Barbells Protein bars are a popular snack choice for those looking to increase their protein intake. But are Barbells Protein bars healthy? This Barbells dietitian review will help you decide if they’re a healthy addition to your grocery cart. Read on for our dietitian review of taste, nutritional properties, ingredients, and suggested uses before you buy.
About Barbells Protein Bars
Barbells protein bars are promoted as protein bars that taste like a regular chocolate bar, with no added sugar and high protein content.
Barbells Protein Bar Ingredients
Note: always check the product label for up-to-date nutrition, ingredient, and allergen information.
| Barbells Protein Bar Flavour | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Cookies & Cream | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), GLYCERIN, MALTITOL, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, POLYDEXTROSE, COCOA BUTTER, WATER, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, DRY WHOLE MILK, SUNFLOWER OIL, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, TAPIOCA STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
| Creamy Crisp | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE), GLYCERIN, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, MALTITOL, POLYDEXTROSE, COCOA BUTTER, WATER, DRY WHOLE MILK, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
| Chocolate Dough | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE), BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, GLYCERIN, MALTITOL, POLYDEXTROSE, COCOA BUTTER, DRY WHOLE MILK, WATER, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, TAPIOCA STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
| Caramel Cashew | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), GLYCERIN, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, MALTITOL, POLYDEXTROSE, WATER, COCOA BUTTER, DRY WHOLE MILK, ROASTED CASHEW PIECES, SUNFLOWER OIL, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, PEANUT PASTE (PEANUTS), COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
| Birthday Cake | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE), GLYCERIN, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, MALTITOL, COCOA BUTTER, POLYDEXTROSE, WATER, CONFETTI BLEND (MALTITOL, RICE FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, SUNFLOWER OIL, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 2 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE, BLUE 1 LAKE), DRY WHOLE MILK, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, CITRIC ACID, SUCRALOSE. |
| Caramel Choco | Maltitol, milk protein blend (calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein hydrolysate), hydrolyzed bovine collagen, water, polydextrose, glycerin, cocoa butter, milk, high oleic sunflower oil, unsweetened chocolate, xylitol, contains less than 2% of each of the following: cocoa processed with alkali, whey protein isolate, butter (pasteurized cream, salt), sunflower lecithin, gelatin, salt, natural flavors, soy lecithin, cocoa, sucralose. |
| Minty Chocolate | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN HYDROLYSATE), MALTITOL, HYDROLYZED BOVINE COLLAGEN, WATER, POLYDEXTROSE, GLYCERIN, COCOA BUTTER, MILK, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, XYLITOL, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: CALCIUM CASEINATE, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, COCONUT OIL, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, GELATIN, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, SUCRALOSE. |
| White Chocolate Almond | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), GLYCERIN, POLYDEXTROSE, MALTITOL, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, COCOA BUTTER, WATER, DRY WHOLE MILK, ROASTED ALMOND PIECES, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, TAPIOCA STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, SUCRALOSE, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE. |
| Banana Caramel | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN HYDROLYSATE), MALTITOL, HYDROLYZED BOVINE COLLAGEN, WATER, POLYDEXTROSE, GLYCERIN, COCOA BUTTER, MILK, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, XYLITOL, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, BUTTER (PASTEURIZED CREAM, SALT), SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, GELATIN, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, TURMERIC OLEORESIN (COLOR), SUCRALOSE. |
| Plant Based Hazelnut Nougat | VEGAN PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, PEA PROTEIN ISOLATE, RICE PROTEIN), VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, MALTITOL, POLYDEXTROSE, COCOA BUTTER, OLIGOFRUCTOSE, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, ROASTED HAZELNUT PIECES, SUNFLOWER OIL, RICE FLOUR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TAPIOCA STARCH, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
| Salty Peanut | MILK PROTEIN BLEND (CALCIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), GLYCERIN, BOVINE COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE, MALTITOL, POLYDEXTROSE, WATER, COCOA BUTTER, DRY WHOLE MILK, PEANUT PASTE (PEANUTS), SUNFLOWER OIL, ROASTED PEANUT PIECES, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SALT, ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, SUCRALOSE. |
Milk protein blend: calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate.
Glycerin: a sugar alcohol produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils. Glycerin has many uses as a food ingredient, including sweetener, bulking agent or filler, hydrating agent, and solvent.
