Other Options For Popular Protein Bars For People With Diabetes:
It can be difficult to find a wide variety of protein bars that meet the criteria I describe above.
Its important to add variety in your choices so that you dont become stuck in a rut with the same product.
You will find protein bars that dont meet all suggestions for the perfect protein bar, such as bars with low fiber.
Best Protein Bars For Diabetics Bottom Line Up Front
Bottom Line Up Front: If you are in a rush, my top pick for diabetics is the NuGo Slim protein bars available here.
Of course, continue reading for my full take
Protein bars are best used as a snack rather than a meal replacement. There are meal replacement bars available, so be sure to double-check nutritional facts to ensure the bar you are buying is for between meals rather than a substitute for a meal.
When shopping for a protein bar as a snack youll want to find something with low sugar , moderate carbs , moderate protein , some fiber, and a total of 250 calories or less. If you are active and looking for a protein bar because you work out then youll probably want higher protein. Keep your own dietary restrictions in mind.
For example, avoiding bars with processed sugars or chemicals. Similarly, make sure you are avoiding gluten, soy, dairy, or any other ingredients you are allergic to.
Doctor Invented Loved By Millions
The BEST thing to keep Diabetic sugars steady… A dietitian mentioned these to me and I bought them the same day. I got the most popular flavor, peanut butter, and Cookies ‘n Cream…But taste aside, I’m a full-time dog walker and one bar keeps my sugar steady for at least 8 hours. No fluctuations, no drama, no highs, no lows. I love the person who created these bars.
I have lost 70 lbs … All I can say is wow & so yummy!! I bought all the products & all of them are delicious!! Thank you! Your products rock!!
Highly Recommend – These are an excellent product. You don’t need to be a person with diabetes or changing blood sugar to appreciate these. I’ve been eating lower calorie meals for several months and I get low blood sugar mid-morning or mid-afternoon because I don’t eat very big meals…These totally keep me from feeling shaky or weak…
Amazing all around – I absolutely love these bars! I have a very fast metabolism and so I am on a constant lookout for snacks that help prevent me from feeling hungry in between meals. This bar helps satiate me for long periods of time , which is saying a lot since I’m usually always hungry. Plus the lemon taste is great!
Literally feel alive again…I started using the Extend Bars and I can’t believe how easy it is to manage my blood sugar levels with Extend snacks…My oh my, what a gift!
Recommended Reading: Low Carb Low Fat Recipes High Protein
Rxbar Whole Food Protein Bar
For an option which is clean and wholesome, try RXBAR. The whole food ingredients are clearly labeled on the front, so you know what you are getting. Ingredients include proteins, including egg whites and nuts. Dates and either 100 percent cacao chocolate or blueberries provide natural sweetness to the taste. Both ingredients are powerful antioxidants.
Good for diabetes?
Made with all natural and whole food ingredients, RXBAR contains a full 12 grams of protein per piece. There are 4 grams of fiber. It doesnt contain dairy products, gluten or soy products. They are good for the ADA diet only, and not for keto dieters. It comes in a little high at about 22-25 grams of total carbohydrates, with 19-22 grams of net carbohydrates when you subtract the 4 grams of fiber in the product.These make great for someone with diabetes to use before a workout. It will provide lean protein for your muscles to utilize during your workout, as well as needed carbohydrates for energy
Will I be able to stay in ketosis with this energy bar?
It contains too many carbohydrates for a ketogenic diet. However, it works well for the ADA diet, with the right amount of carbohydrates recommended when on this diet with diabetes.
Read The Nutrition Facts Label Before Purchase
What should you look for on the label? Always check out the protein, sugar, fiber, and carb breakdown to see whether this bar is suitable for diabetes and blood sugar management. The best protein bars for Diabetes should follow these guidelines:r
AVOID ADDED SUGAR
Eating too much sugar is never good, particularly if you have diabetes. However, the problem? Most bars have far too many carbohydrates in them.
Protein bars are a fantastic substitute for meals, but be wary of their sugar content. A bars nutritional information will show how much sugar and added sugar are in it. If this appears difficult, start by looking up the total carbohydrates.r
ABOUT ALCOHOL SUGAR
It might seem like sugar alcohols are one of the lesser-known types of carbohydrates, but they can wreak havoc on your blood sugars.
Because these carbohydrates are absorbed slowly, they have the ability to cause a positive or negative impact on blood sugar levels. Additionally, when taken with other carbohydrate-rich meals, they can prevent insulin from working as efficiently by staying in your body longer and blocking absorption from other foods!r
UNDER 25 GRAMS OF CARBS
The Carb is the number to watch, not just sugar! The total amount of starch, fiber, and sugar in a meal is recorded as carbohydrates. Glucose is eventually produced by starches and sweeteners, so we must take them into account when deciding how a meal fits into our objectives.
