Best Protein Bars for People With Diabetes

Protein bars are everywhere. Convenience stores and vending machines often offer multiple flavors and brands. There’s nothing stopping you from getting one whenever you want, but how do protein bars fit into your overall nutrition plan and impact your blood sugar?

Modern protein bars are an incredible feat of food engineering. They are precise quantities of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and calories pressed into a convenient, ready-to-eat package. When you pick one up, you can get a pretty good sense of what you’re putting in your body and how it will affect your diabetes and your dietary goals, so long as you check the nutrition label.

What is a protein bar?

A protein bar is a convenient snack that, in theory, contains a high amount of protein relative to carbs and fat. However, protein bars do not have a strict legal definition, and products can vary quite a bit in protein, fat, and carb content.

Many protein bars are enriched with protein powder, which may come from animal sources like dairy or plant sources like peas, soy, and hemp. 

In general, bars enriched with dairy-derived whey and casein offer the most protein per serving, often over 20 grams. For context, two eggs, which would constitute the bulk of the protein in a filling breakfast, offer 14 grams.

Other bars highlight that the protein contained comes from whole foods, not powders. For instance, RXBAR lists its ingredients on the front of its bars’ wrappers. The original formula is three egg whites, six almonds, four cashews, and two dates.

That looks like a fairly healthy option, but it’s worth noting that the typical RXBAR has only 12 grams of protein, which, in terms of protein bars, isn’t that much relative to the amount of carbs, fat, and total calories it contains.

Why eat a protein bar?

People eat protein bars for a variety of reasons. At this point, a lot of them taste really good, and you may prefer them to other snack options, regardless of their nutritional content.

Protein bars can also be a filling snack. They are as easy to eat as candy bars and usually contain just as many calories, but have more protein. So, they take a little longer to digest and can give you a more lasting energy boost. If you don’t have time for a bigger meal, then a protein bar can be a good choice.

If you’re just looking for a quick snack, then it probably doesn’t matter if the bar you pick has 12 grams of protein or 20 grams. In that case, something made from whole-food ingredients might be a better option because, even though it contains a more modest amount of protein, it also likely has healthy fats from nuts and other beneficial nutrients.

However, many people use protein bars to supplement their protein intake. If that’s the case for you, you probably want to pick a bar enriched with protein powder because that will maximize the amount of protein you’re getting relative to the amount of calories you’re eating. 

Who needs to supplement their protein intake?

It’s easy to grab a protein bar without much thought, but it’s worth taking a second to figure out what your motivation for eating one is.

“People just need to think about why they’re doing it,” said Carol Johnston, a registered dietitian and professor at Arizona State University. “Are you doing it because you think you need more protein?”

If you’re living in the U.S. and eating a standard two to three meals a day, then you’re probably getting adequate levels of protein. That means for most people, eating a protein bar would put them over their daily needs. Excess protein in your diet isn’t usually a problem (unless you have kidney disease and your healthcare provider has told you to limit your protein intake), but it isn’t necessary. 

There are some exceptions. One, our bodies aren’t as good at digesting plant proteins. Two, the body becomes less effective at digesting and absorbing any type of protein as people age. Therefore, vegans and people over 60 may need to consider supplements to reach their daily protein needs.

In addition, high-performing athletes may need protein supplements to help their bodies recover after extended periods of intense exercise. In terms of muscle recovery, you need to be working out pretty hard to make a post-workout protein supplement necessary. If you’re not pushing yourself and getting your heart rate up, then your muscles probably aren’t the reason to add a high-protein snack to your daily meal plan.

Even if you do go for a tough run or lift heavy at the gym, you can time it so that the end of your workout coincides with a meal. You can make sure that the meal has a generous amount of protein by prioritizing meat, fish, dairy products, or some combination of grains and legumes, like rice and beans. 

That being said, protein supplements are convenient, so if you don’t have time to sit down for a meal after a hard session at the gym, they can be a good choice.

Additionally, some people with diabetes – especially those who take insulin or sulfonylureas – may find it beneficial to eat protein before a workout. Recent research suggests that protein before exercise can help people with type 1 diabetes avoid hypoglycemia. A supplement could give you the benefits of protein without weighing you down as a full meal would.

Does your protein supplement have to be a bar?

You may want to opt for a smoothie or a shake, which often have just as much or more protein than any bar you can buy. You can buy whey powder and add it to whatever you are drinking,  or you can pick up ready-made protein shakes. 

Some companies, like Glucerna and Enterex, make shakes that are specifically designed for people with diabetes. You can also find low-sugar options from other brands like Premier Protein.

