I’ve been on the hunt for nutritional sports bars that compliment an active lifestyle. As an endurance athlete, I often have a hard time consuming as much energy as I burn. And it can be worrisome to think about consuming all of the vitamins and minerals my body needs to function well. So, I recently tried a whole bunch of different protein parts to find high-quality products to add to my lifestyle. The best protein sports bars are wholesome, packed with nutritious ingredients and calorically dense. Whole ingredients are key. By consuming protein bars that your digestive system can handle, you will optimize nutritional intake.
Editor Picks
Best Flavor |
Pro Bar |
Best Nutritional Value |
Sans Meal Bar |
Greatest Overall Value |
Bumble Bar |
Best Savory Option |
Caveman Foods |
If you’re looking for a meal replacement bar, the healthiest protein bars, or sports nutrition bars, keep scrolling. Finding a wholesome protein bar can help to support performance and recovery by creating the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein.
Built Bar
Favorite Flavor: Peanut Butter Bar
Calories: 170
Cost: $37.80/18 bars or $2.10/each
When I first bit into a Built Bar, I was expecting it to be dense and full of powder. But boy, was I surprised! Built Bars and chewy, like a candy bar. And yet they are terrific in flavor. And Built Bar’s Peanut Butter Bar provides a new take on a classic flavor. With 170 in each bar, the nutritional density is worth the investment. Each bar contains 20g of protein (40% of your daily value), plenty of fat and carbs. The quality of Built Bar protein bars is definitely worth the cost.
About Built Bar: Built Bar is a Utah-based company that prides itself on providing variety. And it’ll be tough to find a company that features as many flavors as Built Bar. Whether you’re looking for chocolate mousse protein bars or caramel brownie, Built Bar has you covered. And they even provide nut-free flavors for those with dietary restrictions.
Pro Bar
Favorite Flavor: S’Mores Meal Bar
Calories: 200
Cost: $39.99/12 bars or $3.33/each
Pro Bar products are consistently top-notch. In fact, I have yet to try a Pro Bar product that I wasn’t satisfied with. And the S’mores Flavored Meal Bar made my jaw drop when I tasted it for the first time. Most bars are dense and the flavor resembles something that was made in a chemistry lab. But Probar’s S’more Flavored Meal Bar seems to be an exception. The flavor description is accurate — it tastes just like a S’more. Each S’more Meal Bar contains 9g of protein. And the ingredients are lighter than a cliff bar, so you don’t feel like you’re chewing through goo.
About Pro Bar: Pro Bar was born as a response to Jeff Coleman’s desire to fuel his athletic endeavors with real ingredients. Today, the company uses sustainably sourced ingredients to provide whole, on-the-go nutrition. Designed for athletes and adventurers, Prob Bar’s wide variety of products lends itself to health-conscious individuals.
Skout Organic
Favorite Flavor: Organic Chocolate Cherry Protein Bar
Calories: 220
Cost: $29.99 / 12 bars or $2.50 /each
Skout Organic’s Chocolate Cherry Bar is unique in flavor. Most of the time, we find protein bars that taste like peanut butter or chocolate brownies. But Skout does a great job of offering new options. Plus, in the Organic Chocolate Cherry Protein Bar, dates are the first ingredient. But they’re also grain free and organic. This company uses a variety of seeds, cocoa and cherries to pack this protein bar full of natural and nutritional components. This bar features 4% of your daily calcium needs, 15% of iron, 10% of potassium and 20% magnesium. And each serving contains 10g of protein.
About Skout Organic:
Skout Organic emphasizes organic and natural ingredients in their recipes. The founder, Jason, realized that most protein bars have about the same nutritional value of a candy bar. And they decided that, together, they’d like to offer a healthier option. Skout Organic’s unique flavors don’t end with the Chocolate Cherry bar. They also have flavors like the Organic Coconut Protein Bar and the Organic Salted Caramel Protein Bar.
Rise Bar
Favorite Flavor: Chocolatey Coconut Protein Bar
Calories: 270 calories
Cost: $27.99 / 12 bars or $2.33/ each
Rise Bar’s Chocolately Coconut Protein Bar is one of their many plant-based protein options. With 15g of protein and 5 simple ingredients, this bar takes you back to the basics. Pair cashews with coconut, and you’ve got this protein bar. It’s gluten free, non-gmo, soy free, peanut free and it doesn’t contain artificial flavors or sweeteners. Plus, the fiber content is high, which I love. The nutritional content of this bar is great and there’s a lot to like about it, but I’d love to see some lighter, airy flavors.
