Keto Protein Bars Reviews: Top 7 Keto-Friendly Bars You Will Love

If you’re on a ketogenic diet, finding protein bars that comply with the keto nutritional rules can be a problem.

You may consider keto-friendly bars as your solutions.

Are you on a ketogenic diet?  ⁽¹⁾

This is a diet that reduces the carb intake and replaces it with healthy fat.

The resulting low-carb, high-fat diet can then put your body into a state of ketosis, which means your body burns up energy much more efficiently.

You also need the right amount of protein.

People need protein, as it works as the raw materials your body needs to repair your muscles, bones, and skin.

But if you have too much protein, your body goes out of the ketosis state and you’re back to square one.

The ketogenic diet has a lot of rules, and that applies to your protein intake as well.

Luckily enough for you, if you’re on the keto diet you can actually get some special types of protein bars that can work with a keto diet.

What Makes Keto Protein Diet Desirable?

In a keto diet, the percentage of calories obtained from carbs is reduced, while the percentage of calories from fat is increased.

But this doesn’t mean that protein intake remains the same.

In a keto diet, protein intake increases as well.

You have to understand that ketogenic diets can be customized, though there are 2 main types.

The standard or SKD version calls for 75% of the calories coming from fat, 20% from protein, and 5% from carbs.

The high-protein keto diet requires 60% fat, 35% protein, and still 5% carbs.

Either way, both ask for more protein than usual. In a regular diet, 15% of the calories come from protein. ⁽²⁾

This special diet offers several benefits, which have been confirmed by various studies.

• In a study comparing those on a very low carb keto diet (VLCKD) and those on a low fat diet (LFD), it was found that the VLCKD group achieved greater weight loss that the LFD group. ⁽³⁾

• For patients with type 2 diabetes, another study both the low-carb group and the low-fat group achieved similar weight loss after a year, although it was faster in the low-carb group. The low-carb group had higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol.  ⁽⁴⁾

• For short term weight loss in women, a very-low carb diet is more effective than a low-fat diet.

• Very low high carb diets protects against muscle protein catabolism. This is true as long as the diet allows for enough protein, but a very low carb diet invariably has high amounts of protein.

• The practical consequence of limiting carbs tends to lead to limited food options. This in turn leads to reduced calorie intake which is crucial for weight loss and fat burning.

• A study had 2 groups both with high protein (30%) in their diets. But one group had low carbs at 4% while the other group had 30% carbs. It was found that the low-carb ketogenic diet group had lower food intake and greater reduced hunger.

• The ketogenic diet can improve insulin activity, which enhances the metabolism and fuel utilization. ⁽⁵⁾

• The evidence suggests that a ketogenic diet can suppress the appetite. This is a crucial advantage for those engaging in a weight loss program in which food and calorie intake is restricted.

• When you’re on a ketogenic diet, your body is forced to covert the fat and the protein into carbs for fuel. This conversion process can result in having extra calories burned each day.

5 Outstanding Benefits for Fitness & Bodybuilding

If you’re determined to be fit and build bigger muscles with less fat, you should consider a ketogenic diet.

The low-carb, high-protein nature of these diets offers several key benefits for muscle-building and fat loss.

• One very well-known fact is that having a huge amount of protein in your diet can lead to enhanced muscle strength and mass. It’s this accepted truism that has made protein supplements a huge industry today.

• During weight loss, you don’t just lose weight due to fat loss. You also generally lose some muscle mass as well. However, with high protein in the diet the muscle loss is greatly reduced. ⁽⁶⁾

• Protein is just as important to your bone health as calcium and vitamin D.

• A study involving overweight men who increased their protein percentage to 25% of calories reduced their need to snack at night by 50%. Their cravings were reduced by a total of 60%.

• If you train regularly or you’re an athlete, injuries are a distinct possibility. However, consuming more protein after an injury can accelerate the recovery process.

Making At Home vs. Purchasing Ready Made Brands

While some people take the easy way of buying ready-made brands of protein bars, others try to make their own.

The advantage of this is that you can be sure about all the ingredients in your self-made protein bars.

After all, you picked all the ingredients.

There’s also the satisfaction similar to how chefs and cooks feel about preparing their own meals.

The entire process can be very fulfilling.

In addition, many feel that ready-made protein bars are inherently better and more delicious, like home-cooked meals.

