Is anyone else suspicious of plant-based protein bars? I'm wary of most because they always look like candy bars disguised as healthy food. Isn't the whole point of eating a protein bar is to enhance your health? Then why do some of them have more sugar than candy?
The truth is that a lot of brands rely on cheap lab tricks and weird additives to make something like chalky plant protein actually taste good.
So I only eat the ones that I know for a fact are actually healthy. Here is how to look past the front-of-pack marketing, and pick a plant-based protein bar that actually does what it claims to do:
Let’s Talk Protein
A good protein bar does several things:
- Keeps you full for hours
- Keeps your blood sugar steady
- Feeds your muscles after a workout
In order to do all that, it needs a good amount of protein. About 12 to 20 grams per bar, for the average adult.
Any less than that, and you’re basically just eating candy.
Tip: Don’t go overboard on the protein, though! Those bars that boast 25 to 30+ grams usually bulk up those numbers by adding cheap fillers that are really bad for your gut.
Why Your Protein Bar Tastes More Like a Snickers
A lot of plant-based protein bars taste like chocolate, which for a lot of people, is part of the appeal.
But we’re talking about functional protein here, not dessert. The more a protein bar resembles a chocolate bar, the more cautious you should be about what’s probably hiding inside.
Worth saying: Not all plant-based protein bars are out to get you. Some of them taste good because they honestly just have really good recipes with real, quality ingredients.
Red-Flag Ingredients to Avoid in Plant-Based Protein Bars
Protein bars are a multi-billion dollar industry. And a lot of companies want a piece of that pie. To lure you in, they load their recipes with weird, artificial additives that make them:
- taste sweeter
- last longer
- look better
- feel softer and more fudge-like
It isn’t right, but it is common.
You can't stop brands from using cheap shortcuts, but you can learn to spot them on the label. If you see any of these in the ingredients, run and don't look back:
Fractionated Palm Kernel or Hydrogenated Oil
“rich chocolate coating”
“yogurt drizzle”
A cheap, highly-processed fat with barely any nutrition. It basically pumps your system with saturated fats that promote inflammation just to keep the bar from melting in the wrapper.
Maltitol or Maltitol Syrup
“zero sugar”
“no sugar added”
A chemical sugar substitute that pulls water straight into your colon, turning a quick snack into a sudden wave of painful gas, bloating, and emergency bathroom runs.
Soy Protein Isolate
“20g of plant protein!”
An ultra-processed industrial byproduct that frequently leaves your stomach feeling heavy and upset compared to actual whole-food sources.
Maltodextrin, Glucose Syrup, or Tapioca Syrup
“soft and chewy center”
“soft-baked texture”
Cheap liquid starches that hit your bloodstream faster than table sugar, spiking your glucose fast and leaving you crashing an hour later.
Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, or Tara Gum
“velvety smooth”
Heavy industrial binders used to keep the plant protein from turning into chalk, which can cause stubborn bloating and digestive irritation if you have a sensitive stomach.
“Natural Flavors”
“peanut butter cookie dough flavor!”
A catch-all, lab-created chemical cocktail designed to trick your senses into tasting a treat that isn’t actually in the wrapper.