The Top 5 Protein Bars Of 2023: Our Tested Reviews
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Our product testing team uses the full 30 day serving amount in container before reviewing. Learn more about our review process here.
Finding the right protein bar can be extremely difficult. There are just so many to choose from on the market today. So many companies are attempting to join in on the fun of the market by making a product and slapping “protein bar” on the packaging.
This is enough to fool the everyday consumer, but not us. We refuse to stand by and let you select the wrong protein bar when you buy your goods online or inside a retail outlet.
As human beings we have a natural sweet tooth. Many humans appease this sweet tooth with the use of a candy bar like a Twix or a Snickers bar. There are so many other healthy alternatives that can take care of that sweet tooth while promoting a healthy way of life and muscle gains.
Spoiler alert: it’s not a candy bar, it’s a high quality protein bar.
The Best Rated Protein Bars on the Market Today
Here's the top 5 picks for the best Protein Bars that money can buy:
Product Name | Highlights | Rating |
---|---|---|
#1 Outright BarUse coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Overall Protein Bar Highlights:
| Our #1 Rated 9.6 out of 10 in the Protein Bar Category |
#2 RedCon1 MRE BarUse coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Best for Whole Food Sources Highlights:
| Our #2 Rated 9.4 out of 10 in the Protein Bar Category |
#3 Jacked Factory Authentic BarUse coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Best for Taste/Texture Highlights:
| Our #3 Rated in the Protein Bar Category |
#4 SinFit Labs SINFIT BarsUse coupon code INFORMANT to save 5% | Best for Satiation Highlights:
| Our #4 Rated 9.0 out of 10 in the Protein Bar Category |
#5 Morphogen Nutrition MorphobarUse coupon code INFORMANT to save 10% | Best for Flavor Selection Highlights:
| Our #5 Rated in the Protein Bar Category |
There are hundreds of different brands and variations of Protein Bars out there.
How did these 5 make Fitness Informant's top 5 list? Read on and we'll tell you:
#1 Outright Bar
- Rating: 9.4 out of 10
- Servings: 12
- Best For: Top Overall Product
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Pros
Cons
The Outright Bar was created by Marc Lobliner to be a fuel source for all people, not just fitness fanatics, that was a much cleaner alternative to what is on the market today.
Outright Bars are not marketed to the traditional bodybuilding community. Marc decided NOT to brand it MTS because he wanted to appeal to the all-family demographic. With simple ingredients and a taste and texture to go with it, he did just that.
Outright Bars are made from peanut butter, honey, protein powder, oats, chips and sometimes cocoa powder. It doesn't get more simple than that. They pack in 15g of protein, which compared to the competitive set is less, but again you have a much cleaner profile with a high quality protein source. If you haven't tried an Outright Bar you need too.
Who Makes It?
Outright is technically its own brand, but it is owned by Marc Lobliner and uses MTS Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate. So you could say it is a MTS brand (most websites list it under MTS as well). Mark Lobliner decided to brand is separately from MTS because of the all-family appeal these bars have. The Outright brand has made protein bars, both peanut butter and almond butter base, nut butter spreads and protein wafers.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 15g Protein – MTS whey protein isolate
- 26g Carbs – much of it coming from natural peanut butter, honey and chocolate chips
- 12g Fat – coming from the natural peanut butter
- Soft Texture – these are essentially peanut butter balls made into a bar form, that's the texture we're talking about
Bottom Line:
The Outright Bar became our #1 rated protein bar due to three very simple reasons. The first is the ingredient profile. It is simple, single digits and all real ingredients everyone on the planet knows. The second is the taste. These things taste amazing. Whether you are having the peanut butter base or the almond butter base, they delivery. The third is the texture. The Outright Bar is extremely soft for eating but doesn't fall into your lap. Oh, let's not forget they are affordable as well.
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RedCon1 MRE Bar
- Rating: 9.4 out of 10
- Servings: 12
- Best For: Whole Food Source
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Pros
Cons
The MRE Bar from RedCon1 are some of the most popular bars in the world right now and our current #1 rated protein bar. Why? It’s because they are delicious, but they are also different than the rest of the category. MRE Bars don’t utilize whey protein like the others one on this list, they use whole food sources.
So what do we mean, whole food sources? RedCon1 put beef protein, salmon protein and chicken protein as the main sources of protein in these bars. Sounds gross, huh? I can assure you that these are NOT gross and they taste phenomenal. They also have the best texture of bars I have ever had. You can actually see the whole food sources in the bar.
There is a reason MRE Bar overtook our #1 spot...they expanded with new flavors and helped affordability with discount options.
