Did you ever found yourself staring at the number of protein bars on the shelves in a store, or even in an online store?
A number of protein bars are endless, and the same goes for the brands. And I understand the struggle. We all do, don’t we?
Knowing that there is much more than just choosing the protein bar by the taste makes things harder. But it shouldn’t be that way.
Choosing the protein bars is fairly a simple task to do. Of course, once you get a little bit of knowledge and once you know exactly what you’re looking for.
While I’ve already explained which are the best protein bars for women and why, it’s time to do the same thing again, but this time for men.
Therefore, in this post, you will find out how to choose & find the best protein bars for men, and what’s the difference between the protein bars for men and women.
The process is fairly simple and it doesn’t take a lot of time, so grab a cup of coffee and stay tuned!
What Type of Protein Bars do Men Need?
Alright, you must be wondering what’s the difference between protein bars you can find anywhere.
Well, there are many different protein bars, and that’s why people need to find protein bars that will fit their goals, needs, and their body.
Especially men, who are paying attention to their body, have fitness goals, are trying to stay fit or even lose weight will have to pay attention to the type of protein bars they eat.
The process of finding the right protein bars isn’t only useful to get the most for the price you pay, but also to be able to differentiate the good ones from the bad ones.
Men who are very active and are paying attention to their body will need protein bars with a little bit more protein, fewer calories, and a balanced number of both fiber and fat.
While, on the other hand, women need a little bit less of the ingredients from the protein bars for their successful development.
Choosing the Right Protein Bars for Men
Even although you know approximately what type of protein bars you’re looking for, and what ingredients should they consist – you still can’t be quite sure about the quality of the protein bars you’re going to eat.
Protein bars are all about the ingredients.
Therefore, they should be carefully inspected and compared in order to find the best protein bar that will fit your needs, yet will offer the most value for the price you pay.
So here is a guide on what you should look out next time you’re shopping for protein bars
- Amount of Protein
- Protein Source
- Calories
- Fat
- Fiber
- Taste
- Price
It might seem like a lot of information right now, but with time, it will become super easy for you to check out the protein bars and compare them while on a go.
Amount of protein is definitely important, obviously, since you’re purchasing a protein bar. Usually, average good amount of protein in bars is around 15 grams per bar. However, for men who are active, are working out, having fitness goals – I’d recommend around 20 grams of protein per bar. But the amount of protein isn’t the only thing you should be checking. You should also check out the source of the protein in a bar.
The protein source is one of the most important steps. You can find a great protein bar with a great amount of protein, however, if the source of that protein isn’t good, it’s a waste. To avoid the GMO ingredients, you should stick only with a pure protein that comes from a dairy-based source which is whey, casein, or it can be a mix of both. Amount of protein isn’t relevant unless the source is appropriate.
Calories are important for many things. You don’t want to eat a protein bar that will add a lot of calories in your body, yet you don’t want to have a protein bar which will have a very low amount of calories. I would highly recommend you to find a protein bar which has around 300 calories or fewer. I wouldn’t go higher than that since we’re talking about calories per protein bar.
Fat is as important as calories are. When it comes down to fat that is in every protein bar out there, I would recommend you to stick below 15 grams of fat per protein bar. Everything below 15 is fine and you don’t need to go overboard with fat.
Fiber is very important, almost as important as protein inside the protein bar. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend you to settle down with a protein bar that has less than 5 grams of protein per bar. No matter how good is the protein bar, it’s something you shouldn’t compromise in case you want to get the most nutritious protein bar that will boost your results.
Taste is important to everyone, and nobody would eat a bad tasting protein bar, right? But, I wouldn’t put it right in the first place. A good tasting protein bar doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s as healthy and nutritious as it tastes. But trust me, once you find a protein bar that meets all the ingredients above, the taste won’t be a problem at all.
Price is the last, yet not the least important thing to pay attention to. You definitely don’t want to break your budget, but you don’t want to settle down for lesser just for a cheaper price. I’d highly recommend you to set aside a budget for your protein bars and purchase them in bulks or boxes. That way, the price will be more reasonable, and you will supply yourself for a longer time.
It isn’t really complicated, and once you remember all the ingredients you need to check out, it will become a routine that won’t even take you more than 15 seconds to do for each protein bar.
But for now, I’ve found and chosen the best protein bars for men, and you can find the down below with all the necessary information and first-hand experience review.
Best Protein Bars for Men
Rise Bar Whey Protein Bar
Rise Bar is a very simple protein bar which features only 3 ingredients. At first, that might seem odd to you but look at it this way.
