Review: The Ultimate Protein Bar Comparison

Protein is an essential macronutrient for anyone, but particularly someone who is working on building muscle and managing a healthy weight. I’ve been on a weight loss and fitness journey for over two years, and I don’t even want to think about how many protein bars I’ve consumed in that time! As I look for the best flavors, and the best bang for your buck nutrient-wise, I’ve put together a side by side review of tons of brands, complete with a nutrient chart and tons of photos. Read on for the ultimate protein bar comparison!

I do have affiliate links here, but I have not been endorsed or provided any product. Trust that I’ve spent my own money (and sacrificed my own tastebuds) to give you real simple reviews. Honest!

And if you want to read my honest opinion of Weight Watchers (as a paying, non-endorsed normal member), you can check that out here.

Here’s how it works: I’ve written up each protein bar, giving you the brand and flavor that I tried, as well as the basic nutrient breakdown. You get my honest opinion. As a bonus, I have a ton of photos (often as I waited for my kids in the car or stood in the kitchen way too late at night), as well as reviews of protein cookies, premade shakes, and homemade shakes and powders. Check out the full nutrition chart at the end.

I shopped at various places and tried to pick the flavors that I would like best, which tends to be dark chocolate. But sometimes I had to take what I could get! I shopped at: H-E-B, Walmart, Costco, Walgreens, Target. This review was compiled over a period of over six months! Now I’m tapping out. To the review we go!

Protein Bars

Atkins Protein: Peanut Butter Granola

220 calories, 16g protein 

While this bar has a few more calories than some of the others on this protein bar comparison, don’t mark it off just yet. It’s a good-sized bar and the peanut butter one is full of real peanuts! I loved that it was just a hint of sweet, and the nuts really broke up that nasty chewiness of some protein bars. I was pleasantly surprised! The only problem with this protein bar is that they’re a bit hard to find. Neither my HEB nor my Costco carry them consistently. I did find them at a fair price on Amazon and I’ve heard that Sam’s and Walmart might have them too. Here is Atkins’ website.

Clif Bar: Coconut Almond Chocolate

260 calories, 14g protein

Clif Bar is a standard when it comes to nutritional snacks. I love all the flavor choices that they have – doesn’t this Coconut Almond Chocolate sound divine? – but it was a bit of a disappointment to see how many calories I’m spending for just 14g of protein.

Oh my gosh. This bar is so amazing. I definitely get a coconut vibe (and you can see the flakes on the top of the bar!) and I love that the texture is firm and crunchy, not soggy. Not a lot of almond flavor, but a nice chocolate layer at the bottom. Absolutely delicious. Not particularly filling, and I hated spending that many calories, but I will probably cave and buy more of these for an occasional treat as they were so yummy! Here’s Clif’s website.

Kind Protein: Double Dark Chocolate Nut

250 calories, 12g protein

Good Lord this bar is so good. I hate that it’s pretty bad in terms of how much protein you get for the amount of calories you spend, but it doesn’t taste like a protein bar at all. You get the crunch and saltiness of the nuts with a great balance of dark chocolate. I almost forgot to take a photo, I was eating it so fast! Save some extra calories and enjoy one of these like a treat. In my protein bar comparison, these and the Power Crunch are definitely at the top of taste. Here is Kind’s website.

Larabar Protein: Apple Cobbler

210 calories, 11g protein

I love that Larabar offers a lot of fruit flavors (something that’s not all chocolate or vanilla), but I was honestly turned off by the look of the bar when I saw it. The flavor is actually excellent, not overly sweet and lots of subtle cinnamon and apple flavor. I just didn’t feel like it was filling and the texture was a bit difficult to get through with the hard bits throughout the chewiness.  Here is Larabar’s website.

Luna Protein: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

180 calories, 12g protein

After a bad experience with the Fiber One chocolate chip cookie dough, I was honestly a bit afraid (and nauseous) to try this one by Luna. I’m not familiar with the brand other than by name, but I was pleasantly surprised. The chocolate on the outside of the bar is creamy and not overly sweet. I thought that the bar tasted more like a toffee or mocha rather than chocolate chip, but it was excellent overall. Chewy but satisfying, although a bit low on the protein side. And hey, watch out for that sugar content – 14g! Way higher than most of the others on this protein bar comparison. And I didn’t know this until this article, but Luna Bars are owned by Clif Bars too. This is Clif’s website (again).

