Best protein bar 2024 for a post-workout energy and recovery boost

The best protein bars are low sugar, high fibre and – as expected – protein-rich snacks that can help you tackle cravings instantly. Not to mention, high-protein snacks tend to taste better than some other types of healthy snacks you find on supermarket shelves. Indeed, even the last entry on this list is a better choice for a mid-afternoon snack than a Mars bar.

Unlike the best protein powders or the best weight gainers, the best protein bars can be recommended to everyone who likes sweet snacks and admittedly, that's most of the human population (more on this here: protein powder vs protein bar). You get all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff associated with snacking, so you can indulge without the feeling of guilt. Which one is the best protein bar overall? Find out by reading on...

Best protein bars and snacks to buy right now

Grenade is probably one of the most well-known protein bar companies, for a good reason. The Carb Killa franchise helped bring high protein bars in front of the eyes of many and popularise healthy snacks in general.

This delicious, triple-layered, chocolate-coated bar is high in protein, with 22 grams per bar. It's also low in sugar, making it an ideal, guilt-free alternative to your usual sweet treat.

There are several flavours to choose from, including Dark Chocolate Raspberry, White Chocolate Salted Peanut and our new personal favourite, Peanut Butter and Jelly. Carb Killa bars are certified with the Informed Sport programme and therefore suitable for use by drug-tested athletes and military personnel.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly Carb Killa won the Best Sports Supplements or Snacks category at the T3 awards 2022!

I like hassle-free post-workout snacks, so I like the Barebells Vegan Protein Bars. Let's face it: no one prefers making decisions about snacking. Do I want a tasty snack or one high in sugar? Should I have a vegan protein bar or one high in protein?

The Barebells vegan protein bar range includes two flavours, Hazelnut Nougat and Salty Peanut and is high in protein, low on sugar, tastes great, and has a texture that doesn't remind you of compressed, oily powder, like how vegan protein bars used to taste. The bars are also palm-oil free and contain some fibres too.

On the downside, you will have to shell out more money for the vegan bars than 'regular' protein bars from Barebells, but not too much. It's worth the money, though!

Will there ever be a perfect protein snack? I don't think so, partially because requirements are ever-changing in the fitness industry, and by the time you get used to one trend, three more have already emerged. That said, the Oatein Hype Protein Bar comes pretty close to being the tastiest protein bar on the market today. The Oatein Hype Protein Bar is not delicious 'considering it's a health bar'; it is tasty on its own terms.

And it's not only flavoursome but also very healthy too. On average, the Oatein Hype Protein Bar contains around 190 calories, under 2 grams of sugar but a very generous 18 grams of protein. The only issue with the Oatein Hype Protein Bar is that you will want to eat more than just one bar per day. Why does it have to taste so good?

If there is anyone you know saying it's impossible to eat healthy without compromising on taste, give them a Barebells Double Bite bar. It's as close to tasting like a Twix as it gets, maybe not quite as soft but delicious nevertheless. There are even two flavours to choose from, Caramel Crisp and Chocolate Crisp.

The former features a "smooth caramel centre surrounded by puffed soy crisps and covered in milk chocolate", while the latter "contains a rich and crispy cocoa core" and the same milk chocolate coating. Seriously, give them a try and tell me they don't taste like standard chocolate bars; it's just crazy.

But unlike chocolate bars, the Barebells Double Bite is healthy, at least when compared to a Twix bar: the Double Bite is protein-rich (16 grams per pack) while keeping the saturated fat and sugar levels low (4.5 and 2.1 grams, respectively). I wouldn't chow down on one every hour, but when hunger (and cravings) strike, the Double Bite is a better option than most other things you might find in a gym bag that you can snack on.

Protein bars aren't always recommended for weight loss – although they are a better snacking option than chocolate bars. That said, the Maximuscle Protein Bar is not a bad option for those looking to lose weight as it contains the least amount of calories of all the protein bars on this list.

Maximuscle's high-protein snack is also suitable for vegetarians and is low on sugar, high in fibre and comes in a variety of flavours, including Cinnamon Swirl, New York Cheesecake and Salter Caramel. The protein content is 15 grams per bar, more than enough for those wanting to shed fat without losing too much muscle mass in the process.

With 3D printing becoming more financially viable as time went on, it was only a matter of time before it entered the world of nutrition, especially protein bars/snacks. Nourished 3D-printed bars make the most of the technology by letting you choose from a number of flavours, topping and coating options to create a bar that's personalised to you and you only.

Better still, Nourished bars contain at least 18 grams of protein (it might be more depending on what flavour you choose) and are low on sugar. They might not taste as good as the Grenade or Oatly Hype bars listed above, but they are certainly a better snacking option than Mars bars. Plus, given the high-calorie content, Nourished bars are perfect for those who wish to gain weight and bulk up – just make sure you don't abuse the system and have multiple bars a day!

