Protein Bars Reviewed - Choosing the Best Bar For Your Needs
Posted by at 12:12 02/12/11
I often get asked by people confused as to what protein bar is best for them to take. To answer that question let's look at a few different measures by which we can assess protein bars, before looking at how different protein bars on the market stack up against each other.
Taste vs Nutritional Value
When it comes to protein bars people fall into two camps - those who prioritize taste and those wanting high quality nutrition. In the past this was very much a case of choosing one or the other but modern food science has progressed to the point where both can be found in the same bar. Still, we can still generally say that the best tasting ones will be those with natural sugar, rather than sugar alcohol, as well as a higher than average fat content. At the same time, the higher the protein content, the thicker the overall texture.
With that in mind let's examine a few popular bars on the market and compare them for taste, nutritional value, and suitability as part of a healthy lifestyle.
1. Detour Bars
Detour bars revolutionised the market for protein bars and were widely compared to Snickers bars when they first came out. Now available in multiple flavours, the original caramel peanut flavour remains the most popular. Being a high carb, moderate fat bar with a good amount of protein, detour bars make for a good meal replacement bar.
Scores out of ten
Taste - 9
Nutritional Value - 7
Notes - Use with high carb and muscle building diets.
2. EAS Myoplex Diet Bars
Eas Myoplex diet bars are a very popular bar, with widespread distribution in health outlets across the United Kingdom. They are certainly a very tasty treat, being a high carb, high protein, and low fat diet bar. They make for an excellent meal replacement for athletes wanting a high protein bar, with excellent taste, and having enough carbohydrates to fuel exercise performance.
Taste - 8.5
Nutritional Value - 8.5
Notes – Versatile. Can be used with different types of diets.
3. CNP Pro-XS Bars
CNP Professional Pro-XS bars are geared more towards the bodybuilding market , being high in protein and low in fats and sugar. Instead of sucrose or simple sugars they contain sugar alcohols which provide a sweet taste but are not digested in the same way as normal sugars. So while the number of carbohydrates is high, net impact carbohydrates are low. This makes Pro-XS bars are a great choice for those on low carbohydrate diets.
Taste - 7
Nutritional Value - 9
Notes - Good for bodybuilders and those on low carb diets.
4. Reflex Pit Stop Bars
Reflex Pit Stop bars make for an excellent source of protein and have a great taste to boot. Reflex have reformulated the formula of their bars recently and the taste and nutritional quality has been much improved as a result. With over 33g of protein per bar and moderate carbohydrate content (primarily from polyols), and relatively low fat Pit Stop bars have won a big following in recent years.
Taste – 8.5
Nutritional Value – 9
Notes – Great all around protein bar, especially for bodybuilders.
5. AST Sports Science Vyo-Pro Bars
AST is a major US manufacturer whose Vyo-Pro bars will go down well with those of you who like chocolate brownies. If this is you then they make a good choice. Personally, I am not a big fan of the taste though and the nutritional value makes them more useful as snacks with 20g of protein per serving.
Taste – 7
Nutritional Value – 7
Notes – One for Brownie lovers
6. Interactive Mammoth Bars
Interactive have now produced a companion weight gain bar to the highly popular Mammoth weight gainer. Different to the rest of the bars in this review, Mammoth bars are designed to increase weight and best suited to those who struggle to eat enough as it will contain more calories to fuel growth. With a high amount of carbohydrates it has a good taste and texture as well.
Taste – 8.5
Nutritional Value – 7.5
Notes – Best for hardgainers
7. Supreme Protein Carb Conscious Bars
Supreme Protein is the leading protein bar brand in the USA and have garnered many awards in the process. Their supreme protein bars have a quadruple layer and the taste is very good. The Caramel Peanut crunch in particular makes for a great snack. Available in two sizes, they make for excellent snacks, although their nutritional value is not as great.
Taste – 9
Nutritional Value – 7
Notes – The taste alone makes them worth buying!
8. ISS Oh Yeah Bars
Oh Yeah bars by ISS make for a great snack. With a great taste and a nuttier bar than others on this review, their small size makes them best as a snack rather than a meal replacement. With a relatively high amount of fat you would not want to overindulge on these though.
Taste – 9
Nutritional Value – 7
Notes – Best used as a snack and eaten occasionally.
9. Maximuscle Cyclone Bars
The main protein bar by Britain’s leading supplement company Cyclone bars have a large following. With additional nutrients such as HMB and creatine added, they are definitely a premium bar. Unfortunately, the addition of these nutrients detracts from the taste somewhat though.
Taste – 7
Nutritional Value – 8
Notes – Good for people wanting to take extra creatine and HMB
10. Myoplex HP60 Bars
The ultra high protein content of HP60 bars makes them ideally suited to anyone who needs to increase protein intake a lot. Admittedly they do not taste as good as higher carb/fat bars but they have a great nutritional profile.
Taste – 7
Nutritional Value – 9.5
Notes – The #1 choice for those wanting to gain lean muscle mass
11. Labrada Lean Body Gold Bars
With a snickers like taste and great texture the Lean Body Gold bars make for a great meal replacement bar. They also have a good nutritional value, making them ideally suited to all people, including those on a low carb diet as the carbohydrate in these bars comes from sugar alcohols.
Taste – 9.5
Nutritional Value – 8
12. Myoplex Carb Sense Bars
As the name suggests these bars are the snack food of choice for those on a low carbohydrate diet. Despite the reduced carb intake these bars also afford a great taste and have a good nutritional profile as well. With a nice texture as well this is another great product by EAS.
Taste – 8.5
Nutritional Value – 8.5
13. Trioplex Bars
The name Chef Jay is synonymous with bars and snack foods for the bodybuilding market. His trioplex range of bars are tasty but one for those with hearty appetites. Possibly a little dry in my view, but they are very popular nonetheless.
Taste – 8
Nutritional Value – 7
14. Body For Life Bars
As another EAS brand aimed at the leaner individual Body for Life bars are well suited towards dieters and those of smaller frames. As expected by EAS they have a nice taste and are nutritionally sound.
Taste – 8
Nutritional Value – 8
We cannot possibly review every protein bar on the market but we hope this review is of assistance to people who are bewildered by the best bar to pick. Ultimately, it depends on personal preference but use this to guide your decision.
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