The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that’s associated with several health benefits, including weight loss. Following a keto diet involves limiting carb intake while increasing fat intake. To achieve this, it’s recommended that people following a keto diet limit their carb intake to between 20-50 grams per day, with fats making up most of the calories, usually around 70%. When you reduce carbs and increase fats, your body no longer has access to quick energy sources like glucose or glycogen. As a result, it begins to break down stored fat into molecules called ketones which the body uses as an energy source.
The benefits of the keto diet don’t end there though; it may help improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation in those who suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes or obesity. Additionally, some studies suggest that it may even benefit mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
If you’re following this diet, protein bars can be a convenient grab-and-go option when you need a quick meal or a filling snack. The main goal of a ketogenic diet is to limit carbohydrate intake while increasing fat intake. It is important to get the right amount of protein while on a keto diet. The daily recommended amount of protein is 0.8-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim for 68-102 grams of protein a day.
What to Look for in a Keto-Friendly Protein Bar
However, finding a keto-friendly bar can be difficult - most protein bars are too high in carbs or too low in fat or contain ingredients that don’t fit on a keto diet, such as dairy. Even protein bars that meet the keto criteria are not always healthy options. They often contain large amounts of artificial ingredients, additives, and preservatives. Still, if you look carefully, you can find protein bars that are both keto-friendly and nutritious.
When you’re deciding which product is right for you, it’s important to consider the macronutrient profile of the bar and its ingredient list. If you’re following a standard keto diet, you’ll want to stick to this macronutrient breakdown as closely as possible. For a 200-calorie bar, this ratio would equal 16 g of fat, 10 g of protein, and no more than 5 g of net carbs.
Read also: Keto Bar Buying Guide
Try to avoid bars with a long list of ingredients you don’t recognize, such as artificial sweeteners or preservatives, as these indicate that the bar is more heavily processed. Research suggests that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to an increased risk of chronic health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Instead, choose bars made mostly from whole foods such as oils, spices, natural sweeteners, nuts, and seeds. Because the keto diet is high in fat, you should also look for healthy fats such as nuts and nut butter, MCT oil, avocado oil, and flax, chia, or hemp seeds.
Quest Nutrition: A Leader in Protein Bars
Fortunately, there’s Quest bars - they’re convenient, delicious, and surprisingly keto-friendly! Quest Nutrition is a leading manufacturer of protein-based nutrition bars, shakes and snacks. Quest bars have a unique blend of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and provide sustained energy and prevent hunger. The bars come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate chip cookie dough, peanut butter, and blueberry muffin. The company has a strong commitment to sustainability, using recyclable and compostable packaging, and sourcing all of its ingredients locally when possible. In addition to its bars and shakes, Quest Nutrition also offers a variety of other products, including meal replacement shakes, snack bars and protein powders.
The flavors of Quest bars are truly unique and can satisfy any craving. The main ingredients in Quest bars are whey protein isolate, polydextrose (probiotic) fiber, almonds, and cocoa butter. Each bar contains 20 grams of protein with only 3-4g net carbs per bar.
Quest Bar Ingredients and Sweeteners
It’s important to note that the amount of carbohydrates and fats in a single Quest Bar vary from flavor to flavor. While some flavors may be suitable for those following a ketogenic lifestyle, others may not be appropriate due to their higher carbohydrate content.
Quest bars contain a variety of natural sweeteners, including stevia and erythritol. Stevia comes from the leaves of the stevia plant and has no calories or carbohydrates. Erythritol is another natural sweetener found in some fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods. The Quest bars also contain sugar alcohols such as maltitol and glycerine syrup solids. Although these ingredients provide sweetness without any calories or carbohydrates, they can cause digestive upset in some individuals if consumed in large amounts. For those following a keto diet, the best option is to look for Quest bars that have stevia or erythritol only; these tend to be lower in carbs and more suitable for this type of diet plan.
Read also: Quest Tortilla Chips: A Review
Incorporating Quest Bars into Your Keto Diet
You can add Quest bars into your daily routine by eating them as a snack, meal replacement, or pre or post-workout snack. You can also add them to smoothies or bake them into desserts. The length of time you should stay on a keto diet will vary depending on the individual. It can also be beneficial to cycle in and out of ketosis in order to avoid potential side effects.
Taste Testing Popular Quest Bar Flavors
We’ve had a lot of requests from readers asking which flavors of Quest Bars are the best, so I decided to do a little taste test on some of their most popular flavors - 15 to be exact!
- White Chocolate Raspberry: This bar surprised me the most. I’m not really a white chocolate or raspberry fan but this bar was good!
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip: This bar reminds me of spice cake more so than Oatmeal Chocolate.
- Peanut Butter Brownie Smash: This is another one that I love to heat up in the microwave-if you don’t do this with your bars, you’re missing out!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: This bar delivers! Absolutely no weird aftertaste and it has the chocolate peanut butter flavor I crave! While it’s certainly not a Reese’s, it’s still tasty.
