Protein Bars That Are Definitely Worth Your Money

The last 40 or so years have given birth to an entirely new type of food: the protein bar. Consider that they often now take up a whole section in the grocery store that simply didn't exist decades ago. Meanwhile, protein bars have overtaken carts nationwide, potentially putting a dent in budgets but ultimately streamlining lives.

This recently created item has a serious range. From breakfast to snack to dessert (and, in a moment of absolute necessity, dinner), it can be whatever you need it to be, as you sprint through your schedule. Just get comfortable with the idea of shelling out $3-6, then unwrap and go. Even though they technically came of age in the 1980s, according to The Bar Shack, it often feels like protein bars were ready-made for this hectic modern era.

Of course, as the nomenclature might lead you to believe, there's more to these bars than just their convenience. Rather, they are made to deliver a protein hit and deliver they do. But, as is often the case with newer and trendy foods, not all protein bars are built on equal footing. Some are pretty good, while others are little more than a waste of your hard-earned cash. Read on for our roundup of the ones that are absolutely worth spending your money on.

A GoMacro bar has the consistency of thickly rolled cookie dough, and the sweetness to match, all while still being exponentially more nutritious. The brand, which came about in 2004 according to GoMacro, was founded by mother-daughter duo Amelia and Jola in the wake of Amelia's breast cancer diagnosis. As part of her fight against cancer, Amelia adopted a plant-based macrobiotic diet and, with the help of her daughter and a couple of other medical treatments, ended up beating the disease.

In the 18 years since Amelia invented the original recipe, GoMacro has grown considerably. The company now offers 13 different flavors. Our personal favorite, the Maple Sea Salt, has 12 grams of protein per bar — not to mention it is vegan, kosher, and non-GMO. Somehow Amelia, Jola and the other experts at GoMacro have packed all this goodness into a 15-bite bar that pairs well with just about anything. Pro tip: eat the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip flavor with a cup of coffee in the morning for a quick but filling breakfast.

Justin's Refrigerated Almond Butter Protein Bars may feel familiar. They are reminiscent of Perfect Bars, after all, in that they typically come straight from the fridge and rather cold, but these fairly new inventions have their own unique twist. Instead of packing in peanut butter to their core offerings, Justin's builds on what the company already does best: almond butter.

Using Justin's signature almond butter, the protein bar ties together 10 grams of plant-based protein and dynamic, rich flavor. There are three varieties: Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter, Honey Almond Butter, and old faithful, the classic just-plain Almond Butter. In order to cut back on sugar (Justin's bars have 40 percent less sugar than "leading refrigerated bars," according to the brand), the nut butter experts use organic maple syrup to sweeten their plain almond butter bar and organic honey to sweeten their dark chocolate chip and honey varieties.

Justin's Refrigerated Almond Butter Protein Bars are free of almost everything: gluten, soy, dairy, and they're also non-GMO. Fans of almond butter will love this innovation.

Bulletproof is perhaps one of the most unconventional and bold brands on this roundup. While RX Bars started with bars, and Justin's started with almond butter and other nut-based spreads before creating a competitive bar, Bulletproof's origins lie somewhere completely different and pretty darn unexpected: coffee.

In 2011, Dave Asprey created Bulletproof Coffee by blending coffee with MCT oil and grass-fed butter. Drinking a bit of (relatively healthy) fat with a cup of Joe seemed like a foreign concept at the time, but somehow the product sold. Now, the Bulletproof line of products includes everything from protein powder to a zinc supplement to, of course, their collagen protein bars.

Like the rest of the line-up, Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bars take an innovative approach to nutrition. They are made with grass-fed collagen protein, so not only are you getting an energy kick, but the collagen found in the bars can help to create a foundation for healthier skin, bones, and joints.

No Cow Protein Bars are yet another bar that tells you exactly what they are from square one, leaving little to no room for interpretation. Nor would they want to confuse potential buyers, as many in the protein bar crowd simply doesn't have the time or energy to guess. We are too busy hustling from point A to point B, making things happen, and keeping our energy up while we're at it.

As is probably obvious, No Cow Protein Bars are delicious bars that are made completely dairy-free. The founder, Daniel Katz, came up with the recipe after years of munching on protein bars made with milk-based whey protein left him with consistent stomach aches (via No Cow). Like many people, his body just couldn't handle that level of dairy contained in such a condensed serving. On his subsequent quest for no-dairy bars, he couldn't find any that weren't incredibly high in sugar. So he made them himself, figuring out a way to pack 20 grams of protein and just one gram of sugar into the No Cow Protein Bars.

In Hawaiian, the word "aloha" can mean any number of things, from "hello" to "goodbye" to a more generalized term of love and affection. These protein bars, which take the word as their namesake, feel like a means by which you can show your body love and affection, too.

ALOHA Bars were made in an effort to combat the classic protein bar aisle dilemma of getting stuck reading nutrition labels on 15 different brands and varieties of protein bars. They are made with a slate of organic and pared-down ingredients, providing protein, iron, fiber, and healthy fats. The protein bars also come in eight different and oftentimes incredible flavors, including Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Peanut Butter Cup, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

The company cuts no corners in their product development but also takes extra care to make navigating the protein bar world extra easy on their consumers. For $27 per month, you can get on a subscription service for 12 bar boxes. Never waste time in the grocery store again!

In many ways, Alani Nu reminds us of ALOHA Bars. The name has a certain kind of feminine flair, and those vibes carry across the website, product descriptions, and even to the packaging of the Alani Nu Bars themselves. While protein bars often skew more intense and aggressive in their presentation and marketing, Alani Nu incorporates soft corals, blues, purples into their packaging, and is clear that they exist to support their customers.

"Alani Nu supplements are strategically designed to provide you with everything they need and nothing they don't," the company says, and their protein bars definitely live up to that standard. Called "Fit Snacks," the bars come in any one of seven flavors. Our favorite? Fruity Cereal, by far. Their protein bars pack in only 170 calories per bar, with 16 grams of protein and 5 grams of sugar per serving, putting them on par with Barebells in terms of nutrition. And, not unlike ALOHA, for simplicity's sake Alani Nu also offers a subscription program so you can nearly always have a Fruity Cereal Fit Snack on hand!