A good protein bar can serve as a convenient post-workout snack or a quick meal replacement when you're short on time. Barebells protein bars have become increasingly popular, with many consumers drawn to their high protein content and appealing flavors.
What are Barebells Protein Bars?
Barebells protein bars are marketed as a sweet treat with a protein boost and no added sugar. They come in a variety of flavors, offering options like Birthday Cake, Cookies & Cream, and Chocolate Dough.
Nutritional Information
Barebells offers several lines of products:
- The Original Bar: These bars contain 20 grams of protein, sourced from a milk protein blend and hydrolyzed beef collagen.
- The Plant-Based Bar: These vegan bars offer 15 grams of protein from hydrolyzed wheat gluten and soy protein isolate.
- The Soft Protein Bar: These bars have a softer texture and 16 grams of protein from a milk protein blend and hydrolyzed bovine collagen.
A single Barebells bar typically contains around 200 calories, 7 grams of fat (with 3.5 grams of saturated fat, contributing to 18% of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans' recommended value), and 20 grams of carbohydrates. They also provide 3-5 grams of dietary fiber and just 1 gram of added sugar, aligning with the recommendation to keep added sugar below 5 grams.
Initial Takeaways
The macronutrient balance of total fat, carbohydrates, and protein in the context of a ~200 calorie bar is appealing. For a protein bar, a nearly 1:1 ratio of protein to carbohydrates is ideal. These bars contain a modest amount of fiber, which is unlikely to cause digestive upset for most people and can be an easy way to boost your intake. The bars also have no added sugar which is a food label line that I always pay attention to on processed foods. While their sweet flavor does come from sugar alcohols, having no added sugar lowers the blood sugar impact and also lowers the total calorie content of the bar.
Read also: Protein Coffee Smoothie Recipe
Pros of Barebells Protein Bars
- Convenience: Protein bars are portable and convenient for busy days when you need a quick and satisfying snack.
- High in Protein: With 15-20 grams of protein per bar, they offer an easy way to increase your protein intake. This is on the higher end compared to competitors, making it a good option for those specifically aiming to boost protein consumption.
- Flavor Options: Barebells offers a variety of flavors, from fruity options like wild cherry and key lime to decadent dessert-style flavors like cookies and caramel or chocolate dough.
- Texture: The original Barebells bars feature a crunchy rice ingredient, which can be a nice change from the common chewy texture of protein bars. The "soft protein bar" line offers a cloudier texture.
- No Added Sugar: The bars use sugar alcohols (specifically maltitol) as a sweetener, providing a sweet flavor without added sugar.
- Collagen: Some flavors contain bovine collagen, which could be an easy way to add collagen to your diet.
- Plant-Based Line: Barebells offers a completely vegan line of protein bars.
Cons of Barebells Protein Bars
- Sugar Alcohols: The bars contain 6 grams of sugar alcohol in the form of glycerin and maltitol. While generally recognized as safe, sugar alcohols can cause digestive upset and bloating, especially when consumed regularly. Maltitol, in particular, may have a laxative effect, as noted on the product's label.
- Processed Ingredients: Barebells protein bars contain a long list of ingredients, including sugar alcohols, stabilizers, sucralose, and other texture or flavor-enhancing ingredients. Some consumers may prefer to avoid these processed ingredients.
- May Contain Allergens: Some bars contain nuts or traces of nuts. They also contain lactose and are not lactose-free.
- Natural and Artificial Flavors: Some people prefer to avoid natural and artificial flavors in their supplemental products.
- Too High in Protein for Children: With almost 20 grams of protein per bar, these bars are better suited for adults and not children.
- Not So Natural Ingredients After All: Barebells loves to brag about “no added sugar,” but peek behind the asterisk, and you’ll find a laundry list of questionable ingredients that leave a sour taste in your mouth. First up, we’ve got maltitol. While maltitol might have a lower glycemic index than table sugar, it’s not a free pass for your blood sugar. According to Brittany Poulson, RDN, CDCES, it can still cause spikes and wreak havoc on your gut, especially in more significant amounts. People with type 2 diabetes need to be mindful of their intake of maltitol-sweetened treats. Ever heard of the phrase “sugar alcohol gut bomb”? That’s maltitol in action. It’s notorious for causing bloating, gas, and even diarrhea. It’s like the styrofoam peanuts of the food world - it takes up space but doesn’t offer any real substance. While it might technically be a type of fiber, it’s not the kind that promotes a healthy gut. In fact, it’s been known to cause some not-so-pleasant side effects, like bloating, gas, and even diarrhea - especially when consumed in large amounts. Oh, and let’s not forget the artificial sweetener sucralose it might seem like a harmless way to satisfy your sweet tooth, some studies suggest that it could mess with your gut microbiome, the delicate balance of bacteria that plays a crucial role in your overall health.
- The Truth About “No Added Sugar” Claims: Barebells loves to claim that these bars have “no added sugar*” but see that pesky asterisk? That’s Barebells’ way of saying, “Hold my protein shake, there’s more to this story.” While they might not add regular sugar, they dump enough sugar alcohols to rival a candy aisle. And guess what? Those sugar alcohols still affect your blood sugar levels and can cause the same digestive distress as regular sugar. What’s worse, the intense sweetness from these sugar alcohols might actually be working against you. It tricks your taste buds into craving more sugary treats, leading to potential overconsumption and sabotaging your health goals.
