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Best Plant-Based Protein Bars
veryone needs some protein every day - there’s no way around it! Our bodies require it to
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function and stay healthy, although requirements vary. The average adult may need around 50
or 60 grams daily, but that can change based on weight, lifestyle, and activities. Bodybuilders
and athletes, for example, may need upwards of 100 grams to maintain their desired physique
and energy levels.
egardless of how much you need, protein is always going to be a part of a healthy diet.
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However, it can be difficult for some people to get enough, depending on dietary restrictions,
allergies, intolerances, or even preferences. The most obvious source of protein is meat, but
that’s obviously out of the question for anyone committed to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
Protein bars are another popular source as they are convenient, portable, and often tasty.
he problem with protein bars is that they’re often full of sugar and other questionable
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ingredients to reach the 10 or 20 grams per bar that everyone expects. Unfortunately, finding
good quality protein bars can be tricky, especially if you require vegan protein bars. This list of
tasty, healthy, and convenient plant-based protein bars is a great place to start. These brands
offer quality, good-for-you ingredients and excellent levels of plant-based protein.
The Best Plant-Based Protein Bar Brands
1. GoMacro Protein Bars
oMacro Protein Barsare clean, lean, and entirely plant-based. They’re certified vegan,
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non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, kosher, and FODMAP friendly. They are made with only the
highest-quality, sustainable ingredients, such as brown rice, pea protein, and organic coconut
sugar.
he company and its impressive products were born when co-founder Amelia Kirchoff was
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diagnosed with cancer. She decided to adopt a healthy, plant-based lifestyle as a way to help
fight the disease, and her daughter was on board. Together, they researched, experimented,
and ultimately founded GoMacro, creating the clean, raw, healthy bars we have today.
hey offer a wide selection of flavors, all of which use real foods to create varied flavors and
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textures. For example, the chocolate peanut butter bars contain organic peanut butter, organic
peanuts, and organic, plant-based chocolate chips. The cashew caramel bar contains organic
cashew butter, organic cashews, organic flax, and organic cinnamon.
ach bar contains 11 grams of protein and about 270-280 calories. This is about average for a
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protein bar and works nicely as a mid-day pick-me-up, a post-workout snack, or a great way to
start the day - alongside your breakfast.
2. Larabar Protein
arabar Protein Barsare exactly what you want your plant-based protein bars to be. The bars
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are made primarily with peas and nuts, creating flavors to bust cravings in a healthy way. Each
flavor contains only eight ingredients or less and is dairy-free, vegan, and non-GMO.
arabar has a simple story. It was founded by a passionate woman named Lara, who believed
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that real foods should be fun, tasty, and easily accessible. She began working on her idea and
tested many different recipes on friends and family until one finally got consistently good
reviews. From there, she developed Larabar and the several delicious flavors we have today.
he almond butter chocolate brownie flavor is the protein-focused version of the bars, with 11
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grams of protein. The ingredients include dates, almonds, pea protein, cocoa powder, sea salt,
and plant-based, semisweet chocolate. Other flavors include peanut butter cocoa, regular
peanut butter, and chocolate chip. These other ones offer slightly less protein at 4-7 grams each
but are still a powerhouse of clean, raw nutrition.
3. Health Warrior Pumpkin Seed Bars
ealth Warrior Pumpkin Seed Barshave pumpkin seeds as the first ingredient. Pumpkin seeds
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are highly underrated as a tasty snack and source of protein. They’re pretty high in protein as
seeds go and are also chock-full of other nutrients. The bars are lower in protein than some
other options at seven grams but lower in calories at about 190.
ther than pumpkin seeds, ingredients include coconut oil, almonds, quinoa, sea salt, cocoa
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powder/extract, and natural coconut flesh and nectar. The bars are certified organic, non-GMO,
and gluten-free. Flavors include dark chocolate, dark chocolate coconut almond, honey sea salt,
and dark chocolate peanut. They also have a line of chia seed bars that are lower in protein but
offer plenty of fiber and other powerhouse nutrients, all within just 100 calories!
4. BHU Keto Protein Bars
HU Protein Barsare not only packed with healthy, plant-based protein, but they’re
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keto-friendly. Keto is an interesting diet that many have found success with. It’s effective when
done right and for the right amount of time. That said, finding things that fit into the diet can be
hard - especially something as convenient as a protein bar.
hese keto bars are also vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, certified organic, and contain no
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artificial ingredients. They have several flavors to choose from, but the base ingredients include
organic cashews, organic tapioca fiber, organic chocolate, organic pea protein, organic MCT oil,
and organic vanilla. They offer 11 grams of protein and about 240 calories.
he bars are also shipped in cold packs, and it's recommended that you keep them refrigerated.
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This is another testament to their clean, raw, additive-free nature!
5. No Cow Protein Bars
o Cow Protein Barswere initially made specifically to be dairy-free. The bars were created,
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and the company was founded by Daniel Katz, who was passionate about food, fitness, and
health from a young age. He also had the drive to turn his ideas into reality, which is how he’s
become so successful. Because of his busy schedule and frequent workouts, he ate a lot of
protein bars but lamented the lack of dairy-free options, which he preferred. So, he made his
own.
fter much tweaking and trial and error, the final product is now not only dairy-free but
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completely vegan. There are 12 flavors available, with protein content ranging from 20-22
grams per bar. This is high compared to many bars, making them perfect for plant-based
enthusiasts who love to exercise, work out, and build muscle!
he bars' ingredients include brown rice and pea protein, almonds, cocoa powder, cocoa butter,
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natural flavoring, and others. They are also gluten-free, non-GMO verified, soy-free, and kosher.
Homemade Protein Bars
hile these plant-based protein bars are all excellent choices for many lifestyles, sometimes it’s
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worth making your own, too! This way, you can control exactly what goes into the bar, how much
protein it contains, and what flavors you make.
aking your own protein bars may sound daunting, and there are certainly some complex
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recipes out there, but some are also super simple! Try one of these to get started:
Simple No-Bake Nut Bars
his easy recipefeatures a short list of simple ingredients:dates, rolled oats, chia seeds,
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almond milk, salt, vegan protein powder, and your choice of nut butter. The nut butter you
choose will dictate much of the flavor, so there are plenty of variations here!
It’s as easy as blending everything together and letting them firm up in the freezer. The recipe
guides you through the process to ensure you add the ingredients in the correct order for
optimal consistency. It also goes over the benefits of each ingredient and some optional
additions you can make, like flax, chocolate, or dried fruit!
No Powder Bars
hile protein powder is very useful, you may not want to use it in your bars for many reasons! If
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that’s the case,this recipeis a fantastic powder-free alternative that’s still pretty simple, though
it does require some baking time.
he ingredients include bananas, almond milk, chickpeas, nut butter, maple syrup, rolled oats,
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and chopped, toasted nuts of your choosing! Instead of toasted nuts, you could also use seeds
or a combination of both. Pumpkin seeds are particularly high in protein, but any will work.
espite needing the oven, there are still only four easy steps here. Blend, stir, and bake is all
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you need!
he nutrition info will fluctuate a little depending on which kinds of butter and nuts/seeds you
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choose, but these bars contain about 10 grams of protein and 229 calories if served in the
recommended size. There’s also lots of fiber and they’re very dense thanks to the nuts and
chickpeas. This makes them a great breakfast replacement or an effective pick-me-up when
you’re on the go.
