Protein Bars

71 products ranked by Scout score

Best protein bars right now

Jacob Protein Bar 96/100
Scout's analysis: Jacob Protein Bar scores 96/100. A remarkably clean 10-ingredient bar built on a grass-fed protein blend (whey isolate, milk protein isolate, bovine collagen, whey…
Jacob Protein Bar Mixed Berry 95/100
Scout's analysis: The Jacob Protein Bar Mixed Berry boasts a high health score of 95/100, featuring beneficial ingredients such as whey protein isolate and organic honey, while…
Jacob Vanilla Protein Bar 95/100
Scout's analysis: The Jacob Vanilla Protein Bar scores an impressive 95/100, featuring 12 beneficial ingredients including high-quality whey and milk protein isolates, alongside…

What to skip

Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Dark Chocolate-Peanut & Almond Granola Bars 15/100
Scout's analysis: This product is heavily processed and contains several harmful ingredients, including corn syrup, refined sugar, and seed oils like canola and sunflower oil, which are…
Fiber One 70 Calorie Brownies Chocolate Fudge Snack Bars 18/100
Scout's analysis: This product is heavily processed, containing refined ingredients such as bleached wheat flour and canola oil, which are associated with inflammation and lack essential…
Made Good Cookies & Creme Granola Bar 21/100
Scout's analysis: This granola bar is ultra-processed and contains several refined sweeteners like agave syrup and brown rice syrup, which can lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.…

Independently lab-tested protein bars

2 of the 71 products ranked here have a lab panel on their pages — each measured amount, the level it falls in and the report it comes from.

Santa Cruz Paleo Protein Bar Peanut Butter 94/100
Santa Cruz Paleo Protein Bar Vanilla 94/100

Ingredients to watch in protein bars

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 71 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Natural Flavors in 32 of 71
Soy protein isolate in 19 of 71
Maltitol in 15 of 71
Sunflower Oil in 13 of 71
Soy Lecithin in 13 of 71
Sunflower Lecithin in 12 of 71

What the better protein bars have in common

Sea salt in 23 of 71
Whey protein isolate in 16 of 71
Cocoa Butter in 16 of 71
Unsweetened Chocolate in 16 of 71
Almonds in 13 of 71

Common questions about protein bars

What scores highest in protein bars on Scout?

Jacob Protein Bar leads Scout's protein bars ranking at 96/100, followed by Jacob Protein Bar Mixed Berry (95) and Jacob Vanilla Protein Bar (95). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in protein bars?

Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Dark Chocolate-Peanut & Almond Granola Bars scores 15/100, the lowest of the 71 products Scout has analyzed in protein bars; next lowest are Fiber One 70 Calorie Brownies Chocolate Fudge Snack Bars (18) and Made Good Cookies & Creme Granola Bar (21). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in protein bars?

Across these 71 products the most common flagged ingredients are Natural Flavors, Soy protein isolate, Maltitol, Sunflower Oil, Soy Lecithin, Sunflower Lecithin. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

Is anything in protein bars independently lab tested?

2 of the 71 products on this page carry independent lab results — Santa Cruz Paleo Protein Bar Peanut Butter, Santa Cruz Paleo Protein Bar Vanilla. Each of their product pages shows the measured amounts, the level each falls in and the report they come from.

How does Scout score protein bars?

Every product in protein bars gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores protein bars

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →