After hours of research, I’ve come up with my personal list of the top 9 protein bars for muscle growth, in descending order, best first. This is for my personal training client in Knightsbridge London SW7 who asked me to research protein bars for him. This is for you!
1. QuestBar Peanut Butter Supreme (by Quest Nutrition)
60g bar
210 calories
20g protein
4g carbs (just 2g from sugars)
10g fat (mainly from the peanuts)
This is the Rolls Royce of protein bars. It even contains plant-based soluble fibre, oligosaccharides, and a natural sweetener called lo han guo (similar to stevia).
2. PhD Diet Whey Bar (by PhD Nutrition)
50g bar
177 calories
25g protein
14g carbs (of which 0.7g sugars)
4.5g fat (of which saturates 2.4g)
Impressive combination of high protein and low sugar. The fats are mainly from flaxseed, so you get a dose of essential fatty acids too. Also contains chromium (a micronutrient which helps stabilise blood-sugar levels) and the amino acid L-Carnitine.
3. Combat Crunch Bar (by Musclepharm)
63g bar
210 calories
20g protein
5g sugars
6g fat
The bulk of the carbs comes from a high fibre low sugar substance called isomaltooligosaccharides. The protein is top quality whey protein. This bar is popular for its taste and crunchy texture. Gluten-free too.
4. Protein Cookie (by MyProtein)
75g bar
317 calories
37g protein
19.5g carbs (of which 7g sugars)
10g fat (of which saturates 4g)
This whopping 75g bar has the most protein of my top 9, a combination of milk protein and soy protein.
5. Detour Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cream (by Forward Foods)
43g bar
170 calories
15g protein (whey)
17g carbs (of which 14g sugar alcohol and 1g sugars)
7g fat (mainly from peanuts)
A good low calorie high protein combo.
6. Supreme Protein Peanut Butter Crunch (by Supreme Protein)
43g bar
190 calories
15g protein (whey)
13g carbs (of which sugars 5g)
9g fat (of which saturates 4.5g)
Fats included flaxseed oil, but higher in saturates than other bars on my list. Rated very highly for taste.
7. Rise Protein Bar – Almond Honey (by Rise Bar)
60g bar
20g protein (whey)
20g carbs (of which 13g sugars, mainly from honey)
16g fat (mainly from almonds)
Gluten free and soy free, packed with high-quality protein, but rather high in sugars.
8. Trek Protein Oat Raisin Flapjack (by Natural Balance Foods)
50g bar
214 calories
10g protein
21g carbs (of which 10g sugars)
10g fat
Natural Balance Foods are best known for their Nakd bars. Trek protein bars are free from wheat, dairy, gluten, trans fats, and GM. They are also vegan-friendly. A bit lower in protein (and higher in sugars) than most of the others on my list, hence the lower ranking.
9. Maxinutrition Chocolate Caramel Protein Bar
(by Maxinutrition)
45g bar
159 calories
10g protein
23g carbs (of which sugars 11g)
4g fat
Lower in protein grams than grams of sugars, which puts this bar at the bottom of my list. However, it’s still healthier than the majority of protein bars on the market.
Dominic Londesborough is a personal trainer in London and author of this blog.