Longing to make sense of the “protein bar” bonanza gripping you each time a nutrition salesman offers his “best” tasting flavor at half price? Hint: It’s actually the one nobody else wanted! Banana? Strawberry-Vanilla! Cookies-n-Cream!? Which one is the best for your diet, budget, and taste buds? Whoa…should you even know this answer, just yet? Undoubtedly, there’s many of us who feel exactly this way when purchasing a supply of protein bars.

There’s a smörgåsbord, of various brands, flavors, even textures being marketed today, aimed for all different sorts of people. Some claim to be great after a workout, some say they are excellent meal replacements, and others suggest, “hey, we’re a great snack, so eat up for a healthy diet and to lose weight!” Maybe, buddy.

Protein bars have become very popular and generally speaking, accepted by most to work fine as a snack, pretty much anytime, anywhere–but I am here to caution you, don’t buy into all the hype without understanding exactly what’s inside your protein bar, along with any alternate options that could better suit the diet.

Lets start by looking at the average protein bar and its nutritional value. Powerbar, Met RX, Balance and Clif bars are all well known protein/meal replacement type bars and seem to contain a bit much sugar for my liking. Sugar content varies from 11-21 grams in these choices (Clif bars had the most at 21 grams per bar) and as I’ve stated on this site before, (most of you should already know) unused sugar turns to fat!

You can consume enough sugar in your body naturally each day just from the healthy foods you eat, which should include fruits. One of the easiest ways I believe to help manage weight is too look at your sugar intake and cut it back, this is one of the reasons why when people stop drinking soda-pop (contains over 30 grams of sugar per can, avg.) since they can lose a negligible amount from this act alone, simply by eliminating the unnecessary sugars! Water is a much healthier alternative.

The next point to ponder when evaluating your optimal protein/meal replacement bar is fat content. I would say, anything under about, 6 total grams of fat (with half or less of that being saturated fat) you’ll be in good shape. The point of a protein bar is targeted human food energy, and a lot of the time it’s being used after a workout or as a meal replacement, so a little fat isn’t bad, remember, we need it to survive!

Pay more detail in avoiding altogether those bars which contain 10 grams of fat each or more, ’cause if that is the case, you aren’t eating anything much healthier than a candy bar, so pack a Snickers instead if this is you! Then buy the healthier bars next time, they don’t all taste like stale dog food. Here’s some additional tips to consider and of course, you can find my most recommended proteins bars following that below!

1. Look for bars that are low sugar
2. Lots of protein (15 g/+ per bar)
3. No more than about 6 g/fat per bar
4. Taste test a piece of the flavor before purchasing a large box

Below are three protein bars that I suggest because they are low in sugar, have lots of protein, and aren’t all that high in fat content.

The first protein bar I suggest is Vyo Pro. They check in with 0 grams of sugar (yes, zero), 20 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fat (with 4 of those being saturated.) Try finding a protein bar with zero grams of sugar at your local grocery store, and I bet your time will be rough! This bar can be ordered from most major fitness sites and can sometimes also be found in health/nutrition stores.

The second bar is sold at most grocery stores, called the Low-sugar Detour Bar. It comes in at one gram of sugar per bar, 15 grams of protein, and 6 grams of total fat with only 2.5 of those saturated.

The final bar I strongly suggest is the AST Musclebar. It contains 0 grams of sugar, and 22 grams of protein, with just 7 grams of fat (4 of those being saturated fats.) This bar is more unique than the other two because it also has 5 grams of creatine in it as well.

If you are someone who lifts weights and works out vigorously , the Vyo Pro Protein bar and the AST Musclebar would be better fit for you, since they serve more protein. If you’re just looking to replace a meal or snack then Detour’s Low-Sugar bar would be the way to go!

With wholly good protein bars out there (like these, duh) it just doesn’t make sense to me to buy ones loaded with sugar and more fat than a bowl of ice cream, which seem more like candy. Stick to these protein bars or ones that are similar in nutritional facts, and your body will thank you greatly!