About Rise Bar: Rise Bar’s mission is to provide simple and nutritious bars for consumption. Pete Spenuzza, Rise Bar’s founder, named the company based on his belief that nutritional content helps us rise to greatness. 10 years after the birth of Rise Bar, their values remain strong. And manufacturers continue to make natural protein bars without all the extra fluff that competitive brands incorporate into their bars.
Raw Rev
Favorite Flavor: Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
Calories: 180
Cost: $26.99 / 12 bars or $2.25 / each
It can be really tough for vegans to find protein bars. But Raw Rev makes it really simple by providing whole some and natural protein bars. And the Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt protein bar is a great example. These protein bars have 11g of protein. They are small yet mighty. And Raw Rev packs a punch with their superfood ingredient blend. With just a handful of ingredients in these bars, you can be sure that there aren’t any toxic fillers or additives hiding amid the complicated components. And this bar contains tons of fiber and plenty of vitamins and minerals.
About Raw Rev: Raw Rev’s founder, Alice Bendette, had a background in nursing before she lept into Raw Rev. She felt passionate about providing nutritious and vegan options accessible for everyone. Raw Rev’s goal is to continue manufacturing high-quality vegan and nut based products in order to have a global impact on health and wellbeing.
Bumble Bar
Favorite Flavor: Chocolate Mint
Calories: 180
Cost: $18.99 / 12 bars or $1.58 / each
I’ve always been a lover of mint-flavored foods. Mint chocolate chip always scratches an itch, for me. And Bumble Bar’s plant-based Chocolate Mint flavored bar features a similar, great flavor. The first ingredient in this product is organic sesame seed. But it also incorporates other superfoods like flax seed into its construction. It’s hard to believe that these bars only cost $1.58 each, considering their superior ingredients. And this bar is also certified gluten free, dairy free, organic and made in the USA. Bumble Bar products are light and airy, which I love. And yet they don’t compromise quality or nutritional content. While these bars just have 3g of protein per serving, they are packed full of healthy fats and fiber.
About Bumble Bar: Bumble Bar’s mission is to provide healthy food options for those who live an active lifestyle. But they also source their ingredients ethically, meaning that they make choices to protect the planet. Built in Spokane, WA, the company’s mission revolves around social activism, healthy food manufacturing and ethical sourcing. The company’s founder, Liz War, continues to lead Bumble Bar towards success through the implementation of their core beliefs.
OhiFood Co
Favorite Flavor: Coconut Macadamia
Calories: 280
Cost: $27.99 / 8 bars or $3.50 / each
OhiFood Co’s Coconut Macadamia bar is certified paleo, grain free, gluten free, vegan, plant-based and soy free. Coconut products are some of my favorites types of products. And this bar is is a new favorite. This is the first bar I’ve encountered that requires refrigeration. And I was expecting to become frustrated with the preservation process. But I actually found that the refrigerator makes these bars even tastier. Maintaining a cool texture adds a lot to the nutritional experience. This bar contains lots of fat and carbs to support an active lifestyle. And each Coconut Macadamia bar has 8g of protein in it.
About OhiFood Co: OhiFood Co is a Hawaii-based company that provides refrigerated bars that are packed full of superfoods. OhiFoods is determined to provide bars with simple ingredients that anyone can pronounce. Their approach to nutritional transparency represents a wholesome approach to food.
Green Belly
Favorite Flavor: Mango Cashew Coconut
Calories: 650
Cost: $195 / 32 bars or $6.09 / each
I was really excited to try a handful of Green Belly’s meals, and the Mango Cashew Coconut meal did not disappoint. It’s really lightweight, which makes backpacking with these meals easy. And it’s a 650 calorie meal, which is great when you’re super active. The ingredients feature dried fruit, cashew flakes, honey and more. I must admit, however, that the price point makes these meals pretty inaccessible for me. While the flavor and nutritional content are terrific, there are a lot of options for thru-hikers that don’t cost so much.
About Green Belly: Green Belly was designed for thru-hikers by thru-hikers. Each of their meals is incredibly calorically dense, consisting of a caloric content of about 650 calories. Since they’re designed for hikers, the caloric density is an amazing feature. Most of us burn two to three times the standard amount of calories, which can make backcountry nutrition difficult. Chris Cage, the company’s founder, recognized the importance of providing a high-quality and nutrient-rich product for people who burn a lot of calories. And Green Belly products are the result.