It's incredible that something so ridiculously delicious-looking can have such low sugar and fat content. With 15g of protein, it's not the beefiest snack on the list, but if this doesn't curb the sweet tooth, nothing else will. A quick flick through the ingredients list does reveal a few naughty things, such as 'sustainable' palm oil and a few emulsifiers, but it's certainly not packed with e-numbers and is a damn sight healthier than a standard chocolate bar.

Salted Caramel Karma is one of the finest protein snacks we've tasted in a long time, let alone protein snacks, while Marshmallow Rock Choc has a sweet appeal that sends kids into a tailspin.  If you're the sort of person that can't give the cake counter a miss when out for a coffee, slip one of these in your bag. 

Barebell Protein Bars come in a range of delicious flavours, but its most recent one tops the flavour charts. The Crunchy Fudge delivers the experience it promises on the packaging: you'll get the sweetness of the fudge as well as a bit of a crunch with every mouthful. The Barebell Crunchy Fudge Bar is so tasty; it's virtually indistinguishable from an ordinary snack bar when it comes to flavour.

However, unlike the Snickers bar you impulse buy at the nearest petrol station, Barebell Protein Bars are low on sugar, free of GMOs, and have a high amount of protein. You'll get some lipids too in each bar, which is not a bad thing: many vitamins are only soluble in fat. You can help your digestive system break down and utilise vitamins more efficiently by consuming moderate amounts of fat. I am generalising here a bit, but you get the idea.

Barebell Protein Bars contain only a moderate amount of carbs. You won't even be spiking your insulin levels too much by snacking on these scrumptious bars, given the low sugar content. This is a big win in my book.

What can we say? The USN Trust Crunch Bar ticks all the boxes: delivers on flavour, has a good consistency, high in protein, is low on sugar, and it hasn't got any palm oil in it either. It doesn't bring anything new to the table but does everything it should do just fine.

Some flavours are actually quite enticing – e.g. Cherry Chocolate – and the crunch brings an exciting element to consuming the bars too. It's less chewy than the Barebell protein bar and less oily than the One Pro Nutrition Bar; it's kind of in the middle when it comes to everything, hence why it's in the middle of our best protein bar list too.

The Foodspring Protein Bar sources protein from grass-fed cows, and not just any grass-fed cows, but cows that are allowed to roam the endless green pastured of New Zealand, 328 days a year, apparently. The result is protein that is naturally rich in micronutrients and just healthier in general.

As well as that, the Foodspring Protein Bar has no added sugar and loads of fibre. As a matter of fact, each bar has a 'special fibre coating' that makes helps reduce sugar content and maintain the structure of the bars. Unfortunately, it also makes the bars pretty dense and slower to digest. We also recommend drinking plenty of water after you chewed through the bar to help your digestion a bit.

That aside, everyone will appreciate the natural ingredients and comparatively high protein content of these bars. And it's definitely an ideal protein bar for people who need a snack that will fill them up and make them feel full for longer. Therefore, the Foodspring Protein Bar is recommended for people who are trying to lose weight and need a healthy snack to curb their mid-afternoon cravings.

How to choose the best protein snack for you

Protein shakes are a popular source of this essential macronutrient, as they are quick to make up and guzzle on the go but sometimes, it's favourable to have a proper snack to chew rather than constantly relying on a liquid lunch.

Thankfully, the protein producers of this world have cottoned on to this fact and now serve up a bunch of tasty snacks, typically in the form of a bar, that cram in a load of protein and taste good. Apart from protein bars, there are a few other options to choose from when it comes to upping your protein intake throughout the day in a convenient way.

Protein balls are bitesize versions of protein bars and are really the ultimate finger food for bodybuilders and people on a slimming diet. As well as protein balls, you can also get high-protein flapjacks, another tasty snack you can have on the go. Protein flapjacks can be high in fat and sugar due to the way they are made, so please make sure you read the label before you devour them.

You can also cover your protein needs with nut butter or protein spreads. Nut butter is generally way healthier than chocolate spreads but tastes just as good. A good example is the Grenade Carb Killa Protein Spread which contains 170 calories in a 33-gram serving as well as only 2 grams of sugar and 7 grams of protein.

If you are really keen on not taking any sugar and prefer hot drinks, we recommend taking collagen coffees into consideration. This might sound a bit weird at first but hear us out. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and it also tolerates hot liquids as it doesn't clump. Bulk's Collagen Coffee can basically be used as an instant coffee and has no sugar in it, not to mention a 25-gram serving contains a whopping 18.5 grams of protein. It also tastes less bitter than regular black coffee. Please bear in mind that collagen coffee is not suitable for vegetarians and vegans.