Its simplicity offers a real value and use of only 3 ingredients proves how healthy this protein bar is. It features a whey protein bar and it has 20 grams of pure protein per single bar.
Whey protein used for the making process of Rise Bar protein bar makes it very easy for human’s digestive system to digest the protein bar.
While at the same time, it offers a pretty great taste that will save you in many situations from ruining your progress by going for the sweets and chocolate bars.
Rise Bar has even said that due to the simplicity of this amazing protein bar, the production is hand-made and it is very similar to homemade production. That way, whole foods are used and only natural healthy ingredients can be found.
Along the 20 grams of pure whey protein, there are 280 calories which are right as we want it.
They’re high in protein, yet at the same time, they’re higher in saturated fats from the nuts. Such combination is very healthy and it’s an ideal protein bar to keep you feeling full for longer.
Go Raw Organic Mint Protein Bar
Go Raw is a company that produces protein bars which are mostly based on organic plant-based ingredients.
This Go Raw Organic Mint protein bar is made only from 8 organic ingredients which make this protein bar very suitable for people who are avoiding GMO, gluten, soy, and other ingredients. This protein bar is also very suitable for vegans who are looking for a natural dose of protein.
Since the protein comes only from a pure plant in this protein bar, it has only 12 grams of protein. However, this protein bar is very unique and I’m not quite sure if there is another plant-based only protein bar on the market.
Another thing that I’ve noticed is that Go Raw Organic Mint protein bars are very low in sodium, which is definitely important.
In under 15 seconds, I was able to find all the ingredients and decide whether this is a good protein bar or not. Credit for that goes to the Go Raw for making ingredients simple and visible on the packaging.
It also features only 240 calories which are way below the limit we’ve set, and there are 15 grams of fat which is right on our limit.
It’s also worth to mention that there is also a little amount of vitamin A, calcium, and iron.
The amazing mint taste will fit most people’s liking, and if not – I’m very happy to say that Go Raw features a few other tastes with the same ingredient structure.
For the price they cost, they definitely offer a lot of nutritious and healthy ingredients, without any complications. Go Raw Organic Mint protein bar will make you full until dinner, that’s for sure what I can promise you from my experience.
Quest Apple Pie Protein Bar
Who said that you can’t have an apple pie while you’re trying not to screw up your fitness progress and body goals?
Well, you wouldn’t otherwise, but it’s your lucky day since Quest has an Apple Pie protein bar that is a perfect guilt-free snack.
From all fruit protein bars that I’ve tested, only this bar has met the standards we’re looking for in this review post. The good thing that amazed me is how actually Quest Apple Pie protein bar tastes just like an apple pie!
Quest Apple Pie protein bar features 20 grams of pure protein per protein bar, and it also has 14 grams of fiber, with 7 grams of carbs.
Other than that, there are only 3 grams of sugar and every ingredient in this protein bar is natural. That includes apples, cinnamon, almonds, and some other natural flavors.
It’s important that Quest Apple Pie protein bar has no added sugar, and the sugar that it contains is 100% natural which occurs during the process.
But you didn’t hear the best thing yet. You’re probably going to be in love with Quest Apple Pie protein bar once you hear this.
This apple pie protein bar has only 190 calories. That’s way below our limit and I couldn’t even believe it myself at first.
If you’re having a hard time sticking to your diet, Quest Apple Pie protein bar will definitely make sure that you have your guilt-free snack without losing all your progress you’ve made so far.
Detour Simple Whey Protein Bar
Men are craving for chocolate as much as women are, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Well, it can be a bad thing if you’re working on your body and have fitness goals you’re trying to achieve before the summer comes around the corner.
Detour Simple Whey protein bar is the best tasting protein bar so far. It can easily make you forget that you’re eating a protein bar, yet will enjoy the chocolate fix you craved so much.
This protein bar offers a healthy dose of fiber along with 10 grams of protein per bar, which is somewhat below our requirement, however, this protein bar makes it up in another aspect so that’s why it was chosen to be on this list.
Interesting thing is that Detour Simple Whey protein bar has no artificial sweeteners or anything that would improve the taste, yet it tastes just like Snickers or any other caramel and chocolate chips candy bar.
It’s worth to mention how Men’s Health magazine has featured it as number one rated protein bar after their testing and review.
I had nothing but great and positive feedback as well. Oh, did I also mention how this protein bar has only 2 grams of sugar? It seems unbelievable considering the taste it has, but it definitely deserves a place on this list.
A Detour has also one of the most affordable prices for their protein bars that it’s definitely worth purchase.