Who Makes It?
RedCon1 may be the hottest brand in the supplement industry. Owned by supplement industry veteran Aaron Singerman, RedCon1 became an overnight success with their lineup of quality supplements, ambassadors, marketing programs and slogans.
RedCon1 continues to gain momentum with the more products they release and the more countries they get released in. RedCon1 is here to stay, and they have a goal of becoming the #1 supplement company on the planet.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 20g Protein – whole food sources (beef, salmon and chicken protein)
- 29g Carbs – this is a lot of Carbs, but they are from whole food sources like oats and sweet potatoes
- 9g Fat – using salmon and beef protein will increase fat content but remember, it’s not all bad
- Tasty Coating – a nice coating to contribute to the great taste
- Real Food-Like Texture – the texture is great, you can actually see the whole food sources
Bottom Line:
MRE Bars from RedCon1 are the most exciting bars to hit the category in a long time. The fact that they don’t rely on the popular whey makes them an attractable protein bar for those who have issues with dairy. On top of that, they are amazing tasting with quality sources of macros.
MRE Bars are quick to sell out as soon as they come in due to their popularity. I would grab some of these while you can. You won’t regret it. Time will tell if they get to our #1 spot.
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#3 RedCon1 B.A.R.
- Rating: 9.3 out of 10
- Servings: 12
- Best For: Taste
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Pros
Cons
Authentic Bar is a newcomer to the market, and boy does it taste good. Authentic Bar is from Jacked Factory, and it is another one of these peanut butter base bars. For this reason, the fat content will be a little bit higher.
You get 12 grams of fat in here, which is fine, especially for a peanut butter base, and you get 27 carbs. 2 of these are fiber, while 18 grams are from sugar. This may turn some off, however this is the norm when it comes to nut butter based bars. You also get 15 grams of protein, which is fine.
Authentic Bars have AMAZING consistent texture, and are easily among the top when it comes to flavor. In fact you feel like you’re actually eating a candy bar when you eat one of these. The protein in here is from both the peanut butter and the added whey protein isolate, so the sources of protein are solid.
Authentic bars make for a nice snack, and are definitely worthy of a spot on this list.
Who Makes It?
Jacked Factory is a popular brand that you will mostly find on Amazon. They have some very straightforward, well-dosed formulas that never seem to be a bad option. They are well worth investing your money into.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 15g Protein – protein from whey protein
- 27g Carbs - macro friendly on carbs
- 18 Sugar – minimal added sugars and these bars still taste amazing
- 12g Fat - peanut butter base so the fat content will be slightly higher
- Inclusions – some nice inclusions for each bar. The M&M one is amazing
- Soft Texture – texture is very soft and consistent
Bottom Line:
The Authentic Bar is on this list, as it is simply a very tasty option that we highly recommend you try out for yourself. The flavors are great, the texture is consistent and is amazing, and of course, the inclusions are nice as well. You won’t regret eating this over a candy bar, that’s for sure.
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#4 Sinister Labs SinFit Bars
- Rating: 9.0 out of 10
- Servings: 12
- Best For: Satiation
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Pros
Cons
SINFIT Bars had a long run atop our rankings list as #1 until recently getting beat out by MRE. SINFIT Bars are solid, filling and delicious bars that deserve to be in anyone's top 5.
First, they use two quality protein sources to make the bar. The first ingredient listed is whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. Other bars typically are using a milk protein, nothing wrong with that, but not as high as quality as whey.
Next, they are HUGE. These bars are 83g each. They contain 30g of protein. This is going to be more than most. With that, however, comes an increase in the other macronutrients. You get 16g of fat and 28g of carbs. This might turn some people off, but these are so big you could use it as a meal replacement or just eat half and save the rest for later.
The taste is amazing too. They are close to being one of the best tasting bars on the market today, their score is reflective of that!
Who Makes It?
Sinister Labs was our Breakout Brand of the Year in 2017 for their commitment to creating quality food products. The name Scott James may not mean anything to you, but he’s been known to build quality companies in the sports nutrition space. He has done it again with Sinister Labs. He also brought Mr. 212, Flex Lewis, on board to be part of this wonderful company.
Sinister Labs also makes protein pancakes and nut butter spreads that are amazing. If they continue to release products that are like these, I don’t think anyone will be able to stop them!