AT LEAST 3 GRAMS OF FIBER
Recommended Reading: Review Of Whey Protein Powder
Best For Women: Health Warrior Organic Pumpkin Seed Bars
“Pumpkin seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, essential fatty acids, and minerals like zinc, iron, and magnesium,” says King. And these nutrients are particularly important for women’s health. “Zinc plays a crucial role in hormone balance. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help ease period pain, it helps to balance excess androgen levels that are often seen in PCOS, it helps to clear the skin, plays a vital role in thyroid hormone synthesis, and helps ease the stress response. Magnesium plays a role in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels, in the production of hormones, supports the thyroid, and calms your nervous system to help ease the stress response.” Plus, as women are more prone to osteoporosis, adding magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds to your diet will help the formation and maintenance of healthy bones.
The Hungry Buddha Espresso Brownie Bar
This is also a dense bar and chewy. I did not taste any espresso flavouring in this bar at all. I would say it was more along the lines of dark chocolate. Perhaps similar to an 80 percent dark chocolate or even 70 percent. I could taste the cocoa in it but not the espresso. It was very chewy but not creamy at all. It was not sweet. If you dont like dark chocolate, this is not the bar for you. It also melts in your hands when you take it out of the package. Have a napkin handy as it can get messy while holding onto it.
I like dark chocolate, but I will not buy this one again. I just found that for the price point I could get the same flavour or better from a sugar-free dark chocolate bar with a smoother consistency. I also didnt like the greasy feel of it.
Don’t Miss: Hask Keratin Protein Smoothing Shampoo
Healthy Energy Bars For Diabetes
Our top picks for healthy energy bars with diabetes all contain no more than 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates. Once you figure the fiber in these, net carbohydrates are lower.
This means that they are low glycemic, and wont affect your blood sugars so much. They contain natural ingredients and natural sweeteners.
They are boasted with powerful antioxidants, healthy fats and proteins to help your muscles work at maximum potential. They are great when you need a boost before a big workout.
The recommended amount of carbohydrates for a snack on the American Diabetes Association diet is 15-30 grams. The ones we have listed here will come in at or around this range, but net carbohydrates may be much lower due to the high fiber contents.
ADA and Keto Diet energy bars are covered here
If you are on a ketogenic diet, where you eat very little carbohydrate-containing foods, we then have some options for you as well. Even if you are following an ADA diet, and not a keto diet, you can still use these high protein, low carbohydrate snack bars between meals.
We will list the best options for our keto dieters, and which are best for an ADA diet. That way you can choose one no matter which diabetes friendly diet that you are on.
I recommend reading the following articles:
Nature Valley Coconut Almond Protein Chewy Bars
It may look like your favorite of high protein snacks, GORP in a bar, but what you’re really eating when you chomp down on this Nature Valley bar is more fillers than whole foods. It looks like roasted peanuts and coconut, but more of the protein and fat you see in the nutritionals is from soy protein isolate and palm oil than whole foods.
Don’t Miss: Hi Protein Low Fat Foods
How To Choose The Best Protein Bars For Diabetics
In best protein bars for diabetics, prior understanding of the product is always important. Other performance-related factors may be included in these findings. For this reason, we recommend that you evaluate the product’s price to its value before making a decision.
Only you can avoid wasting your important time by performing thorough research and comparisons. To help you save time, we’ve already done the research and comparisons. With the best protein bars for diabetics, you can get the performance you want in the quickest amount of time feasible, without sacrificing anything.
Things To Know About Energy Bars
There are many different varieties of the same energy bar, so be sure to check your nutrition labels for different flavor combinations.
Taste is an issue. Some are gooey and may taste bland. Try several out until you find one with a flavor that entices you.
If one seems to have too many carbohydrates for you, and it runs up your blood sugar, try another lower carbohydrate option. It may take several tries before you find the right bar for you. Check your blood sugar before and two hours after eating one to get an idea of how it affects your blood sugars. Strive to keep your blood sugars in your target range.
Allergies to ingredients
Make sure to check your ingredients labels for any allergies to any of the ingredients in the products listed. Some allergies of note, when related to these products, include nut, soy, dairy and egg allergies. If you have allergic reactions of any type to any of the ingredients in these products, do not consume them.
Dont use keto diet energy bars to treat a low blood sugar
One thing to remember is that the products that are good for a keto diet are not going to bring up a low blood sugar. Dont use them to treat a low blood sugar. Low blood sugars should be treated with 15-20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. Keto diet is just to help you stay in the correct path but not a treatment in itself.
Further reading:
Recommended Reading: Protein Drinks For Dialysis Patients
Diabetes Friendly Protein Bars: Which Ones Should You Choose
Do you have diabetes? If so, it can be hard to find snacks that are low in sugar and high in protein. That is why we created this post on Best Protein Bars for Diabetes! We will go over some of the best brands and flavors available to help you make an informed decision when purchasing diabetic-friendly protein bars.
