I—Dimity—eat a protein bar most every day. Usually it’s around around 2 or 3 pm, and it’s usually an RXBAR, even though the bars tend to glue themselves to my teeth. (And occasionally they even do damage, taking out the corner of a tooth with an errant nut, which happened about six months ago.) I realize whole foods are best, but I do also love convenience; ripping open a package to get a tasty, satisfying treat is a pleasant way to break up the afternoon and add to my daily protein intake.

If you don’t have a favorite bar yet—or you’re feeling overwhelmed by the choices in the ever-growing bar aisle—we’ve got you. We had our AMR Team and some BAMRBassadors sample seven popular protein bars that offer at least 10 grams of protein per serving. In this protein bar review, we tested chocolate/cookie and similar-ish flavors so we weren’t comparing say, a blueberry-flavored bar to a caramel sea-salt one. (If the flavor profile we picked doesn’t align with your favorite, know that each of these bars offers plenty of other flavors.)

Bon Apetit!

GO MACRO: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Price: $38.49 for 12
Nutrition Features: Organic, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free
Nutrition Details: 290 calories; 11 g of fat; 14 g of carbs; 2 g of fiber; 11 g of protein

First Impression: Substantial and healthy. “I was happy to see visual oats when I opened the package.”
Flavor: Light on the peanut butter taste and especially light on the chocolate chip count. “Adding more [or larger] chocolate chips would make it perfect!” No artificial or aftertaste.
Texture: A slightly chewy and sticky consistency; no concerns for losing teeth or sticky fingers afterwards.
Satiety: “This one has a higher carb and fat count, so it was quite satisfying. Plus, there is no protein flavor, which I consider a plus.”
Good to Note: Love that this is a mother-daughter company!

“It didn’t feel oily as natural peanut butter sometimes can. This bar honestly had me feel like I was cheating!”
protein bar review

BAREBELLS: Creamy Crisp

Price: $28.99 for 12
Nutrition Features: No added sugar (but does contain 6 g of sugar alcohols)
Nutrition Details: 200 calories; 8 g of fat; 19 g of carbs; 3 g of fiber; 20 g of protein

First Impression: Candy bar vibes: Chocolate coating with little rice crispy bits.
Flavor: Sweet treat! “Tastes just like a 100 Grand Bar.” Tastes slightly artificial with a teensy aftertaste as well.
Texture: “Chewy and creamy with a chocolate coating, so biting into it is very satisfying.” Plus, high raves all around for the crispy bits.
Satiety: Twenty grams of protein keeps the full feeling around for a long stretch.
Good to note: Might be too sweet for those with a subdued palate.

“Great texture and flavor. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the bar!”
Protein Bar Review

IQBAR: Chocolate Mint Chip

Price: $24.99 for 12
Nutrition Features: Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, contains brain nutrients like Lion’s Mane Adaptogens
Nutrition Details: 170 calories; 12 g of fat; 8 g of fiber; 10 g of carbs, 12 g of protein

First Impression: A little on the small side. “I wish it were a little bit bigger so it felt more like a snack.”
Flavor: “Hello, healthy Thin Mints!” Even testers who aren’t mint-chocolate-chip fans still enjoyed eating the bar.
Texture: Not to sticky/chewy or dry/crumbly: just perfect.
Satiety: “I had it about an hour before a run, and it buoyed me the whole way.”
Good to note: Two tween kids LOVED these bars, grabbing them from their testing moms. “We will for sure be buying more for our household!” (And text AMR to 64000 to save 20% and get free shipping.)

“Good texture; easy to chew; light, great taste; not too sweet. “

NO COW: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Price: $32.99 for 12
Nutrition Features: Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free,
Nutrition Details: 200 calories; 5 g of fat; 26 g of carbs; 15 g of fiber; 20 g of protein

First Impression: The look and feel of raw cookie dough.
Flavor: Definitely gives cookie dough vibes, but the accurate flavor is offset by the chalky texture.
Texture: Dry, dry, dry with a grainy, gritty feel. The most common, noted feature of this bar.
Satiety: “20 grams of protein was nice, but it didn’t keep me as satisfied as long as expected—or as long as the others.”
Good to note: Several testers liked this bar in smaller portions, not consumed all at once.

“Very dense and filling; I could tell this was a protein bar. “

BUILT: Cookie Dough Chunk Puff

Price: $29.99 for 12
Nutrition Details: 160 calories; 3.5 g of fat; 19 g of carbs; 0 g of fiber; 15 g of protein

First Impression: A little melted and sticky (chocolate covering in hot temps isn’t a winning combo). “Great for the pantry, not so great for on the go.”
Flavor: Sweet and artificial. “Candy bar/raw cookie dough mix; I can definitely seeing this hitting a certain craving.”
Texture: “Puff” refers to a marshmellow-like filling laced with cookie dough chunks. “Ooey-gooey interior stuck to my teeth a bit.”
Satiety: Even though it didn’t feel super substantial to one tester, it kept another tester satisfied for three hours after a morning run.
Good to note: If a fluffy filling isn’t your thing, Built makes more traditional protein bars as well.

“I would have trouble resisting eating two of these if I were hungry enough! “

RXBARS: Chocolate Sea Salt

Price: $27.99 for 12
Nutrition Details: 200 calories; 8 g of fat; 23 g of carbs; 5 g of fiber; 12 g of protein

First Impression: Simple—four ingredients are listed on front of package—with sea salt sprinkled on top.
Flavor: As advertised: tasted natural, if a little weak on the chocolate flavor. “Loved the balance of salt and sweet with almonds, salt, and chocolate.”
Texture: Definitely sticky; most testers commented how it stuck to their teeth, but came off fairly easily. “Make sure you have a mirror or good friend to check your teeth after eating!”
Satiety: Check. Fills the gap between lunch and dinner with a substantial afternoon snack.
Good to note: If you are sensitive to the taste of dates, you might want to steer clear. “All I get is the overpowering flavor of dates. Not for me.”

“The sea salt is a great touch, the chocolate chips are divine, and I liked the bits of almonds in it as well.”

RAW REV: Peanut Butter

Price: $28.99 for 12
Nutrition Features: Vegan, gluten-free
Nutrition Details: 190 calories; 13 g of fat; 16 g of carbs; 3 g of fiber; 13 g of protein

First Impression: Basic peanut butter bar that is soft and not too sticky.
Flavor: Needs to up the PB factor. “This tasted like bland, unsalted peanut butter–not terrible but a little sad as I was hoping for more flavor.” Also had hints of sunflower, but no aftertaste.
Texture: Chia seeds provide a little crunch—and make the bar feel “healthy” according to one tester—to its nice, simple texture.
Satiety:  Does the job well, given a little extra fat compared to the others. (See chia seeds.)
Good to note: Other flavors might have a little more kick. (I–Dimity—like the peanut butter, dark chocolate, and sea salt.)

“I call this one a car snack: decent enough to eat if you’re hungry enough, but I wouldn’t reach for it first.”
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