{"id":203678,"date":"2025-10-05T17:47:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T17:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/203678\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T17:47:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T17:47:26","slug":"i-tried-13-popular-protein-bars-these-are-the-only-ones-worth-buying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/203678\/","title":{"rendered":"I Tried 13 Popular Protein Bars & These Are The Only Ones Worth Buying"},"content":{"rendered":"

With new brands of protein bars popping up all the time, it can be hard to know which one to choose, so I tasted 13 different brands to find the best ones. Aloha Minis won the best for snacking category, and Quest won the high-protein category, while think! proved to be the most packable.RX’s new high-protein bars took first place in the “natural” category, while Barebell’s won “best for dessert lovers,” and FITCRUNCH proved to have the best overall texture.<\/p>\n

The protein bar<\/a> industry has experienced exponential growth over the last decade. Brands seem to be popping up everywhere, bringing us new products with fun textures, nostalgic<\/a> flavors, all-natural ingredients, and alternative sources of protein<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n

It would seem there\u2019s a protein bar for everyone\u2014but not everyone loves every protein bar. Some of us get hung up on texture, cringing at options that are too chalky or dry. Others are especially sensitive to tasting specific artificial sweeteners. With so many options out there, each with its pros and cons, how do you know which one is right for you? <\/p>\n

I tasted 13 different brands of protein bars to find the very best options. Whenever possible, I sampled multiple bars from each brand to get a better sense of their range of flavors and textures. I quickly learned that there\u2019s no protein bar that\u2019s perfect in all respects\u2014but there are several that taste pretty darn good and deserve a gold ribbon in at least one (if not more!) of the categories below.<\/p>\n

Best For Snacking: Aloha Minis\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

Need a snack at 4 p.m. but don\u2019t want to go too crazy? With 6 grams of protein, Aloha minis offer the perfect little boost to get you to dinner. When I was tasting these, I was especially impressed by the texture of the bars: soft with just a little chew, and moist without becoming gluey. They\u2019re also completely vegan and made with a lot of certified organic ingredients. Oh, and if you love them, but want a larger serving? Grab their larger \u201cregular\u201d sized bars.<\/p>\n

Protein source: brown rice, pumpkin seedNutrition highlights: 6 grams of protein per 100-calorie barFavorite flavor: chocolate chip cookie dough<\/p>\n

ALOHA ALOHA Organic Plant Based Protein Bar MINIS |Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough| 20 Count, 24g Bars | Vegan, Low Sugar, Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb, Non-GMO, Stevia Free, Soy Free, No Sugar Alcohols<\/p>\n

\"ALOHA<\/a>Best High-Protein Bar: Quest\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a bar that gives you a lot of protein bang for the calorie buck, Quest is about to become your go-to. Packing at least 20 grams of protein, these bars also taste pretty darn good without exceeding the 200-calorie mark. In sampling these, I appreciated that the flavors were present without tasting too artificially over the top, and that the texture, while slightly chewy, wasn\u2019t at all chalky or gummy. While many flavors didn\u2019t have the exterior \u201cchocolate\u201d coating that other protein bars feature, they contained actual mix-ins, such as chocolate chunks or bits of cookie, that varied the texture and kept each bite interesting. <\/p>\n

Protein source: milk protein, wheyNutrition highlights: 20 to 21 grams of protein per 180- to 190-calorie bar (depending on the bar)Favorite flavor I tried: cookies ‘n’ cream<\/p>\n

Quest Quest Nutrition Cookies & Cream Protein Bars, 21g Protein, 4g Net Carbs, 1g Sugar, Gluten Free, Keto Friendly, 4 Count<\/p>\n

\"Quest<\/a>Best For Traveling: think!\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

Protein bars are often a grab-and-go snack for me (I don\u2019t think I\u2019m alone!), so I\u2019m always looking for one that I know won\u2019t get smushed or break into a million pieces if it lands at the bottom of my bag. Built compactly enough to guard against this, Think! high-protein bars promise to remain intact throughout the day\u2019s adventures. <\/p>\n