88 Acres
Favorite Flavor: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
Calories: 200
Cost: $21.50/9 bars or $2.39/each
Combining dark chocolate and sea salt was one of the most brilliant events to occur in history. And 88 Acres certainly does the flavor justice with their Dark Chocolate Sea Salt bar. These bars are delicious yet nutritious. Each of these bars contains 6g of protein, which is great for their size. Consuming these bars is like eating a healthy candy bar; The experience is pleasurable. I look forward to sinking my teeth into these. A lot of bars are dense and tough to stomach, but I really enjoyed a sampling of 88 Acres bars. Overall, 88 Acres’ bars are quite airy, which I love. And if dark chocolate isn’t your thing, they also have flavors like Triple Berry and Cinnamon and Oats.
About 88 Acres: 88 Acres emphasizes natural nutrition by incorporating seeds and butters into their products. While many competitive bars are packed with calories, they often also have fillers and unnatural sugars. 88 Acres bars, on the contrary, are full of wholesome ingredients. And they’re really enjoyable to consume. Additionally, 88 Acres offers gluten-free options.
Sans Meal Bar
Favorite Flavor: Blueberry Meal Bar
Calories: 370
Cost: $45.00 / 12 bars or $3.38 / each
San’s Meal’s Blueberry Meal Bar is a delicious and densely nutritious sports bar. Combining ingredients like blueberry, lemon, almond and flax seeds makes this bar a superbar. And it even includes 14 essential vitamins and minerals to make sure that your body can repair itself in an efficient way. With 15g of protein and 370 calories per bar, it’s designed to support an active lifestyle. And the wholesome ingredients like egg whites and spinach powder play a large role.
About Sans Meal: Sans Meal Bar created a line of products that doesn’t contain added sugar. But they’re also made out of real ingredients, they’re nutrient rich and they’re balanced. This company was designed to combat two global issues: poor nutrition and hunger. They’ve implemented a program that enables the company to give meals away when meals are purchased.
Caveman Foods
Favorite Flavor: Sriracha Chicken Meat Bars
Calories: 70
Cost: $22.99 / 12 bars or $1.92 / each
As someone who prefers savory foods to sweet ones, one of my constant struggles is finding nutritious bars and snacks to take with me on my journeys. But caveman makes it easy by incorporating clever meat bars into their lineup of products. The Sriracha Chicken Meat Bars are incredibly tasty and they satisfy all of my savory yearnings. These bars use anti-biotic free chicken. Although they’re relatively low in caloric content, the flavors and ingredients make for a great snack.
About Caveman: Caveman Foods is built to provide clean snacks with an unbeatable flavor. Their line of foods is paleo certified and they’re designed to mimic many of the types of foods that our ancestors ate. Because of this, most of their products incorporate meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. But they don’t include all of the fillers that many contemporary foods include.
Thunderbird Real Food Bars
Favorite Flavor: Chocolate Coconut Cashew
Calories: 240
Cost: $29.95 / 12 bars or $2.50 / each
Eating a thunderbird bar is a unique experience. The density of these simple ingredients feels like it’s designed specifically for endurance athletes. And the flavors are unique. The calorie to cost ratio is competitive with market monopolies like Cliff Bar. But Thunderbird stands apart because they offer unique flavors like Apple Pie, Cherry Hemp Tumeric and even Hazelnut Coffee Maca. By combining quality ingredients with super-spices like Tumeric, Thunderbird fills the gaps in sports nutrition.
About Thunderbird: Based in Texas, Thunderbird bars was created by a team of endurance athletes who believed that food should be better. But that team of athletes didn’t want to compromise taste by prioritizing nutrition. The result was Thunderbird Real Food Bars. These bars incorporate four, simple ingredients. And the result is vegan, paleo and plant based nutrition. And each bar incorporates some type of superfood like
Final Thoughts About the Best Protein Bars for Endurance Athletes:
Endurance athletes require tons of carbohydrates and protein. And maintaining balanced nutrition can be a tricky process. But incorporating a high-quality protein bar into your diet can help you to patch some of your dietary gaps. Consider investing in a bar that is made out of whole ingredients. Minimizing fillers and additives will give your body its best chance to recover from intense physical activity. The best protein bars are simple and whole. And finding a protein bar to compliment your athletic lifestyle can make a huge difference in your performance.
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