Maltitol: sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sugar alternative in sugar-free products. Read more about Maltitol here.
Bovine collagen hydrolysate: collagen protein from cows.
Polydextrose: a prebiotic fiber made from dextrose (sugar). Unlike sugar, polydextrose is not sweet tasting and has low digestibility. It is used to add bulk to foods without adding to the calorie count.
Cocoa Butter: the fat that is removed from cocoa beans during processing.
Soy protein isolate: protein powder.
Dry whole milk: powdered milk.
Sunflower oil: source of monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids.
Unsweetened chocolate: used for flavoring.
Tapioca starch: a gluten-free flour from the cassava plant. Used as a binding and thickening agent in foods.
Natural flavors: this is a blanket term for any combination of extracts from plant or animal products. Read everything you need to know about natural flavors here.
Artificial flavors: flavors derived form sources other than a plant or animal product.
Cocoa: unsweetened form of chocolate. This is the leftover part of the cocoa bean after the cocoa butter has been removed.
Sunflower lecithin: used as an emulsifier to help fats blend with other ingredients. Read more about lecithins in our Lecithin Ingredient Review here.
Sucralose: a type of non-calorie sweetener made from table sugar.
Priority Allergens
Contains milk, soy, tree nuts (some flavors), peanuts (some flavors). May contain peanuts, sesame, tree nuts and eggs.
Barbells Protein Bar Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts (Per 1 Bar) | Cookies & Cream | Creamy Crisp | Chocolate Dough | Caramel Cashew | Birthday Cake | Salted Peanut Caramel | Caramel Choco | Minty Chocolate | White Chocolate Almond | Banana Caramel | Plant Based Hazelnut Nougat | Salty Peanut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 190 | 200 | 200 | 190 | 220 | 200 |
| Fat (g) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Trans fat (g) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
| Sodium (mg) | 70 | 125 | 130 | 85 | 120 | 200 | 170 | 170 | 110 | 140 | 110 | 105 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 27 | 18 |
| Fibre (g) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Sugar (g) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Protein (g) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 20 |
| Calcium (mg) | 175 | 150 | 150 | 175 | 150 | 110 | 120 | 120 | 90 | 120 | 10 | 160 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.8 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1 | 1.2 |
| Potassium (mg) | 150 | 125 | 175 | 150 | 130 | 180 | 160 | 160 | 150 | 150 | 50 | 160 |
Note: the nutrition facts below represent the Barbells Cookies & Cream flavor. The nutrient range for all flavors is listed in parentheses.
Calories: 210 (190-210)
Fat: 7g (7-10g), from sunflower oil and cocoa butter.
Saturated fat: 3g (3-4.5g), from dried whole milk and cocoa butter.
Cholesterol: 15mg (0-15mg), from dried whole milk and cocoa butter.
Sodium: 70mg (70-200mg), trace amounts found in ingredients.
Carbohydrates: 20g (18-22g), from glycerin, maltitol, polysextrose, and tapioca starch.
Fiber: 3g (2-7g), from polydextrose.
Sugar: 1g (1-2g), trace amounts found in ingredients.
Protein: 20g (15-20g), from milk, soy, and bovine collagen.
Other nutrients: calcium 175mg (10-175mg), iron 0.8mg (0.4-1.5mg), potassium 150mg (125-180mg)
Barbells Protein Bar Nutrition Score
We gave Barbells protein bar a score of 45 out of 100 and recommended considering an alternative option. On the positive side, Barbells are low in sugar and provide a great source of protein. In addition, most flavors are high in fibre. However, Barbells protein bars contain multiple ultra-processed ingredients, including non-caloric sweeteners and artificial flavors.
While all protein bars are considered processed, not all contain as many ultra-processed ingredients. There are better protein bars on the market that have a more impressive nutrition and ingredient profile. Check out my list of the Best Protein Bars here for alternative options.
Related posts:
1. Sugar-Free Protein Bars you Can Buy at the Grocery Store
2. Are Pure Protein Bars Healthy? Three Reasons to Choose an Alternative Snack
3. One Protein Bar Dietitian Review: Why You Should Find an Alternative
Sources:
- Glycerin, Technical Evaluation Report, USDA (2013).
- Sugar Alcohols and Polydextrose Used as Sweeteners in Foods. Health Canada (2005). Accessed September 25, 2023.
- Bob’s Redmill, What is Tapioca Flour & Where Does it Come from? (2022).
