Protein Bars: Healthy Snack or Ultra-Processed?

Think you need a quick hit of protein after a workout? Missed a meal and looking for a healthy replacement? Trying to improve the healthfulness of your snacks? Marketers will tell you a protein bar is the answer. But beware: nearly all bars are ultra-processed, and some are little more than glorified candy bars. What’s more, it’s likely you don’t really need the extra protein they provide.

Bars, Bars, Bars

Protein is naturally found in animal products (including dairy and eggs), legumes (beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts), nuts, seeds, and, to a lesser extent, grains. The most common types of protein in protein bars are extracted from dairy (whey or casein). Soy protein concentrate or isolate are also common. Other protein sources include egg whites, peanuts, almonds or other nuts/seeds, pea protein, brown rice protein, and beef or beans.

Sugars or non-caloric sweeteners (natural or artificial) and various flavors and flavorful ingredients (like chocolate) are added to improve the taste of the bars. Additional ingredients, like nuts or wafers, are added for flavor and texture. When all is said and done, protein bars can have as much sugar and as many calories as treats like candy bars and snack cakes. Some bars have added vitamins, minerals, and fibers. While the addition of fiber may be beneficial since fiber tends to be under-consumed, the majority of Americans already get enough of most vitamins and minerals.

Most protein bars land in the “ultra-processed foods” category. This is of concern because dietary patterns high in ultra-processed foods are associated with higher risk for type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and death from cardiovascular disease. Evidence is slightly less convincing (but still highly suggestive) that it is also associated with higher risk of depression, wheezing, obesity, and death from any cause. Whether this is due to the ultra-processed foods themselves, what foods they squeeze out of the diet, or a combination of both has yet to be determined.

A Better Bar? 

If you feel you need to grab a bar, choose the healthiest options. Here are some tips:

• Check the ingredient list. You should recognize all or most of the ingredients.
• Look for “Added Sugars.” Choose bars with fewer grams of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label. (Note that lower sugar may signal higher artificial sweeteners. Naturally calorie-free sweeteners like stevia may be a better option.)
• Watch the calories. Lower calorie bars will help keep you from exceeding your daily calorie needs. Over 200 calories per bar is likely too much (depending on your personal calorie needs and if the bar is being eaten as a snack or a meal).
• Look for the lowest saturated fat. Some popular bars have more than one-quarter of the daily recommended intake of saturated fat in one bar. 

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Protein Overload?

The fact is, unless you are on weight loss medications or have a very low appetite, finding ways to get more protein into your diet is likely unnecessary. Most Americans already get all the protein their bodies need. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein in the U.S. is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/d) (0.36 grams per pound). It’s estimated the vast majority of U.S. adults eat somewhere around 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg/d.

Too much dietary protein increases risk for kidney stones and can be dangerous for people with kidney problems. When combined with low intake of fruits and vegetables, high protein intake can lead to weakening of bones.

Even if you think you need more dietary protein, a bar is not an optimal way to get it. Aim to get most of your protein from natural sources.

This article originally appeared in the Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, published each month by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.