No Cow: Chocolate Fudge Brownie

210 calories, 21g protein

Not to be fooled with the smaller energy protein bar below, No Cow has a line of protein bars. This brand sports dairy-free snacks in trendy packaging with tempting flavor options. I hadn’t heard about them before I chose to do this protein bar comparison review, so I did get one of these “regular” protein varieties as well as the smaller bars sampled below that have caffeine in them.

I love the texture of this bar because it’s crumbly and not at all that overly squish of some protein bars. However, and I blame my kids for this, the smell upon opening the wrapper immediately reminded me of Play-Doh. I was really underwhelmed with the flavor but it was filling and again the texture was great. This is No Cow’s website.

No Cow Energy Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter

200 calories, 12g protein

I was intrigued to hear about these bars which are caffeinated and dairy free. The flavors I tried were Chocolate Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sea Salt. In my opinion, these have an amazing texture! I didn’t expect it to be like a crumbly brownie texture, but it was almost dry – totally the opposite than most of the other stuff on this protein bar comparison. The only complaint I had about the flavor was, while it wasn’t overly sweet and it was easy to eat, I didn’t get much of a flavor actually. These also don’t have as great of a protein benefit as the No Cow variety I mentioned above, but you’re paying almost as much in calories. This is No Cow’s website, again!

NuGo Slim, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle

160 calories, 17g protein

Next in my protein bar comparison, is my first favorite. This bar does have a bit of the dense, chewy protein bar texture that I hate, but the flavor makes it all ok. I love that it doesn’t taste fake, and isn’t overly sweet. I adore anything raspberry-esque and chocolate-esque, and this flavor didn’t disappoint! Unfortunately though, I can only find these online now like on Amazon.  This is NuGo’s website.

Oatmega: White Chocolate Raspberry

200 calories, 14g protein

This bar by Oatmega seemed much different than the protein bar comparison but I grabbed one to be thorough for my readers. The pull here is that Oatmega uses grass-fed whey from New Zealand cows and works to be more sustainable than other brands.

Unfortunately for me, the taste was terrible. For my taste, it was much too sweet and really gross texture wise. I also think it tore up my stomach as I had lots of tummy bubbling and just overall an angry stomach for the rest of the day. www.oatmega.com

Even though a lot of these photos were taken in the car, don’t worry. I was parked!

ONE Bar: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

220 calories, 20g protein

These bars by One are are just packaged and designed so well. I think they’re a bit too chewy and slightly too sweet but they do seem to keep me full for 2-2.5 hours. I love the flavor options – to me the chocolate chip cookie dough was a bit too sweet but I actually loved the peanut butter pie! Higher in calories but love the higher protein, and interested now to try more flavors.  This is One’s website.

Power Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter

210 calories, 20g protein

Browsing the health food aisles at my grocery store, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t yet picked a Power Bar! I know that this brand has been around for years but I’ve never really tried much of their stuff. While my H-E-B didn’t have a ton of options, I liked the firmness of the bars (so they don’t end up in shards at the bottom of the grocery sack) and who can go wrong with Chocolate Peanut Butter?

The flavor and texture is excellent. Excellent. It feels like if Reese’s made a protein bar. The inside of the bar is fluffy and the taste is really quite good, though stay away from this flavor if you don’t really like peanut butter.

It’s nice to have an option which is so high in protein: most of the choices in this protein bar comparison can’t pack 20g protein. But as you can see, you’re also paying for it in over 200 calories. This is Power Bar’s website.

Power Crunch: Triple Chocolate

205 calories, 13g protein

Holy crap this is so good – it’s more like a chocolate covered wafer cookie (think a wide Kit Kat) and the flavor is amazing. I love that these also have a bit of energy kick in them too. Flavor and texture wise, these get a perfect score. They do have less protein (for the same amount of calories more or less) than other bars. I don’t feel like I get a significant energy boost, but the flavor is fantastic and I actually crave them! Every flavor I’ve tried is delicious and doesn’t have a weird flavor, though I think the French Vanilla Creme is probably my least favorite. The flavors all have 13 grams of protein and between 200-205 calories. (And by the prices on Amazon, they’re also going to be one of the cheaper options, at barely over $1/bar.)

My only complaint would be that they’re on the low end of protein for a bar that’s this many calories, and they do melt quickly – you don’t want to leave these in your hot car! But I will continue to use these as a protein-y treat on a regular basis. My favorites? Triple Chocolate, and Mint Chocolate Chip. This is Power Crunch’s website.