Why it’s important to eat protein bars in moderation

At the end of the day, most protein bars qualify as ultra-processed foods. These prepackaged food products are easy to eat, and it’s easy to absorb calories from them, but they often lack key nutrients for overall health. 

You probably don’t need your protein supplement to also be loaded with other nutrients. But if your protein bar becomes more than just an occasional vehicle for protein, then you have to think more about where you’re getting your vitamins and minerals from and how everything you’re eating adds up. 

Furthermore, you won’t be able to find a protein bar that is purely protein. Any bar is going to contain some amount of fats and carbs, possibly including sugars. These other macronutrients can affect your blood sugar and contribute to your total calorie count.

Johnston emphasized the fact that protein bars can be a significant source of calories. As a researcher, she investigated the common belief that foods high in protein can help you lose weight by decreasing your appetite. After a morning protein bar, the participants in her study tended to eat less at lunch, but they made up for it at dinner. In fact, people who ate morning protein bars ate more total calories over the course of a day and a week.

“These calories count,” Johnston said. “So, you should probably eat it like a meal replacement. If your protein bar is 300 calories, that probably should replace your lunch.”

Of course, that advice might not make sense for people who are trying to maintain their body weight or bulk up. But whatever your dietary goals, it’s always a good idea to limit the number of calories you’re getting from protein bars and other snacks.

There are also other ways to increase your protein intake that might make calorie counting easier. You could just focus on making high-protein foods a larger share of your meals, and then you wouldn’t need to add an extra snack. Or, if you really want or need to supplement what you’re getting from your meals, you could find protein powders that have very few ingredients beyond the protein itself.

However, a protein bar can really hit the spot, and it may be the best option available to you in a given moment or if you’re on the go. It makes sense to eat one if you want, as long as you eat it like you would any other packaged snack: in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Which protein bars are best for blood sugar?

Protein bars vary widely in terms of sugar content. You can get 20 grams of protein from both a David bar and a Gatorade bar, but Gatorade bars also contain 23 grams of added sugar, whereas David bars have none.

Added sugars are the sweet syrups and table sugar that manufacturers add during production. Products with more added sugar are more likely to cause big blood sugar spikes; in addition, diets high in added sugars are associated with excess weight gain. For people with diabetes, it’s important to check the nutrition labels on any supplemental protein products and aim for ones without added sugar.

You should also pay attention to the total sugar content. For example, RXBAR products have very little added sugar, but because they are sweetened with fruit, they tend to have more total sugars than some other bars. Natural sugars usually come with fiber and other nutrients, making them healthier than added sugars, but they can still affect your blood sugar.

Finally, you need to look at total carbs. The sugars and fiber that first catch your eye when you look at a nutrition label contribute to this number, but they probably don’t add up to the whole number. The rest of it is likely starch. Johnston added that starch still enters the bloodstream as glucose. If you take insulin for meals, then starch and sugar are the net carbs that determine how many units you need for the bar you’re about to eat.

Extend makes protein bars specifically for people with diabetes. Barebells, Quest bars, and IQBars are also popular low-sugar options. Here’s a look at the nutrition facts of an example from each of these brands:

Fiber and sugar alcohols theoretically shouldn’t affect your blood sugar, but it’s worth noting that most of these bars contain quite a bit of both. Since our bodies don’t typically digest fiber and sugar alcohols, large quantities of them can upset some people’s stomachs. Try experimenting with different bars if one of them leaves you feeling bloated or otherwise unwell.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some IQBars are sweetened with allulose, which is a rare sugar. Like sugar alcohols, rare sugars don’t typically affect blood sugar, but they still count towards total carbs on a nutrition label. 

Some IQBars that contain allulose list it as an ingredient but not as a line item under total carbs. Consequently, you might actually overestimate the net carbs in the bar if you only subtract sugar alcohols and fiber from the total carbs listed on the label.

Whenever you’re eating a new bar (or anything else that lists relatively high total carbs and low or no sugar), it’s worth double-checking the ingredient list for allulose before deciding how many units of insulin to take. 

The bottom line

Most people with diabetes can get all the protein they need from the whole foods that they eat at meals. If you need more protein, you could change what you’re eating for your meals, or you could try a protein powder that might offer a better protein-to-calorie ratio than a bar. 

However, a protein bar can be a tasty, filling snack, and it can be a good option when you’re hungry – just remember to check the nutrition label before you buy one, so you have a better idea of how it might affect your blood sugar.

Learn more about nutrition for people with diabetes here:

• Best Proteins for Blood Sugar Management
• 8 Foods That Won't Spike Blood Sugar
• The Health Benefits of Beans, a Diabetes Superfood