I found these bars to be firm and slightly chewy without being chalky, and flavorful without tasting artificial. There\u2019s not a lot of interior texture differences to break up the bar (that\u2019s part of what makes them so packable), but if you like a little extra crunch, I recommend the chunky peanut butter flavor: It has little bits of actual peanut that give you some of that variety.<\/p>\n

Protein source: soy protein, whey proteinNutrition highlights: 20 grams of protein per 230- to 240-calorie barFavorite flavor: chunky peanut butter<\/p>\n

think! think! Protein Bars, High Protein Snacks, Gluten Free, Kosher Friendly, Chunky Peanut Butter, Nutrition Bars, 2.1 Oz per Bar, 10 Count (Packaging May Vary)<\/p>\n

\"think!<\/a>Best “All-Natural” Bar: RX High-Protein\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

Looking for a bar with minimal ingredients that you could identify in a lineup? RX High-Protein Bars are worth checking out. These big siblings of the original RX protein bars pack 18 grams per bar and contain just 6 ingredients\u2014all of which a third-grader could pronounce. While these bars are a little drier than some others that I tried, I was amazed by how their flavors shone through in a completely natural way. I honestly didn\u2019t think I would like a strawberry peanut butter protein bar, but these proved me wrong.<\/p>\n

Protein source: pea proteinNutrition highlights: 18 grams of protein per 260- to 270-calorie barFavorite flavor: strawberry peanut butter<\/p>\n

RXBAR RXBAR High Protein Bars Strawberry Peanut Butter – 10.5oz\/5ct<\/p>\n

\"RXBAR<\/a>Best For Dessert Lovers: Barebells\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

You know those moments when you\u2019re trying to meet your protein goals, but you\u2019re really just craving a candy bar? (Quietly raising my hand.) Barebells is your girl. With a smooth, chewy interior reminiscent of a Milky Way and a crunchy chocolate coating that gives Crunch Bar vibes, these bars will scratch that candy bar itch like none other. Now I won\u2019t lie: The artificial sweetener can be detectable, and due to their slightly softer texture, these bars definitely do NOT travel the best. But if you want to feel like you\u2019re treating yourself, you can\u2019t go wrong with Barebells.<\/p>\n

Protein source: milk proteinNutrtion highlights: 20 grams of protein per 200-calorie barFavorite flavor: creamy crisp (don\u2019t ask what it is, I just know it was my favorite by FAR)<\/p>\n

BAREBELLS Barebells Protein Snacks Bars Creamy Crisp – 12 Count,Pack of 2, 1.9oz Bars 55g of High Protein – Chocolate Protein Bar with 1g of Total Sugars – Perfect on The Go Protein Snack & Breakfast Bars.<\/p>\n

\"Barebells<\/a>Best Texture: FITCRUNCH\"best\"pinterest\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Taylor Ann Spencer<\/p>\n

Protein bars get a lot of flak for textural problems, but in a sea of bars that could lean chalky, dry, or just plain texturally boring, FITCRUNCH is a stand-out star. These bars feature two smooth, slightly chewy base layers topped by two different crunch layers, all bonded with a \u201cchocolate\u201d exterior coating, so each bite manages to stay exciting and fun. I\u2019ll be honest: Some of the flavors weren\u2019t my favorite (I could definitely taste a bit too much of the artificial sweetener in the milk ‘n’ cookies bar), but others, like the mint chocolate chip, definitely delivered on the taste as well as texture.<\/p>\n

Protein source: whey protein, soy proteinMacros: 16 grams of protein per 190-calorie barFavorite flavor: mint chocolate chip<\/p>\n

Fit Crunch FITCRUNCH Snack Size Protein Bars, Designed by Robert Irvine, 6-Layer Baked Bar, 3g of Sugar, Gluten Free & Soft Cake Core (6 Bars, Mint Chocolate Chip)<\/p>\n

\"FITCRUNCH<\/a><\/p>\n

In Other Protein News . . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With new brands of protein bars popping up all the time, it can be hard to know which…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203679,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[117205,97,117203,117204],"class_list":{"0":"post-203678","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-best-protein-bars","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-protein-bars","11":"tag-protein-bars-taste-test"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}