Have kids at home? Think you don’t have time to work out? You gotta get a bit creative, but think again! Get my tips here for how to work out with kids around. And no, it’s not just about bench pressing the baby.

Premier Protein: Chocolate Peanut Butter

290 calories, 30g protein

I love this brand and all of their stuff – Premier is the only company you’ll see in my lists here of protein bars, protein shakes, and protein powders. And there’s a reason – they know how to make products that taste good and pack a ton of protein. (They’re also another more affordable option on Amazon.)

It comes with a cost, though, especially with this bar. You’re paying almost 300 calories! And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was actually really disappointed with the flavor. The texture was denser and had a bit of a crunch which I really liked, but I didn’t get much peanut butter flavor. It tasted almost bitter, like burned coffee. For the same amount of protein I could have one of Premier’s delicious shakes, which I reviewed below. This is Premier’s website.

Protein One: Chocolate Chip

90 calories, 10g protein

These bars are a new option out by Fiber One, whose stuff I think is delicious, so I grabbed a box to add to my protein bar comparison. This is a smaller bar but you get 10g protein for only 90 calories (and hey, if you chose to eat two bars, you’d be at 20g protein for under 200 calories). 

Though I have to say, it was almost impossible for me to make it through one. I actually did like the texture of these, they are firmer and not as nasty and chewy as some of the other protein bars can be. But the inside of the bar tasted almost sour to me. If I did not know it was supposed to be chocolate chip, I would have no idea what flavor it was trying to be.  This is Protein One’s website.

Pure Protein: Chocolate Deluxe

180 calories, 21g protein

One of the more standard options for someone’s protein bar comparison is the Pure Protein. As far as flavors, I’ve tried Chewy Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Deluxe, and Chocolate Peanut Butter – these are your middle-of-the-run protein bar. The taste is pretty good, they’re really chewy, and they’re filling… but you never really forget that you’re eating a protein bar. I got the huge pack of multiple flavors at Costco which is a really affordable option. I keep one of these in my purse at all times, they’re just not my favorite. Also, for the protein, they’re also the highest in calories. But they are filling – I have one of these regularly as my morning snack with an ounce of almonds and I’m satiated for 2-4 hours. (For those of you who need to throw something in a bag and take it with you, these do the best in the heat or in the abyss of your purse.) This is Pure Protein’s website.

While vanilla flavored protein bars, shakes, and powders normally use a synthetic flavoring, chocolate varieties usually include cocoa powder, making them less sweet but less “fake” tasting than their vanilla counterparts. (Often, the chocolate will be less in sugar and/or calories, too!)

Quest Protein Bar: White Chocolate Raspberry

200 calories, 20g protein

One of the more famous options in this protein bar comparison is the Quest line. These bars are loved by dieters and I hear about them all the time. I could tell that they’re very soft and squishy because quite a few of them got misshapen before I got a chance to eat them. One thing I love though is the choice in flavors: I got this White Chocolate Raspberry, Double Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Blueberry Muffin. I’m personally not crazy about the texture but the flavor availability is nice, and the protein-to-calorie ratio is pretty great. This is Quest’s website.

If your protein bar does get melted, you can always throw it in the fridge or freezer for a few hours; it’ll still be messy but it will firm up enough that it’s edible!

Think! High Protein Bar: Lemon Delight

230 calories, 20g protein

I grabbed various flavors of these Think! bars as they all sounded fantastic, and there was a sale (hallelujah says the woman buying $50 of protein bars like a crazy person). I gotta say, I love me some lemon desserts. And this one doesn’t disappoint! The Lemon Delight is easily one of the best flavors on this entire protein bar comparison. It’s a bit chewy and a bit sweet but doesn’t taste fake and isn’t overdone. Light and fresh, great for right before or after a workout. I’m excited to try more! This is Think’s new website.

While I do include the manufacturer websites for each protein bar, and sometimes they do offer coupons for signing up for email lists, you can oftentimes find better online pricing elsewhere. Check my Amazon links too!

Think! Protein+, Cupcake Batter

150 calories, 10g protein

This bar isn’t the worst when it comes to my protein bar comparison and you look at “how much protein do I get for as few calories as possible”.  But it’s pretty terrible taste-wise in my opinion. These bars are smaller, thinner, and coated in a lovely icing-like dip. I like that they’re soft and easy to bite through instead of feeling like you have to gnaw on your protein bar.

