For a long time, protein bars were basically one genre: the “healthy-looking mini brick you dutifully eat after training”. Thankfully, we have moved on.
What is a protein bar?
A protein bar is a snack format in which protein plays a prominent nutritional or product-positioning role. Whether it can actually be called “high protein” depends on EU nutrition-claim rules and the product’s real nutritional values, not the size of the word PROTEIN on the wrapper.
How much protein is in a protein bar?
There is no universal number. Nanosupps BAR examples sit at around 14–16 g per bar: Cookie Dough 16 g, Peanut Caramel 16 g, Cinnamon Roll 16 g, Fudge Brownie 15.6 g and Maple Syrup Pancake 14 g.
What makes a good protein bar?
taste and texture you genuinely enjoy
clear and relatively high protein per serving
ingredients and allergens that are easy to find
a serving size that fits the occasion
a product that does not pretend to be more than it is
How do you choose a flavour?
More of a chocolate person? Do Fudge Brownie and Cookie Dough sound suspiciously good out loud? Obviously Cookie Dough. Love bakery flavours? Cinnamon Roll or Maple Syrup Pancake is a strong place to start. Love the crunch of peanuts? Chunky Peanut Caramel. We do not have a scientifically validated flavour test. We do, however, have strong opinions.
When is a protein bar practical?
In your bag, at the office, while travelling, around training, or whenever the internal alarm goes off and you urgently need a snack. The strength of a protein bar is not that it replaces every meal. It is that it can be a useful snack with very little logistics. In the end, a good protein bar passes two tests: what does the label say, and would you buy it again?
Sources and professional background
European Commission – HIGH PROTEIN and SOURCE OF PROTEIN nutrition claims.