- Protein Powerhouse or Processed Pretender?: Barebells boasts about its protein content, but let’s be real: most of us aren’t bodybuilders needing a protein overload. You might need the extra protein boost if you lift barbells for hours daily. But the amount packed into a Barebells bar is overkill for the average person. The milk protein blend found in Barebells is a concern. While it does offer some essential amino acids, it also includes lactose, which can cause digestive problems for those with lactose intolerance. And let’s talk macros. A single Barebells bar clocks in at 200 calories, with a whopping 17 grams of net carbs (that’s after subtracting the fiber). That’s a lot of calories and carbs for a relatively small bar, especially considering that most of those carbs come from sugar alcohols. So, unless you’re sweating it out at the gym for hours, you might want to reconsider relying on Barebells for your protein fix.
- Marketing Magic: The Candy Bar Disguise: Birthday Cake? Cookies & Cream? Chocolate Dough? Are we in the protein bar aisle or Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory? Barebells has mastered the art of deception, making their bars taste suspiciously like your favorite candy bars. But this clever marketing tactic comes with a catch. Barebells blurs the lines between a healthy snack and a decadent treat by mimicking those crave-worthy flavors. Your brain starts associating protein bars with indulgence, making it all too easy to overeat. And let’s be honest, it’s tempting to throw caution to the wind and forget they’re still processed foods loaded with artificial ingredients. The Chocolate Dough and Cookies and Cream flavors taste pretty good at first. But the underlying protein powder taste is noticeable, while the sweetness masks it pretty well I was left with a lingering protein powder aftertaste which was kind of gross. This taste tester experienced a chalky whey protein aftertaste. They trick your taste buds into craving more, leading you down a slippery slope of overconsumption and derailing your healthy eating goals. So, while Barebells might taste like a dream, they’re a diet disaster waiting to happen.
Ingredients to Consider
Some ingredients in Barebells protein bars may raise concerns:
- Bovine Collagen Hydrolysate: This is a broken-down protein made by boiling cow bones and cattle byproducts.
- Polydextrose: A prebiotic synthetically made from glucose to help grow good bacteria in your colon.
- Sunflower Lecithin: Used as a stabilizer in processed protein bars.
- Sucralose: An artificial sweetener that the World Health Organization suggests might contribute to chronic conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Are Barebells Protein Bars Healthy?
Barebells protein bars offer a convenient way to boost protein intake and can be enjoyed as an occasional snack. Each bar contains between 15 to 20 grams of protein and 210 calories, which will definitely help you achieve your goal for building a higher protein snack. In general, I like to see people build up balanced snacks that contain a high fiber carbohydrate paired with a protein rich food. Barebells protein bars do feature carbohydrates, some fiber, fat, and protein which give you a little bit of each macronutrient in one snack component. Personally, I do enjoy the Barebells protein bars because of the texture, the flavor options, and the macronutrients of each bar. To incorporate them into a balanced snack, I would recommend that you pair them with a colorful food such as berries, an apple, celery sticks, or baby carrots! While I enjoy them, that doesn’t mean that these bars are for everyone! These bars do contain sugar alcohols and other ingredients which could not be to everyones preference.
Incorporating Barebells into a Weight Loss Plan
Yes, they can fit into a weight loss plan when eaten in moderation. For a balanced snack, pair them with colorful foods like berries, apples, celery sticks, or baby carrots. If you really want to get your steps in during the day, take a stroll down the protein bar aisle at a grocery store. Every day it feels like this aisle gets longer and longer as new products are introduced to the market! With a surge in interest in protein intake among consumers, protein bars have become increasingly popular snack options. One bar in particular, Barebells protein bars, is one that I am constantly asked my opinion on.
Dietitian's Advice
Protein is an incredibly important macronutrient. It builds and maintains muscle, supports your immune system, builds enzymes, supports metabolic processes, and more. With all of its important roles, it’s no surprise that people lean into quick and convenient products - like Barebells bars,- to make it easy to increase their protein intake. However, remember that most of these protein bars, drinks, and powders should be used as a supplement and not as a primary source of protein in the diet. While they do contain a significant amount of protein, these products do not exist on their own in nature and are processed to offer the nutrition that they do. I eat protein bars. I use protein powders. I do see the space for supplemental options. However, I feel that we often get bogged down looking for the LEAST processed protein bar available when at the end of the day, you will still end up with a processed protein bar. I think we lose sight of what food can do. Again, I do see a space for processed items in a balanced diet that is mostly filled with whole foods, but I will always advocate for getting the vast majority of your protein from food itself instead of powders, pills, and bars. Instead of consistently reaching for a protein bar, some other protein snacks to reach for are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, bagged tuna, string cheese, roasted edamame, and jerky sticks!
Alternatives to Barebells
If you want recommendations for bars without sugar alcohols then try RXBars, Perfect Bars, BTR Nation, or KIND protein bars As with other protein bars and powders, these products are intended to be used as supplements to the diet and not as your primary source of protein. I ALWAYS recommend getting your protein from food first and using items like Barebells when you are in a time crunch or need an easy source of protein fast.
Read also: Wound Healing: The Protein Connection