Are Perfect Bars Healthy? Dietitian Review

When you need an on-the-go snack, packaged bars can provide a healthy and convenient option. But the large variety of bars on the market can be overwhelming.  Perfect Bars are marketed as ‘whole food’ energy bars, using no artificial preservatives or ingredients that you can’t understand. But are Perfect Bars as healthy as they seem? Check out our full dietitian review before adding them to your grocery cart.

Are Perfect Bars Healthy? 

Perfect bars are a great option for those looking for a good quality, whole-food-based energy bar. As an energy bar, it is high in calories and sugar and is best suited for athletes or those with higher nutrient needs.

For the average person, energy bars are not required to meet nutrient needs. A protein bar or balanced snack bar may be a better option for a snack throughout the day. These types of bars are lower in overall calories and added sugar to provide a more balanced snack option without sacrificing convenience.  If you’re looking for an alternative snack bar option, check out our roundups of the best protein bars and low-sugar snack bars.

Read more about our Food Nutrition Score here! 

About Perfect Bars

Perfect bars are energy bars that are available in nine flavours: dark chocolate chip, peanut butter, coconut peanut butter, salted caramel, almond butter, dark chocolate almond, chocolate mint, chocolate hazelnut crisp, and chocolate chip cookie dough.

According to their website, they require refrigeration but can be left at room temperature for 2-7 days, depending on the flavour.

Taste & Texture 

I sampled the peanut butter flavour. Overall, I thought the product had good flavour. It has a soft, pasty texture but I find it to be less chalky than some other protein or energy bars. It has a strong honey flavour which some people may not enjoy.

Perfect Bar Ingredients 

• Peanut Butter: the main ingredient in perfect bars contributing protein and a source of fat
• Honey: sweetener and a source of added sugar in perfect bars
• Skim milk powder: protein source
• Dried whole egg: protein source
• Rice protein: protein source
• Sunflower lecithin: used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in packaged foods. Check out our full Lecithin Ingredient Review here for more information
• Oils (sunflower, flax seed, sesame seed, olive, pumpkin seed): source of unsaturated fats
• Whole food powders (kale, flax seed rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach): providing a source of micronutrients

Perfect bars are made with whole-food ingredients that you can understand, which makes them a less processed option compared to some other bars on the market. There are a variety of protein sources, seed oils, and vegetable powders incorporated into these bars which is evident in the nutrition profile.

Perfect Bar Ingredient Comparison Chart

	Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter	Peanut butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter), dried whole egg powder, rice protein, sea salt, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil
Peanut Butter	Peanut butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Coconut Peanut Butter	Peanut butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, coconut, dried whole egg powder, coconut oil, rice protein, dried whole food powder (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Salted Caramel	Cashew butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, nonfat dry milk, honey, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, vanilla extract, sea salt, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Almond Butter	Almond butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, almond pieces, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, sesame seeds, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower seed oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Dark Chocolate Almond	Almond butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter), almond pieces, cocoa, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, vanilla extract, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Chocolate Mint	Peanut butter, honey, nonfat dry milk, dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter), cocoa, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, vanilla extract, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, peppermint oil.
Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp	Peanut butter, honey, hazelnut butter, nonfat dry milk, dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter), crisp sorghum, cocoa, dried whole egg powder, rice protein, vanilla extract, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough	Peanut butter, cashew butter, maple syrup, nonfat dry milk, honey, dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter), rice protein, dried whole egg powder, vanilla extract, sea salt, dried whole food powders (kale, flax seed, rose hip, orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, apple, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, spinach), flax seed oil, sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil.

Priority allergens:

Perfect bars are gluten-free.

Contains: peanuts, milk, eggs, sesame. May contain tree nuts.

Note: always check the nutrition label for up-to-date allergen information.

Are Perfect Bars Healthy? Dietitian Review

Perfect Bar Nutrition Facts

Nutrition facts below represent the peanut butter Perfect Bar, with ranges for other flavours in parentheses. See our Perfect Bar Nutrition Facts Comparison chart below for details.

Calories:  330 (320-340). This bar is energy-dense. I would classify this in the ‘energy bar’ category.

Fat: 18g (18-21 depending on the flavour). Perfect bars are a source of healthy fats coming from peanut butter and a variety of seed oils in the ingredient list. This helps the snack be more satiating and keeps you full longer.

Carbohydrate: 26g (25-26g). This bar has a moderate source of carbohydrates compared to other energy bars. It is lower in carbohydrates than many other bars with similar calorie content.

Fibre: 4g (3-4g). We consider this to be a good source of fibre.

Sugar: this bar has 18g of sugar per bar (18019g). This is mostly added sugar from honey, which is the second ingredient on the ingredient list. I would consider this to be a high amount of added sugar, though it’s important to note that this is fairly common for energy bars.

Protein: the peanut butter flavour contains 17g of protein (15-17g).   The protein is coming from skim milk powder, rice protein, peanut butter, and dried egg. I like that there are a variety of protein sources used in this product, most of which are not ultra-processed.

Other nutrients: perfect bars are a source of a variety of macronutrients, coming from vegetable powders. The peanut butter flavour provides a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin E, Niacin, Phosphorus, and Magnesium.

Perfect Bar Nutrition Facts Comparison Chart

	Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter	Peanut Butter	Coconut Peanut Butter	Salted Caramel	Almond Butter	Dark Chocolate Almond	Chocolate Mint	Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp	Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Calories	330	340	350	310	320	310	320	320	310
Fat (g)	20	19	22	19	19	19	20	21	18
Saturated Fat (g)	4	3	6	3.5	1.5	2.5	4	3	3.5
Sodium (mg)	105	50	45	130	45	40	40	25	150
Carbohydrate (g)	24	27	27	25	25	25	25	24	25
Fibre (g)	4	3	4	2	4	5	4	4	2
Sugar (g)	18	19	19	17	18	17	18	15	18
Protein (g)	15	17	16	12	13	12	14	12	12

Cost: 

$$$ – expensive

The average cost that I can find (in Ontario) is $3.89 per bar. This is high for n snack bar, but not uncommon. This is comparable to other less-processed energy bars on the market.

Are Perfect Bars Healthy? Dietitian Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Perfect Bars gluten-free?

Yes, Perfect Bars are gluten-free. They contain peanuts, milk, eggs, sesame. They may contain tree nuts. Note: always check the label for up to date allergen information.

Are Perfect Bars keto?

Perfect Bars contain 24-26 grams of carbohydrate (20-22g net carbs) per bar and are not considered keto.

Are Perfect Bars Low FODMAP?

Perfect bars contain honey which is a source of fructose. Therefore, they are not considered low FODMAP.

Are Perfect Bars a meal replacement?

Depending on your nutritional needs, Perfect Bars may be suitable as a meal replacement. Keep in mind, consuming a processed food item (such as a bar) will likely digest much faster than a whole-food-based meal, meaning you will not feel full as long. Perfect bars are also higher in sugar and lower in fibre than a balanced whole-food meal would be.

Are Perfect Bars Whole 30?

Perfect Bars are not considered Whole 30 as they contain dairy, added sugar (honey), and nuts.

Are Perfect Bars Paleo?

Perfect Bars are not considered paleo because they are processed, contain dairy, and contain vegetable oil.