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The 7 Best Protein Bars of 2024 for Vegans, Keto, Weight Loss, and More
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Protein bars aren’t just for bodybuilders or gym rats anymore.
People of all ages and walks of life are now chowing down on protein bars—and, fortunately, we’ve moved far beyond the chalky, overly chewy, and dense offerings of days past.
But as the protein bar market has exploded, so has the potential for unhealthy, sugar-laden, and additive-loaded bars that may do you more harm than good.
Not to worry—we’ve got you covered with the seven best protein bars you can buy today, including our top choice, ALOHA, for their organic, low sugar, and no-artificial-anything ingredients formulated into healthy and delicious protein bars.
We’ve also detailed the best protein bars for weight loss and muscle gain, plus vegan, whey protein, gluten-free, and keto options.
| Best Overall | Vegan | Whey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | ALOHA | Evo Hemp Bar | Rise Bars |
| Protein Per Bar | 14g | 12g | 20g |
| Cost | $32.99 ($2.75/bar) Shop Now | $28.49 ($2.37/bar) Shop Now | $28.49 ($2.37/bar) Shop Now |
Best for: Anyone wanting an affordable, high-fiber, and vegan-friendly protein bar that tastes like dessert.
With their delicious flavors, high-quality ingredients, and top-rated texture, ALOHA is our top pick for the overall best protein bar—especially the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor.
Each bar contains:
- 220-260 calories
- 14 grams of protein from brown rice protein and pumpkin seeds
- 6-10 grams of fiber from tapioca fiber, nuts, nut butter, or pumpkin seeds
- 2-5 grams of added sugar (from organic tapioca syrup, brown sugar, chocolate, or chocolate chips)
- Organic monk fruit
Some also have additional organic ingredients like sunflower butter, cashew butter, coffee, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, brown rice crisps, and coconut flakes.
Plus, we love that all of their bars are also Certified USDA Organic, non-GMO, soy- and gluten-free, and do not contain artificial sweeteners, dyes, or preservatives.
As we learned from our in-depth interview with ALOHA CEO Brad Charron, ALOHA will never skimp on quality just to meet the bottom line—they focus on sustainability, great ingredients, and ethical sourcing without taking any shortcuts that compromise on quality or nutrition.
In addition to the fan favorite flavor, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, ALOHA carries almost a dozen others, including Lemon Cashew, Chocolate Espresso, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Vanilla Almond Crunch—check out all of the flavors here.
Best for: Vegans or vegetarians looking for a high-quality protein bar; Anyone wanting a sustainable and environmentally friendly bar.
Veganism and plant-based eating is getting more and more popular, leading to an increasing number of high-quality and great-tasting protein bars—gone are the days of chalky, bland, soy-only bars.
And one of the best protein bars for vegans is Evo Hemp, which is a more sustainable protein source, as hemp plants use very little water and don’t need any fertilizer or pesticides to grow.
Plus, unlike many other vegan protein bars, this one is a complete protein, providing 12 grams of protein per bar with all nine essential amino acids.
Made from hemp seeds grown at small family farms in Colorado, Evo Hemp bars contain iron and magnesium, only 4g of sugar, and a beneficial 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
Other than hemp protein, some of the prominent ingredients in Evo Hemp bars include cashew butter, crisped brown rice, pea fiber, maple syrup, monk fruit, and lentil, chickpea, and pea flours.
Evo Hemp also utilizes regenerative farming practices to restore soil quality, and all of their products are third-party tested for consistency, quality, purity, and potency.
In addition to their fan-favorite Lemon flavor, Evo Hemp also offers other vegan protein bar flavors, like Double Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, and more—check ‘em out here.
Best for:
Rise Whey Protein Bar is one of the simplest on this list when it comes to ingredients—just three!—but it is not simple in how it tastes or functions.
With 20g of protein from whey protein isolate and almonds, Rise Bars are easy to digest, have a high protein bioavailability, and taste great due to the addition of honey.
While the bars are a bit higher on the sugar side (14g), it is 100% from honey—no high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, or artificial sweeteners here.
With 280 calories, 16 grams of healthy fats, and 4 grams of fiber, Rise Whey Protein Bars are an excellent choice for a pre-workout energy boost, post-workout recovery snack, or for anytime you need to bridge the gap between meals with a satiating bar.
Best for: People looking for a gluten-free protein bar that’s affordable and made with minimal, high quality ingredients.
RXBar is a well-known healthy protein bar—you’ve probably recognized their simple branding with just a handful of ingredients listed on the front, like 3 egg whites, 14 peanuts, 2 dates, and no B.S., of course.