Here are 3 recipes for keto bars you can make at home:

<>  Home Made Keto Bars

Ingredients

• 23g of unflavored protein powder
• 130g of unsweetened bakers chocolate
• 150g of raw coconut meat
• 18g of erythritol
• ¾ tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
• 5 tablespoon of water
• 25 tablespoons of butter

Directions

• Mix all the ingredients in a food processor.
• Stop and use a spatula to push the ingredients down from the sides and then resume. The ingredients must be fully immersed.
• Form the result into 6 bars into bar molds or on parchment paper.
• Bake them in the oven at 250 degrees for at least 20 minutes.
• Let it cool before you eat them. Storing them in the fridge lets them keep for 3 weeks.

Nutritional Facts

Each bar will offer the following:

• Total calories: 278
• Calories from fat: 207
• Total fat: 23g
• Total carbs: 9.8g
• Dietary fiber: 6.7g
• Protein: 7.5g

<>  No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Ingredients

• 2 scoops of protein powder, preferably paleo, brown rice, or casein
• 2 cups of nut or seed butter, such as peanut butter
• ½ cup of coconut flour
• ½ cup of monk fruit maple syrup as the sweetener
• (optional) 2 cups of chocolate chips

Directions

• Pick an 8” by 8” deep pan for thicker bars. Bigger pans will result in thinner bars.
• Line the deep pan with parchment paper, and then set aside for a while.
• Add your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix them all very well.
• Using a small mixing bowl, melt the peanut butter with the sweetener until they mix.
• Add the mix to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and mix until they’re fully combined.
• Transfer the batter into the lined baking pan and then press firmly in place.
• Refrigerate or freeze until the batter is firm.
• Once they’re firm, cut them into bars.
• If you want, you can cover them in the optional chocolate.
• Now you have protein bars that are keto and vegan friendly, and they’re also sugar-free.

Nutrition Facts

• Total calories: 139
• Calories from fat: 90
• Total fat: 10g
• Total carbs: 6g
• Dietary fiber: 4g
• Protein: 8g
• It also offers vitamin C and iron.

<>  Chocolate Chip Sugar Free Paleo Protein Bar

Ingredients

• 1 cup of nut butter
• 2 scoops of vanilla protein
• 4 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
• 4 or 5 tablespoons of chocolate chips or cacao nips

Directions

• Mix all the ingredients together.
• Press the mix into a baking dish or loaf pan.
• Freeze until the mix is firm.
• Cut the mix into bars.
• Put them in a freezer.

Nutritional Facts

• Calories: 155
• Fat: 12.1g
• Carbs: 7.5g
• Protein: 6.1g

7 Very Delicious Keto Protein Bars You Can Order Today

Instead of taking all that time and effort collecting the ingredients for home-made keto protein bars, you may as well just buy them.

It’s not as if these protein bars are hard to find.

In fact, we’ve found 7 protein bars that can comply with the ketogenic strictures.

1.  Quest Nutrition

Quest bars are famed for their nutritional values while they also offer tasty flavors to choose from.

These are keto-compliant bars, as it offers a massive protein count with its fat content higher than the total carbs.

These are made with high quality ingredients, with the protein a blend of milk protein and whey protein isolates.

Each bar has only 170 to 210 calories depending on the flavor, with at least 20g of protein for each bar. You get all 9 essential amino acids too.

You get 6 to 10g of fat, while net carbs range only from 4 to 7g. Sugars are minimized from zero to 3g.

This is also gluten-free and soy-free, and all the ingredients are natural.

The main exception is sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener used in some flavors.

Each bar has a minimum of 13g of dietary fibers, and this is crucial as it boosts metabolism and makes you feel full so you don’t hanker for other unhealthy snacks. ⁽⁷⁾

The dietary fibers make this bar extremely helpful for those on a weight loss program.

There are 22 flavors to choose from, with the 23^rd option a variety pack with 12 flavors included.

Pros

• Plenty of flavors to choose from
• Lots of protein and fats, very little carbs
• Plenty of dietary fibers
• Great for weight loss
• Free of gluten and soy

Cons

• Uses sucralose, but not for all flavors

2.  RXBAR Whole Food Protein Bar

The packaging of the RXBAR is quite unique, as it trumpets its ingredients right on the front cover.

In the cover for the Chocolate Sea Salt Cover, it shows that it uses 3 egg whites, 6 almonds, 4 cashews, and 2 dates.

Chocolate Sea Salt is just one of the 15 flavors available, though it is the top seller.

It combines 100% chocolate with sea salt to get an intriguing balance of flavor between sweet and salty.

The 16^th option is to get a variety pack with 6 different flavors.

This offers 12g of protein along with 9g of fat with zero trans fat.

It has 5g of dietary fibers with zero added sugars, though the total carbohydrate may be a bit too high at 24g. It does offer calcium, iron, and potassium.

The calorie count may also not be low enough for some people, as it comes with 210 calories.