However, again the synthetic taste is terrible, and the chewiness was off the charts for me. (This was also the only flavor that Target had when I went shopping there, but I would be interested to try another.) Also, remember that Think! is the artist previously known as ThinkThin (and Think Protein+), so as they transition the brand and labeling you might see a change in options. Again, this is Think’s website.

ThinkThin Protein Cakes: Chocolate Cake

170 calories, 12g protein

I like this idea because it’s not quite a protein bar and it’s not quite one of those protein muffins or cookies. You get two small cakes in a pack which equal the nutritional information above. Unfortunately this variation doesn’t come in a lot of different flavors, I’ve only seen two – this Chocolate Cake, and a vanilla one. (The website claims to have a new Red Velvet too!)

I appreciate that these look exactly the way they do on the packaging. While the texture is extremely chewy, I actually do not mind – it’s denser, like a chocolate bar. And the flavor is great! I like that it does not feel fake and it is not overly sweet. If you are like me and sweet stuff makes you sick, this will be one of the best flavors out of the entire protein bar comparison review. And the high density of these cakes feel better to me than an overly chewy protein bar like Quest. Last time: this is Think’s website.

An ounce of meat – whether it be beef, fish, chicken, or other – is usually about 7g of protein.

Protein Bars: Best in Flavor

• Power Crunch: Triple Chocolate, Mint Chocolate
• Clif Protein: Coconut Almond Chocolate
• Power Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Kind: Dark Chocolate
• Think! Lemon Delight

Protein Bars: Highest in Protein

• No Cow: Chocolate Fudge Brownie (21g)
• Pure Protein: Chocolate Deluxe (21g)
• Power Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter (20g)
• ONE: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (20g)
• Quest: White Chocolate Raspberry (20g)
• Think! Lemon Delight (20g)

Protein Bars: Lowest in Calories

• Protein One: Chocolate Chip (90g)
• NuGo Slim: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle (160g)
• ThinkThin Protein Cakes: Chocolate Cake (170g)
• Luna: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (180g)
• Pure Protein: Chocolate Deluxe (180g)

Protein Cookies

This is a great option for convenience and the mentality of “I’m not eating a protein bar, I’m eating a cookie!” may help more people reach their goals. I was disappointed to see that I’m spending well over 200 calories for way less protein. So for me, it all came down to flavor. Are these things amazing and thus worth it, or was it a waste of calories for not that much protein?

The Protein Cookie Company: Original Chocolate Chip

250 calories, 22g protein

This cookie did have a weird smell when I opened it, but the texture and flavor was pretty good. It’s a little bit grainy but I liked that it wasn’t too sweet. I was able to eat it quickly – I was hungry, I guess! – and felt satisfied. And they are higher in calories than a protein bar but geez this one has 22g of protein! That’s more than the bars! So I’ll take it.

There’s also a Dark Cocoa White Chocolate Chip at 20g protein, and a Dark Cocoa Chocolate Chip at 23g protein. Woo! I like having a few of these around to knock out more of my protein, but at a higher calorie cost. However I only eat one of these once a week or so, and I’ve loved every flavor I’ve tried. Here is Protein Cookie Company’s website.

Protein Shakes

I have a few brands of premade protein shakes that I’m going to add here to my protein bar comparison because usually you get a better ratio of high protein to low calorie. Check various stores to see if you can buy a case for cheaper, and try different flavors too!

Want a protein drink in the morning without giving up caffeine? Mix water, instant coffee, and a protein shake (try caramel or vanilla) for a protein coffee drink! Or make another option with a shot (or three) of expresso with an entire protein shake.

Shamrock Farms

190 calories, 30g protein

This shake is so delicious! Taste-wise it is definitely my favorite: thick and creamy, and just a little sweet. It does have to be refrigerated and one will usually run you upwards of $2 (I think I got mine for about $2.36 at HEB). It is a bit larger quantity at 19 ounces and it’s a thicker consistency than a homemade frothy one or the Premier example below, but they’re yummy and super easy to drink. This is Shamrock Farms’ website.

Premier Protein

160 calories, 30g protein

This is my standard protein shake if I’m not making one of my own. The chocolate is smooth and easy to drink, and not too sweet. It’s also a bargain when it comes to protein vs calories: at 30g protein and only 160 calories, it’s the best bet. I usually drink one every morning and I buy them at Costco by the case. This is Premier’s website.