- Birthday Cake: This bar is such a treat! I’m not typically a “eat all the birthday cake things” kind of person, but this bar tastes and feels like a candy bar with the way it is coated.
- Hazelnut: The minute I saw this flavor, I had dreams of a bar that would taste like Nutella. Sadly it doesn’t. It’s not bad, I just wish it had a stronger hazelnut flavor.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Cookie Dough lovers, rejoice! This bar has the delicious cookie flavor you’re looking for without a ton of carbs.
- Chocolate Brownie: A good go-to when you need a little chocolate fix. I actually like to cut this bar up into small pieces and just grab a couple at a time when I have a chocolate craving.
- Coffee Caramel Chunk: OK all you coffee fanatics, this is the bar for you! I’m not a coffee drinker so this bar is not one of my favorites.
- Mint Chocolate Chunk: I seem to be on a mint kick lately given the holiday season so this bar feeds my craving! It’s yummy and doesn’t have a strange aftertaste.
- Blueberry Muffin: I love that you can actually taste the blueberry in this bar. I really like heating it up in the microwave and making it into a cookie or cake form and adding a little Kerrygold butter to it!
- Caramel Chocolate Chunk: This bar is one of my favorites because the aftertaste isn’t so strong. I’m not going to lie, the packaging got me. I (foolishly) opened it thinking that I was going to be biting into some sort of sugar-free Caramello candy bar… what I found was just a regular Quest Bar. It tasted more like caramel but not much of a chocolate taste. Not bad, but not what I was expecting based on the packaging!
- Christmas Cookie: This is HANDS DOWN my absolute favorite Quest Bar! It’s like Christmas in my mouth and I can’t get enough. It seems like everyone else loves this flavor too as the entire display from Publix was empty within a few days.
Alternative Keto-Friendly Protein Bars
While Quest Bars are a popular option, there are other keto-friendly protein bars available on the market. Here's a look at some alternatives:
- MariGold Protein Bars: These bars are made with whey isolate from grass-fed cow’s milk and are free of sugar alcohols. They come in a variety of flavors, such as Almond Mocha Crunch, Coconut Rage, and Salty Caramel. The Salty Caramel flavor contains 226 calories, 22 g of protein, 12 g of fat, and 5 g of net carbs.
- EPIC Bars: These meat-based bars contain simple ingredients. The Venison Sea Salt + Pepper bar is made with grass-fed venison and contains 150 calories, 13 g of protein, 10 g of fat, and 0 g of net carbs.
- Keto Bars: These bars are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. The Mint Chocolate flavor contains 240 calories, 6 g of protein, 20 g of fat, and 4 g of net carbs.
- BHU Keto Bars: These organic bars have a fudgy texture and are made without artificial sweeteners or preservatives. The White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Dough flavor contains 250 calories, 11 g of protein, 20 g of fat, and 0 g of net carbs.
- Dang Bars: These vegan bars contain ingredients like nuts, pea protein, and chia and sunflower seeds. The Lemon Matcha flavor contains 210 calories, 9 g of protein, 15 g of fat, and 5 g of net carbs.
- No Cow Dipped Bars: These vegan bars have a high fiber content. The Chocolate Sea Salt bar contains 200 calories, 20 g of protein, 7 g of fat, and 3 g of net carbs.
- CanDo Keto Krisp Bars: These bars offer a crispy texture and come in unique flavors like Butter & Salt. The Butter & Salt flavor contains 240 calories, 10 g of protein, 19 g of fat, and 4 g of net carbs.
- CORE Keto Bars: These bars contain probiotics for gut health. The Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor contains 170 calories, 7 g of protein, 12 g of fat, and 3 g of net carbs.
- think! Keto Protein Bars: These widely available bars come in dessert-like flavors and are gluten-free. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie flavor contains 180 calories, 10 g of protein, 14 g of fat, and 3 g of net carbs.
Homemade Keto Bar Recipe
Homemade keto bars are ideal if you want to carefully control the ingredients used or simply enjoy the craft of concocting your own foods.
This recipe makes bars with 319 calories and 7 g of protein each. Furthermore, each bar provides a whopping 28 g of fat and only 4 g of net carbs. In addition to a handful of other whole ingredients, these bars are rich in almonds, pecans, and almond butter. Research has shown that regular nut intake may aid weight loss and benefit heart health. You’ll need just five low carb ingredients: coconut flour, a protein powder of your choice, peanut butter, a sticky sweetener of your choice, and chocolate chips. To keep these bars keto-friendly, the recipe recommends using monk fruit syrup because it’s carb-free. You may want to double-check that both your protein powder and your chocolate chips are keto-friendly as well.
Read also: Nutrition Facts: Quest Protein Bars