I eat protein bars. You eat protein bars. We all eat protein bars.

They make sense in modern society. Portable, shelf-stable, decent macros.

But most of us have no idea which ones are actually healthy.

We try to optimize for the healthiest bar and grab whatever has the most protein or the prettiest wrapper and hope for the best.

So I did what any normal person would do. I bought every bar at Whole Foods and figured it out.

RXBARs (The Purist Choice)
Just egg whites, dates, nuts, and sea salt. The texture is like sweetened Play-Doh, but it's real food pressed into a rectangle. 12g protein, 5g fiber. If you can handle the texture, this is the gold standard.

Aloha Bars (The Plant-Based Winner)
14g plant protein from pumpkin seeds and brown rice. No soy. Only 3-5g sugar. All organic. Tastes better than RXBARs.

EPIC Provisions Bars (The Carnivore Option)
Grass-fed meat and dried fruit. 10-15g protein, minimal ingredients. For the carnivore crowd.

Larabar (Fruit & Nuts)
Usually just 2-6 ingredients. Not high protein (4-6g), but if you need energy from real food, these work.

Quest Bars - 20g of protein is nice, but it's soy isolate (the cheapest protein money can buy), plus three different artificial sweeteners.

Clif Bars - These have as much sugar as a donut. They're energy bars for hiking 20 miles, not sitting at your desk.

When scientists tested commercial protein bars, they found the actual bioavailable protein was only 33-62% of what the label claimed.

Ultra-processing destroys protein structure. You think you're getting 20g, your body might use 7g.

Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations with 5+ ingredients, usually containing stuff you'd never use at home. Think protein isolates, emulsifiers, artificial flavors.

A massive study of 10 million people found that for every 50g of ultra-processed food (about two slices of pre-packaged bread or a single sugary drink) consumed daily, the risk of death from any cause increases by 2%.

Sometimes you need convenience. That's reality. Just know what you're trading.

Morning rush: Two hard-boiled eggs + apple
Complete protein, fiber, $1.50

Airport: Mixed nuts + dried fruit
TSA-friendly, won't melt, satiating

Post-workout: Greek yogurt + banana
Faster protein absorption than any bar

Desk drawer: Almonds + dark chocolate
Shelf-stable for months, mood-boosting

Road trip: Beef jerky + orange
Protein without the sugar crash

The Blue Zones, places where people routinely live past 100, have zero protein bars. They eat beans, nuts, and vegetables. Real food.

But me and you, we’re products of modern society.

I still eat bars. I'll probably eat one tomorrow.

The difference is consciousness. Now I know what I'm doing. I’m trading convenience for optimal nutrition. And that's fine, occasionally.

If you're going to eat bars:

~Jacob, The Renewal