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The 13 Best Protein Bars, Rated by Experts
We brought in the pros to help you find the right bar for your goals
As a Men's Health reader, we're guessing you're already pretty clued up on the role protein plays in your diet. But as a quick refresher, protein is essential for muscle gain, injury recovery and immune function, and can even help reduce body fat when used as part of a balanced diet.
Maintaining a high protein diet is easier said than done, though. There are only so many eggs, chicken breasts and tofu stir fries you can eat, after all. However, with the help of the best protein bars — often in the form of chocolate covered snacks, brownies or cookies — hitting your protein goal can become significantly easier (and tastier). The best options contain 20-25g of protein; ideally, you should go for one that contains less than 300kcal — providing your goal isn't weight gain.
Best Protein Bars
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But be aware that not all protein bars are made equal. Some contain high levels of sugar and 'empty calories', meaning your healthy treat could be anything but. To cut costs, some brands add crystalline fructose, which delivers intense sweetness in small quantities. Consume too much of this ingredient and it can put you at risk of liver damage.
Wholegrain oat-blend protein bars are some of the most popular options, as they can provide up to 30 per cent of your RDA of fibre. Most protein bars are also bolstered with between 15 and 20 vitamins and minerals, with a focus on antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which will help ease DOMS.
Below, we've enlisted the help of two nutritionists — Jenna Hope (ANutr), MSc, BSc (Hons) and nutritionist Rob Hobson — to get their steer on what to look for in a protein bar. With their help, we've tested to the test to bring you our edit of the best protein bars to stash in your gym bag. Here are our favourites.
Priyankaa is our senior health and wellness writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges.
She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more.
Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London's best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
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Yanar has spent 15 years as a health and wellness editor and writer for national titles such as Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Runner’s World. Yanar is a 580-hour yoga therapist, 200-hour yoga teacher and level 3 personal trainer at Yanar Mind & Movement. After years of running races and marathons, she discovered CrossFit and Olympic lifting in her mid-30s and fell in love with training and competing. She now advocates strength training for women to build a stronger body for life and the benefits of nervous system regulation for better physical and mental health. When not training, teaching or writing, she can be found experimenting in the kitchen.
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