Not only are RXBars our favorite gluten-free protein bar, but they are also vegan, dairy-free, and soy-free with minimally processed ingredients,
Some RXBAR fan favorites are Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sea Salt, which contain:
- 12 grams of protein per serving (from egg whites)
- 13-15 grams total sugar (from dates)
- 5 grams of fiber (from dates and nuts)
Plus, it’s one of the more affordable protein bar options, at just $1.83 per bar.
Best for: People on a keto diet looking for a healthy protein bar, or anyone wanting low-carb, zero-sugar protein bars without artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols.
Perfect Keto Protein Bars are healthy, zero-sugar, keto collagen protein bars that uniquely don’t contain artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols.
Rather, they use allulose—a sugar alternative found naturally in figs and raisins—to get down to 3g of net carbs per bar.
As allulose is not absorbed into the body, it doesn’t contribute to sugar content or daily caloric intake.
Some of the top Perfect Keto Protein Bar flavors include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Salted Caramel, and Almond Butter Brownie, with each containing:
- 10-13 grams of protein (from grass-fed bovine collagen)
- 0 grams of sugar (stevia, monk fruit, and allulose)
- 9 grams of fiber (acacia fiber)
Other ingredients like almond butter, cacao butter, MCTs, tapioca fiber, organic coconut oil, and organic cocoa.
Best for: Anyone looking for a high-fiber protein bar that may help with weight loss.
If you’re in the market for a protein bar for weight loss, Garden of Life Organic Fit High Protein Weight Loss Bar is your best bet.
With 13g of fiber, 1g of sugar, and 14g of vegan protein—and no sketchy additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients—these Garden of Life bars are a healthy option for just about anybody.
Plus, this bar contains ashwagandha, an adaptogen linked to stress relief and weight loss, and green coffee bean extract, which has been found to lower body weight and reduce obesity when consumed for 4 weeks or more.
We also love that Garden of Life Organic Fit Bars—like all of their products—are third-party certified, meaning they’ve been tested by an independent laboratory for ingredient quality and purity.
Best for: People looking for protein bars to support muscle growth; anyone looking for a healthy pre-workout or post-workout protein bar.
While technically all protein bars could be considered a good snack for muscle growth, Atlas Protein Bar has a few extra offerings that make it our top choice for gym goers looking to gain some lean body mass.
Atlas Protein Bar has one of the highest protein contents on this list—20g from grass-fed whey—with only 1g of sugar and 3-4g of net carbs.
This bar also contains KSM-66® ashwagandha (the most clinically studied form of the adaptogen), which has been shown to improve body composition by increasing muscle mass and lowering body weight.
Research backs this up, too—a 2015 study of men aged 18-50 found that supplementing with ashwagandha for eight weeks led to significantly greater increases in arm muscle size, and increased strength on the bench-press and leg-extension exercises compared to the placebo.
Plus, the men who took ashwagandha had reduced exercise-induced muscle damage, and they lost 3.5% of their body fat (compared to 1.5% in the placebo group).
All in all, the high protein, low sugar, and recognizable ingredients make Atlas Protein Bar our number one pick for the best protein bar for muscle gain.
Protein Bar FAQs
Is It OK to Eat Protein Bars Every Day?
If the protein bar is healthy—low in sugar, contains protein and fiber, and doesn’t have artificial ingredients (sweeteners, preservatives, or generally sketchy ingredients)—then there is no problem having protein bars every day.
Even if you are not working out every day, healthy protein bars can be a great snack to bridge the gap between meals.
Which Protein Bar Is Best for Fat Loss?
Garden of Life Organic Fit High Protein Weight Loss Bar is a great protein bar for fat loss, as it is high in protein and fiber and low in sugar.
It also contains ashwagandha, an adaptogen linked to stress relief and weight loss, and green coffee bean extract, which has been found to lower body weight and reduce obesity when consumed for 4 weeks or more.
How Do I Choose the Best Protein Bars?
To start, assess what your dietary needs are—do you need a gluten-free, vegan, or low-carb bar? From there, choose a protein bar based on ingredients and flavor preferences. Look at the ingredients list—recognizing all of the ingredients and what they are is a plus.
Are Protein Bars Worth the Hype?
Protein bars can be a great addition to your diet—especially if you exercise regularly, don’t get much protein during mealtimes, or get hungry between meals.
While some protein bars may be overhyped, generally spending $2-3 per bar is reasonable and can be an excellent way to get extra protein in.
For the most affordable healthy protein bar, try RXBar, at $1.83 per bar.
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