This shake is also on my must-have list of favorite Weight Watchers snacks. They don’t have to be refrigerated though they’re better cold; additionally, you can use other flavors like vanilla or caramel with a few expresso shots for an amazing coffee protein drink! I personally didn’t like the strawberry or cookies and cream flavors as they tasted too synthetic for me. And caramel and vanilla are personally too sweet for me to want to drink them on their own, but I do like mix them in coffee! www.premierprotein.com

I will warn you though: don’t drink these too often as they can start to mess with your heart rate, almost like an energy drink would. Like everything else, eat these in balance.

Protein Powders

I have a few homemade combinations that I use – while I hate using my blender (and those protein shaker cups just don’t cut it for me), I love the customization options. Think about adding half a banana, some cinnamon, frozen berries, or some Greek yogurt to give your homemade protein shake a boost! You can use water but if you’re not a psychopath you can use milk or nut milk – my favorite is unsweetened original almond milk, which comes in at about 25 calories/cup. Powders will usually contain at least 15-20 servings and per unit are a lot more affordable than the premade shakes above.

Designer Protein Powder

110 calories, 20g protein

I love Designer Protein – it makes a lot of sense to me financially because it’s quite affordable, and comes in smaller canisters. (If you’re like me that means you can have a few different flavors for the same price of one huge package of another one.) I’ve tried their chocolate, cookies and cream, and chocolate mocha flavors. They also make the. only vanilla flavored protein powder that I don’t hate. This is Designer’s website.

Premier Protein Powder: Chocolate Milkshake

180 calories, 30g protein

This protein powder is a bit higher in calories for the protein that you get, but it’s an affordable and easy-to-find powder. I got a free shaker cup when I bought mine at H-E-B, and I like all of Premier’s products to be honest. This jar comes with about 17 servings, which is one large scoop. One more time, this is Premier’s website.

Equate Whey Isolate Protein Powder

150 calories, 30g protein

This protein powder is honestly my favorite simply because it’s cheap (less than $20 for a huge jar of 20+ servings) and really versatile. It’s delicious with my plain almond milk; and if I add some plain nonfat Greek yogurt to it for a bit of a tang, I end up with a chocolate cheesecake flavored shake! The only downside of this brand is that it’s Walmart only. This is Walmart’s website.

Type	Name Brand	Flavor Tested	Calories (g)	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)
Bar	Atkins	Peanut Butter Granola	220	11	18	6	1	16
Bar	Clif	Coconut Almond Chocolate	260	13	23	5	5	14
Bar	Kind	Double Dark Chocolate Nut	250	17	18	5	8	12
Bar	Larabar	Apple Cobbler	210	7	26	4	19	11
Bar	Luna	Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough	180	6	21	2	14	12
Bar	No Cow	Chocolate Fudge Brownie	210	7	24	17	1	21
Bar	No Cow Energy	Chocolate Peanut Butter	200	9	26	8	1	12
Bar	NuGo Slim	Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle	160	4.5	19	7	2	17
Bar	Oatmega	White Chocolate Raspberry	200	7	22	7	5	14
Bar	ONE	Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough	220	8	24	9	1	20
Bar	Power Bar	Chocolate Peanut Butter	210	6	25	4	12	20
Bar	Power Crunch	Triple Chocolate	205	13	10	1	5	13
Bar	Protein One	Chocolate Chip	90	0	11	4	1	10
Bar	Pure Protein	Chocolate Deluxe	180	4.5	17	2	3	21
Bar	Quest	White Chocolate Raspberry	200	8	22	15	1	20
Bar	Think!	Lemon Delight	230	9	24	0	0	20
Bar	Think Protein+	Cupcake Batter	150	6	19	5	5	10
Bar	ThinkThin	Chocolate Cake	170	6	17	0	1	12
Cookie	Protein Cookie Co	Original Chocolate Chip	250	9	20	<1	9	22
Premade Shake	Premier	Chocolate	160	3	5	3	1	30
Premade Shake	Shamrock Farms	Rockin’ Chocolate	190	4.5	9	3	6	30
Powder	Designer	Chocolate Mocha	110	1.5	6	3	2	20
Powder	Equate Whey	Chocolate	150	1.5	4	0	2	30
Powder	Premier Powder	Chocolate Milkshake	180	4	7	3	3	30

You can download a free PDF version of the above nutritional chart here.

Have you made it all the way to the end? Honestly I’ve been compiling this data for over six months, and I’m so ready to pass on the information to you! I hope that this has helped you make a decision on what protein bar (or cookies or shakes) you’d like to try.

Let me know what you think, which ones you love and which ones I have missed! And of course thanks for sharing and pinning this article!