Grenade Caramel Chaos Protein Bar
It’s most likely that you’ve already seen Grenade Caramel Chaos protein bar since it’s the one we have featured in the header of our site.
Grenade Caramel Chaos protein bar is a protein bar which is high in protein, featuring over 23 grams of protein per single bar. Although, its chocolate coating makes it look just like any candy bar out there.
It’s being manufactured with European chocolate and it’s other than being packed with protein, it’s high in fiber as well.
In my opinion, Grenade protein bars are one of the best looking ones out there, and no matter where are you, you’ll feel awesome pulling this bar out of your pocket and unwrapping it. You might even feel sorry to unwrap it how cool is the package designed haha.
Jokes aside, it’s also worth to mention that Grenade Caramel Chaos protein bar has only 1 gram of sugar, which might seem incredible due to its perfect taste. It also has only 220 calories which are suitable for men who are eating more than 2 protein bars per day.
It’s a perfect protein bar to take before and after work out, but also as a snack in between the meals.
Quest Cookies and Cream Protein Bar
From the name of this protein bar, you might be thinking that I’m here talking about candy bars. However, that’s not right.
Yet, Quest Cookies and Cream protein bar is very high in protein, is very low in calories and it tastes just like cookie dough does.
If there was no “protein bar” written on the packaging, believe me, most people would mistake this protein bar for a candy bar.
That also might be due to the real chunks of chocolate that are featured in this protein bar. It’s definitely the perfect guilt-free treat to calm down your cravings in between the meals.
Quest Cookies and Cream protein bar have less than 1 gram of sugar per bar, and it has 14 grams of fiber. Combine that with 21 grams of pure natural protein and an amazing taste for such healthy protein bar – you’ve got yourself a winner.
Oh did I mention that Quest Cookies and Cream protein bar is also gluten-free, soy-free, and includes nothing but natural ingredients, without artificial sweeteners? Yes, that’s right.
This can be also considered to be one of the healthiest protein bars out there while being the most nutritious too. Quest company just does a really good job at producing such quality protein bars that are suitable for many different occasions.
Probar Base Protein Bar
Probar Base protein bar is a protein bar that offers only organic ingredients such as chia and flax seeds.
Every Probar Base protein bar is plant-based and although they contain only 20 grams of protein per bar, there’s something that they’re able to offer which not many protein bars do.
Probar Base protein bar contains all 9 amino acids which are essential for our body. They’re helpful for muscle recovery after a hard time in the gym. But they’re also suitable for boosting the energy and getting more out of your work out.
In case you are wondering, Probar Base protein bar has no added sugar, yet it has a great taste which only a few people won’t like. It’s also worth to mention that Probar has 12 different tastes, and they’re all organic.
Also, in case you’re wondering, Probar Base protein bar is a non-GMO protein bar, and is suitable for vegans as well since it’s plant-based.
For example, it features flax and chia seeds which help in hydration and recovery of your body and muscles. Along with protein and amino acids, this protein bar is something I’d recommend everyone who hits the gym.
The Difference Between Protein Bars for Men and Women
As you can see, I’ve reviewed and categorized protein bars for both men and women, but you might be wondering, what’s the difference and why can’t people just eat any protein bar out there?
Well, they can, but if male and female bodies are different, work in a different way, and therefore, they need a different type of support.
It might seem odd at first, but just have a look at how many protein bars there are for women.
Ingredients are the main reason for the difference between protein bars for men and women. The main logic behind that is the testosterone level which differs in genders. Therefore, protein bars for women are aimed at their gender, making sure that the ingredients fit their needs without the need to think twice.
While, on the other hand, men can eat any protein bar that is out there, even the ones made for women. They will still work well for them, but might not be as good as protein bars for men.
Since many people were wondering how come there are protein bars for both genders, I had to make it clear and simple to understand.
And no, it’s not the packaging color that matters haha. There’s much more than that and I hope that you understand now. The explanation can go much further into the science part, which I believe, not many people are interested in, and I like keeping things simple for mutual benefit.
Conclusion
As you can see, some of the top brands are always making it into my review posts. The truth is that they pay attention to what people need and they do their best to produce the best protein bars on the market.
There is also a lot of competition in the best protein bars for men so that’s just one more reason.
Now, you shouldn’t have a problem finding the perfect protein bar for yourself, but if you still do, there’s a list of the best protein bars you could take and enjoy, yet benefit from.
What’s your favorite protein bar? Feel free to drop a comment below, and let’s discuss!
Photo from Flickr – m01229