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 30g Protein – high quality (whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate)
- 83g Bar – these bars are HUGE, so big that they can be a meal replacement bar or you can getaway with only eating half and saving the other half for later
- 8g Sugar – a little higher than we’d like, but this is with 7g of added sugars – but over 83g bar it’s minimal
- Tasty Coating – the coating on these taste amazing…you almost feel like you’re eating candy
- Soft Chewy Center – the texture is out of this world
Bottom Line:
SINFIT Bars make our top ranking list due to their incredible taste, soft, non-chalky texture and 30g protein per bar. These bars are huge, so they will justify a higher price tag. But wait until you try one…you will want to eat the whole box.
Sinister Labs was able to create a great taste, without the chalkiness and without compromising the healthiness of the product. If you haven’t tried SINFIT Bars I would run, not walk, to our link below to buy these! You won’t regret it.
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#5 Morphogen Nutrition Morphobar
- Rating: 8.8 out of 10
- Servings: 16
- Best For: Flavor Selection
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Pros
Cons
Morphobar from Morphogen Nutrition makes this list, and it certainly deserves it. It is a bit different from the other bars on this list, and some would even call it "old school". The reason for that is that it reminds us of a Powerbar, expect with an even better taste.
The macros are fair, and probably the most friendly on this list. You get 8 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbs, 7 of which are fiber and 12 from sugar. Of course you also get 20 grams of protein, which is nice.
The texture is a bit different, and you either like it or you don't It is a bit tougher than the others on this list, and a bit chewier. The crispy protein rice inclusions are a nice touch. Of the two people on FI to try it, one didn't like the texture, the other enjoyed it. So if you like a slightly softer powerbar with better macros, this is a good option for you.
Who Makes It?
Morphogen is a brand that is known for their loaded products with impressive profiles. While not widely available, this gives them the option to make some of the best formulated products on the market. With the owner being an industry veteran with plenty of experience and qualifications when it comes to formulations, Morphogen knows how to deliver loaded, yet fun products that are almost too goo for their own good sometimes. There is no Morphogen product that disappoints as far as we know.
What's In It?
One serving contains:
- 20g Protein – high quality protein isolates (whey protein isolate and milk protein isolate) provides for better absorption by our bodies
- 22g Carbs – very macro friendly and only 12 grams from sugar
- 7 Fiber - almost a third of the carbs you get are from fiber!
- 8g Fat – a low fat total keeps it macro friendly while still providing superior taste
- Nice Flavor – texture aside, the flavor is nice and the peanut butter and honey are solid
Bottom Line:
Morphobar is a solid option, and while not everybody's favorite, makes for a great bar and has excellent macros. You're not getting 22 grams of garbage fiber. You're getting a healthy amount of each macronutrient, with some nice crispy rice inclusions that taste great. While the texture isn't for everyone, we feel that if you find these anywhere you should try them first before you dedicate yourself to a box.
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Why Should I Eat a Protein Bar?
Clean calories from high quality protein bars can provide energy to get you through the day. We’ve all had a greasy cheeseburger before and those are calories, but you can tell the difference between clean and dirty calories.
A good tasting protein bar can eliminate your need and want for sugary candy and fatty foods. The majority of high-quality products taste like a sweet, but use ingredients that are much more healthy for you.
High quality protein bars use high quality protein powder in their creation process which can help improve your gains.
The Issues with The Protein Bar Market
One of the biggest issues facing the protein bar market is what we already described above. So many consumer package goods companies are creating them, loading it with poor quality protein, putting 20g of protein on the label and people just assume it is good. That is not the case.
Not every protein bar is good for you. Not all should be treated equal. Walk into a gas station and look at them lining the shelves. They are camouflaged in with the candy bars. We don’t mean this in the way that they are put next to the candy bars, but the fact that a lot of these “protein bars” are actual candy bars!
Don’t waste your time and your health by purchasing poor quality products. Fitness Informant has complied a comprehensive list of the the five best protein bars on the market today! Stop being fooled. It’s time to get educated!
Our Testing Process
We examined five different areas of each amino acid supplement when we compiled our rankings:
- Ingredients Profile
- Effectiveness
- Taste
- Mixability
- Value
Please Note: Many of the “top 10 BCAA” lists you find online are written by content writers with no in-gym or supplement experience who are paid by the word count to write an article for a website trying to generate money.
These lists are influenced by brands who pay for placement. These lists contain amino acid supplements that are, for the lack of a better word, garbage.
The following products on our best of list were used by the author of this article. He used the BCAA & EAA supplements through the duration of a full container. Sample packs were not used in determining the rankings.
Stop relying on faulty information that is influenced by outside writers and money. This list is the real deal. Here at Fitness Informant, we don’t steer you wrong. Be Informed. Live Fit.