But this doesn’t contain preservatives, fillers, and artificial colors or flavors. There are no GMO ingredients either, and it is completely kosher.

Pros

• Lots of flavors to choose from, with a convenient variety pack
• You get calcium, iron, and potassium
• Non-GMO ingredients, with no preservatives and artificial flavors and colors
• No gluten either and completely kosher

Cons

• The calorie count may be a bit high
• Total carbs may be too high as well

3.  Epic All Natural Meat Bar

Meat is a great source of protein in our diets, so it seems inevitable that a protein bar can source its protein from meat.

With the Epic All Natural Meat Bar, the protein can come from sources such as bison, chicken, and lamb. All of these are organic sources.

The amounts of protein, sugar, and carbs you get will depend on the particular flavor you choose.

The 100% Wild Caught, Salmon & Smoked Maple flavor offers 9g of protein, 7g of fat, and just 4g of total carbs. That can comply with ketogenic calorie percentages.

Another ketogenic flavor is the Chicken Sriracha. This gives you a larger 15g protein amount, with 4g of total fat and just 1g of total carbs.

Some flavors can contain up to 130 to 150 calories. However, flavors such as the Turkey, Almond & Cranberry and the Venison, Sea Salt & Pepper only come with 80 calories.

Pros

• Plenty of really unique flavors
• Wide range of protein, fat, and carb content so you can pick the nutritional values you want
• The meats are all organic and grass-fed
• Soy-free and dairy-free

Cons

• Some people are complaining about formula changes
• The flavor you like may not have the nutritional values you want

4.  No Cow Protein Bar

In direct contrast to the Epic All Natural Meat Bars, the name of this protein bar proudly states its no-cow, non-dairy status.

That’s because the protein comes from plant-based sources, which makes this a good option for vegetarians and vegans.

This is available in 8 different flavors, along with a bestseller pack, a variety pack, and a sampler pack.

Some flavors are familiar, such as the peanut butter chocolate chip and the chocolate fudge brownie. But you can also try raspberry truffle and carrot cake.

It somewhat complies with ketogenic principles as it offers high 22g protein content with 1g of sugars. However, the total carbohydrate count is still high at 25g or thereabouts.

Still, with calorie counts at 200 (it varies with the flavor) you get 45 calories from fat. At least you can also get 18g of dietary fiber from the blueberry cobbler flavor.

This is a great snack for vegans, as it is absolutely dairy-free. It’s also free of gluten, soy, and GMO ingredients. You can take this as a post-workout protein bar as well.

Pros

• Wide variety of flavors to choose from
• Variety packs let you try multiple flavors
• Flavors come with distinct nutritional content
• Protein and dietary fiber content can be very high
• Very low sugar level
• Completely vegan

Cons

• The total carb content can be quite high.

5.  Better Than Coffee Energy Bars

Lots of people drink coffee when they need a pick me up in the afternoon. But coffee comes with the inevitable “crash”.

Energy drinks aren’t much better, as they have lots of artificial ingredients. The founders of this energy bar offer a healthier alternative.

This comes with 4 flavors, and they all seem like coffee flavors as well.

You can choose among Dark Chocolate & Mint, Dark Chocolate & Cranberry, Dark Chocolate & Coconut, and French Roast.

These all have 70% organic dark chocolate.

The secret of the bars comes from guarana and maca, which are both South American plants. Guarana provides energy and stamina, while maca reduces stress and offers a physical and mental boost.

This still contains caffeine, however. It has 100mg of caffeine, in fact.

The protein count is just 5g, with 4.5 to 5g for total fat and 11 to 13g for total carbohydrates. However, added sugars total only 2g with 4g of dietary fiber. Each bar has 100 calories.

This is basically solid caffeine for those who don’t like coffee. This will wake you up, alright.

Pros

• Wakes you up and energizes you
• Natural and organic ingredients
• Free of GMO, gluten, soy, dairy and nut (except for coconut)
• Vegan and kosher
• Low sodium

Cons

• Taste is more bitter than sweet
• High carb content
• Too few flavor options.

6.  Zenwise Health, Keto Crave Energy Bar

As the name states outright, this is designed for those on a ketogenic diet.

The protein count is 9g, with 210 calories from each bar.

That includes 140 calories from fat, which comes in at 16g.

Total carb is just 13g, but 8g comes from fiber. Sugar is just 2g.

This is for both new and advanced keto dieters. It offers a sustained boost of energy so it can be used as a snack before a workout.

It enhances mental focus and alertness, while its prebiotic fiber boosts your metabolism.

The ingredients include Coconut MCT Oil, Cacao Butter, and Organic Almond Butter. It has no added sugars and no artificial preservatives either.

