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A meal replacement bar is the perfect way to cover you for breakfast, lunch, or dinner when cooking doesn’t fit into the schedule. The main issue is that most “meal replacement bars” are no more than gourmet candy bars.
Another thing to remember is, that you shouldn’t get meal bars confused with protein bars. Let’s leave those protein-overloaded bars to the advanced athletes in Beast Mode, because unless you’re hitting the weights hard, that extra protein intake could be doing more harm than good.
Besides causing weight gain, consuming too much protein has been linked to:
- Calcium loss
- Kidney damage
- Increased cancer risk
- and more!
That comes to the main question we’re answering:
Are meal replacement bars healthy?
Unlike protein bars, a high-quality meal replacement bar will be higher in calories, fiber, and healthy fats, so you stay fuller for longer. The overall healthiness of a meal bar depends on the quality and quantity of the nutritious ingredients.
It’s important to choose a bar that’s low in added sugar and made with whole food ingredients, but there are many sneaky ways that meal bar brands get around this. Nowadays, food labels are littered with clever and deceptive marketing, but our list of the top meal replacement bars cuts through the B.S. and gets straight to the good stuff.
Most of our top choices have ingredient lists that you can actually pronounce and flavors that keep you coming back for more! Not only will they give you a break from cooking, but they’ll also give you a break from the alphabet soup we’re used to navigating through on the ingredient lists of many traditional meal bars. Paired with a superfood greens powder drink to sip on, you’ll get more vital nutrients in one meal than some people get the whole day!
Without further ado, here’s our list of the best meal replacement bars:
RxBars
RxBars made the top of our list because they’re straight-up rock stars! Not only do they produce simple yet nutritious meal replacement bars, but they have a great variety of kick-ass flavors!
Their ingredient transparency is also second-to-none, beause the ingredients are printed in big, bold lettering right on the front of each bar. They truly represent the “No B.S.” motto that’s listed as the last ingredient on each flavor.
You don’t have to like dates to love at least one of their many flavors, and the unique addition of egg whites in most of there bars provides a nice mix of protein, healthy fat, and other nutrients.
- Most transparent with ingredient listing
- Absolutely NO added sugar, gluten, or soy
- No preservatives
- Unique and delicious flavor combos
Sans Meal Replacement Bars
Sans Meal Replacement Bars are more of a 1b to RxBars 1a at the top of our list because they offer a very similar ingredient formula. These date-based bars are very nutritious and filling, coming in at a whopping 85 grams, with almost 400 calories per serving!
Their flavor combinations aren’t as exotic as RxBars, but they’re just as delicious. They also have a larger spectrum of ingredients, including spinach, oats, flax seed, and more. All with none of the “B.S.” you see in your average meal replacement bars.
The main reason they fell to a close second is that they’re slightly more expensive, but their nutritional content is a little better. Featuring 10+ more essential vitamins and minerals than RxBars they’re worth every penny.
- Almost 400 calories per bar!
- 10+ Essential vitamins and minerals
- No added sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, or natural flavors
- Simple and delicious flavors
Thunderbird Superfood Bars
Thunderbird Superfood Bars are a great meal replacement choice for Paleo and strict Vegan diets. Similar to RxBars and Sans bars, they’re date-based with a similar ingredient makeup. Plus, their flavor combinations are unique and delicious!
My personal favorites are the Cherry Hemp Turmeric and Pecan Goji Pistachio. Also, the Texas Maple Pecan is a must-try!
For non-vegans, they fall short in the protein category, because they don’t contain egg whites like our top two choices. On the other hand, they’re certified non-GMO, gluten-free, and have no added sugar.
- Awesome flavor combinations!
- No added sugar, dairy, or soy
- Plant-based, paleo, and vegan
Kind Breakfast Bars
Made with a combination of 5 super grains, Kind Breakfast Bars are a great option if you really don’t like the consistency of date-based bars. When you bite into them, they have a texture of a soft cookie, which is rewarding in itself.
While their ingredient list isn’t as simple as others on this list, they’re contents are still very nutritious and straightforward. They have 6 flavor options (3 regular & 3 high-protein), and they’re all delicious. The Dark Chocolate Cocoa is a personal favorite.
They fell lower on this list because they contain some added sugars. On the other hand, those added sugars are some combination of tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and honey, which is way better than your average meal bar.
- Contain 5 super grains, including millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa
- Gluten-free
- Great price at just over $1/bar
Larabar
Just like our top three choices, Larabars are date-based and have a simple and nutritious ingredient list. They’ve been a leader in the fruit & nut bar game for over 20 years, so they were an easy choice to make our top 5.
They have over 20 tasty and unique flavors to choose from. With options like Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Coconut Cream Pie, and Carrot Cake, they’re sure to pique your interest. Their level of creativity is impressive. Especially since most of the flavors are formulated using a range of only 3-6 simple ingredients.
They have some classically-flavored kid’s bars that you can easily sneak into their lunch box. Plus, they have 3 kinds of super-nutritious breakfast cereals: Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie, and my personal favorite, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
- No added sugars, dairy, or gluten
- Vegan
- Best mix of classic and unique flavor choices
Perfect Bars
The main reason Perfect Bars fell so far down the list is that they need to be refrigerated. While it’s inconvenient in some on-the-go scenarios, they have an awesome combination of ingredients. They also have a great selection of indulgent flavor options.
My favorite is the Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter, but Coconut Peanut Butter is also a tasty flavor combo. The great part is that all of the flavors contain a nutritious blend of whole-food powders, including kale, kelp, spinach, carrot, and more, but you’d never know by the taste.
- 310-340 Calories
- Dried whole food powder blend (kale, flax seed, alfalfa, apple, papaya, lemon, orange, rose hip, celery, kelp, carrot, spinach, and dulse)
- Certified non-GMO
- 19-22 grams of healthy fats!
Zeek Bars for Kids
If you can’t get your kids to eat any of our other top choices, Zeek Bars are sure to win. Kids will love the Cosmic Cookie Dough and Brownie Blast Off flavors, and YOU’LL love the super healthy whole food ingredients.
- Soy free
- Gluten-free
- DELICIOUS flavor options
- Low sugar
