The 7 Best Protein Bars You Probably Don’t Know About

Best for: Nose-to-tail adherents with Purell nearby or a tolerance for fingerprints on phone screens.

Power Fit Foods Bare Bar

Macros: 20g protein, 15g fat, 12g carbs (0g fiber, 12g sugar), 280 calories
Protein source: grass-fed beef protein

You can tell this is an authentic family-run business because on the FAQ page on their website—under “What makes Power Fit Foods different from other protein snacks?”—they, endearingly, seem to have accidentally left an internal edit note: This ingredient list mostly describes Bare Bars. Do we want this to be about Bare Bars or all the products?

This is by far the thickest of the bars here but also the fluffiest. It has a whipped nougat mouth feel rather than the slow chew of a nut butter based bar.

I particularly enjoy the Honey flavor (though the ingredient itself, honey, is present in all five flavors) which tastes like a brown butter meringue, maybe. The ingredients list is short: beef tallow, beef protein, raw honey, and salt.

For more protein (and 1,000 calories) Power Fit also makes an interesting circular snack called The PowerPuck, which has similar ingredients to the Bare Bar, plus pork rinds cooked in pork fat, and the slogan: “Pure. Satiating. Power.”

Best for: Ingredient minimalists looking for an airy mouthfeel.

Timbar Protein Bar

Macros: 12g protein, 14g fat, 22g carbs (9g fiber, 4g sugar alcohol, 8g sugar), 220 calories
Protein source: almond protein powder

Another nice dense chew to report. This one is made by a Physician Assistant with Celiac Disease so it is certified gluten-free—which is key for anyone actually diagnosed with an intolerance because even bars without glutenous ingredients often contain trace contaminants.

There’s a granular texture that I enjoy, sort of sandy but in a good way, like brown sugar (though sweetened with honey and erythritol). Two co-workers referred to a “crystal” aspect, others said it was “like parmesan,” “halva,” and “a cinnamon sugar pop-tart and clay.”