It’s not caffeinated either, so you don’t get the jitters.

Just in case you’re wondering about the flavors—you just have cacao almond. That’s your only choice. It tastes chocolate and nuts, and a bit like toffee.

Pros

• Definitely keto
• Offers energy boost
• Enhances mental focus
• No caffeine
• Can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner for weight loss

Cons

• Just one flavor

7.  Atlas Bar

This may count as ketogenic, when you consider the net carbs (total carbs minus the dietary fiber).

At least it’s keto with the Chocolate Cacao flavor, though there’s also the Peanut Butter Chip and the Vanilla Almond Chip flavors.

With the Chocolate Cacao, you get 230 calories each bar, so it can stand as a snack or even as a breakfast.

About 110 of those calories come from fat, as each bar as 12g total fat. This may come with 22g of total carbs, but then its fiber content is 11g.

The protein is also substantial, as you get 16g of protein. You also get significant amounts of calcium and iron.

The ingredients used here are all high quality.

The whey protein is grass-fed, the coconut oil is organic, and it even uses Himalayan pink salt. There is no added sugar, and no gluten, soy, GMOs, or anything artificial

Pros

• All natural and organic ingredients with no artificial stuff
• High protein, fiber, and fat with lower net carb
• Most people actually like the taste

Cons

• Just 3 flavors
• Total carbs may be too high.

FAQ – Questions & Answers

QUE:  Keto vs. low carb diet: Are the same? What differences?

Actually, a ketogenic diet is a type of low carb diet. Both a standard low-carb diet and a keto diet can also be used for weight loss.

The ketogenic diet aims to achieve ketosis, which is a metabolic state that uses fat cells for fuel for your body.

It is actually possible for a low carb, high fat diet to not be a keto diet. You have to carefully monitor your intake of calories, carbs, and protein.

QUE:  How much protein should I eat on keto?

There’s a wide range of opinion on this. Some say that 20% of your calories should come from protein, and that’s the standard version.

The high protein variant calls for 35% protein. The more active you are, the more protein you need.

The general rule of thumb requires you to start with 0.8g of protein for every pound of your Lean Body Mass (LBM). The LBM is your total weight, minus the weight of your fat.

So if you weigh 180 pounds with 30% body weight, your LBM is 180 – (180*0.3) or 126 pounds.

With 0.8g of protein per LBM pound, that’s 101g of protein per day. Actually, the range of your daily protein intake can go from 0.68g to 1g per LBM pound.

QUE:  Can they really help me lose fat and build lean muscle?

The short answer is “yes”. Numerous studies show that ketogenic diets and a high protein intake can lead to weight loss.

Keto diets boost the metabolism and makes you feel full, and they also help retain muscle mass. Protein is the building block of muscles.

QUE:  Which of the 7 brands above can help me for weight loss?

It depends on how you use these bars and how you react to them.

Pick the ones that offer low calorie content, but even the high calorie bars can be used for weight loss if you use them as a replacement for meals occasionally.

The keto diet is your key to weight loss. These bars simply adhere to ketogenic principles of high protein, high fat, and low sugar and carbs.

QUE:  Where can I get keto protein bars in UK, Australia and Canada?

The best answer is to go online. This matter will be discussed in more detail in the next section.

Where to Buy Online?

Your best option is to go to an online retail platform. You can go to Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, and even Costco.

But the most reliable and trusted online retail site is still Amazon. The prices are often the lowest at that site, and the delivery is reliable.

The reviews are also numerous and more trustworthy. You can find all these bars in Amazon.

Conclusion

If you’re on a ketogenic diet, then you’ve probably found out how difficult it is to comply with the requirements of the diet.

It’s hard to plan home-cooked meals for a keto diet without consulting online experts.

But at least with these keto bars, you can find protein supplements that taste fine without violating your keto diet requirements.

You can go on a keto diet and increase your protein intake with these bars, so that you can lose weight and build muscles.

In other words, if you’re on a keto diet, you should try supplementing your diet with these protein and energy bars.

You may find that you’re more likely to succeed in achieving your fitness goal if you try a protein bar from our keto protein bar list.

Go get some packs, different flavors and brands AMAZON here

REFERENCES:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101#what-it-is
2. https://www.livestrong.com/article/180718-recommended-calories-for-lean-muscle-growth/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23651522
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19366978
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20645852
6. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/19927027
7. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sucralose-good-or-bad
8. https://swfas.org/low-calorie-protein-bar-guide/
9. https://swfas.org/clif-protein-bars/
10. https://swfas.org/nut-free-protein-bars/
11. https://swfas.org/impact-whey-protein/

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