGo Slim bars, the main source is a “protein Blend” [Soy Crisp (Soy Protein, Tapioca, Salt), Soy Protein, Rice Protein]. They do say “Non-GMO” on the label, so if genetically-modified food is a concern for, you should be safe with these.
Other questions I would research if I had more time:
- How does the body process these types of protein?
- What other ingredients should I watch out for?
Sources used:
Google/Google scholar, wikipedia, youtube, company sites (bulletproof.com, nugonutrition.com, primalkitchen.com).