Better Than Coffee Energy Bars
Caffeine in moderation and at least 70 percent cacao chocolate are good for you. They both provide powerful antioxidants. The Better than Coffee Energy Bar comes in at just 110 calories. It provides an ample 5 grams of protein, and once you consider the fiber in this energy bar, it provides just 8 grams of net carbohydrates.
Good for diabetes?
The coconut in it provides some good fats. One thing to watch out for is the caffeine content. It contains 100 mg of caffeine, so you should start with only one-half of a portion if you are sensitive to caffeine to see how it may affect you.
The Better than Coffee Energy Bar contains two South American plants, maca and guarana. The guarana plant is from Portugal, and its similar to a maple. Seeds from the guarana plant with caffeine inside the seeds. As a dietary supplement, the seeds are high in caffeine and serve as a stimulant.
The Maca plant comes from the mountains of Peru, and the root is used as an herb for medicinal purposes. It is supposedly good for sexual function, increasing sperm count and for menopausal symptoms, although there isnt any research to support this.
When starting to eat bars that contain dietary supplements and herbs, always consult with your healthcare provider first to ensure that any herbal ingredients will not interact with your other medications or cause you health concerns. Speaking with your pharmacist is helpful to reduce interactions with your medication with herbal and dietary supplements.
Recommended Reading: Precision Plus Dual Color Protein Ladder
Low Glycemic Diet And Foods
Carbohydrates are an essential part of any diet as they provide fuel for the brain, muscles, and organs of the body.
However, not all carbohydrates are created equal, and some carbs are digested faster than others. The Glycemic Index is a tool that measures how carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels.
There are three markers that define a foods GI levels:
- Low: 55 or less
Diabetics looking for a snack such as a protein bar should look for low GI foods since this will release blood sugars slowly and prevent the occurrence of blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Check the label and take into consideration the total carbohydrates consumed and other nutritional factors.
Peanut Butter Celery Sticks
A popular way to enjoy celery sticks is by dipping them in peanut butter. Its another healthy snack option for people with diabetes.
First, celery sticks are very low in calories, providing only 14 calories . This can help you manage your weight, which helps control type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, celery contains antioxidants called flavones, which have been studied for their role in lowering blood sugar levels.
Adding a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to celery sticks adds some extra
Read Also: Muscle Milk Pro Series Protein Powder
Quest Nutrition Protein Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
When you want the right protein bar, you can count on the Quest Nutrition brand. We introduce you the best protein bar for diabetics from this famous company with the flavour of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Firstly, this bar is also one of the few on the market with the most protein, the least amount of sugar and fat. Thats what a person suffering diabetics needs.
More specifically, there are 21g protein, 4g net carbs, 14g fibre, and only 1g sugar in a Quest Nutrition Protein Bar. And it has no added sugar and a keto-friendly protein bar.
How about its protein? This bar has dairy-based protein isolates. So, you can use it as a part of a well-regulated diet.
Not only that, the chewiness combined with the crunchy biscuits inside, makes the product more delicious. You can warm it up in the microwave for a better taste.
Safety warning: These products have almonds and milk-derived ingredients.
Beyond that, you will like this Quest bar for their low carb and high protein ingredients, which make for an excellent pre or post-workout.
Pros:
- It is quite expensive
What Is In The Healthiest Protein Bars For People With Diabetes
Youâll notice many of the bars listed in this article also have a decent amount of fiber in them. And if they have more than 20g protein in one bar, I probably didnât include them since that amount of added protein in a bar can sometimes lead to stomach upset.
I also look for protein bars that get their protein from actual foods like nuts and nut butters if I can. This means they will also have a good amount of plant based fats in them as well.
Read Also: How Much Protein Should I Eat To Lose Weight Calculator
Kashi Chewy Granola Bars
A favorite of many of my CDE colleagues these bars are convenient, tasty, and generally found everywhere. Keep in mind, not all Kashi bars are created equal. Aim to purchase one of the chewy bars to save on calories and sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Fat: 5-6 g fat
Flavors to Try: Honey Almond Flax, Trail Mix,
Where to find them: On-line, Amazon, Fresh Direct, at your local grocery store
For more information:
What Purpose Is This Providing For Me
- Is it a snack or part of a meal? Bars are typically not adequate for a full meal. While I do not focus on calories, it can give you somewhat of an indication of how filling it will be. Less does not mean better. A 90 calorie bar is NOT going to cut it.
- How long do I need this to sustain me? If its several hours, consider additional foods for more satiety.
- Do I like the taste and texture of the bar? If not, there are plenty of other snack options out there!
- Is the bar you like actually a granola bar with very little protein? Well, lets add something to round it out as a balanced snack. Protein helps keep blood sugars stable.
- Do I need something sweet after a meal? Thats not necessarily the job for a protein bar. Just have a dessert that would truly satisfy that craving! Satisfaction and honoring cravings is extremely important. Eating something because you should or because it is seemingly healthier will only leave you unsatisfied, and likely to eat more food.
Also Check: Best Protein Powder For Elderly