Best Protein Bars Available At Trader Joe’s (15 Bars Compared)

It probably won’t come as a surprise to learn that Trader Joe’s carries a wide selection of protein bars.

But what you might not realize is that they carry upwards of 15 different protein bar brands, each offering between two and five different flavors. That’s a lot of protein bars!

Ingredients vary greatly between brands, with some brands offering vegan protein bars while other brands make protein bars that contain animal products.

Whichever protein bar you choose, you can expect them to give you a boost of energy and critical macronutrients when you’re on the go or working out at the gym.

What Protein Bars Does Trader Joe’s Sell?

Trader Joe’s sells a ton of different protein bars, and the selection will likely vary by store and region.

Here is a list of the protein bar varieties I was able to find at my local Trader Joe’s:

Power Crunch Protein Energy Bars – $1.49 each

• Triple Chocolate
• Peanut Butter Indulgence
• French Vanilla Créme

Frooze Balls Plant-Based Energy Balls – $1.99 / 2.5 oz bag

• Choc Hazelnut
• Peanut Butter & Jelly

Kind Bars – $1.49 each

• Caramel Almond & Sea Salt
• Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

Rx Bars – $1.99 each

• Vanilla Almond
• Chocolate Raspberry
• Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Coconut Chocolate
• Chocolate Sea Salt
• Blueberry

GoMacro – $2.29 each

• Dark Chocolate + Almonds
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Coconut + Almond Butter + Chocolate Chips
• Double Chocolate + Peanut Butter Chips

Quest Protein Bars – $2.29 each

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Chocolate Caramel Pecan

Think! High Protein Bars – $1.99 each

• Brownie Crunch
• Creamy Peanut Butter

Think! Keto Protein Bars – $1.99 each

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Barebells Protein Bars – $1.99 each

• Hazelnut Nougat
• Salty Peanut
• Cookies & Cream

Trader Joe’s Simply Nutty Bars – $4.99 / box

• Dark Chocolate, Peanut & Almond
• Dark Chocolate, Walnut, Peanut, Fig & Date
• Dark Chocolate, Nuts & Sea Salt

Fulfil Protein Bars – $1.89 each

• Chocolate Hazelnut
• Chocolate Salted Caramel

Clif Kid Z Bars – $0.89 each

• Chocolate Chip
• Chocolate Brownie
• Iced Oatmeal Cookie

Clif Builders Protein Bars – $1.69

• Chocolate Peanut Butter

Clif Bars  – $1.19 each

• Chocolate Chip
• Chocolate Brownie
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
• Cool Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter

Best Protein Bars At Trader Joe’s

Deciding which protein bars at Trader Joe’s are better than the rest is a complicated task. Depending on whether you’re looking for something vegan, gluten free, organic, or low glycemic, what constitutes the “best” bar will differ case by case.

Here, we’ve put together a table showing you some of the big hitters you might look for when choosing the best protein bar for you.

The information in this table represents the nutritional data for just one flavor of each brand of protein bar. For flavor-specific nutrition information, please see the packaging of the flavor you wish to try.

*contains added sugar

**contains artificial sweeteners

It’s easy to see from this table that the vast majority of protein bars available at Trader Joe’s are unfortunately packed with added sugars and artificial sweeteners, which is a major bummer when searching for a healthy snack.

Personally, I always opt for things without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. So, by that metric, the best options on this list are the Rx Bars and the Think! Keto Protein Bars.

The Frooze Balls are the only other offering without any added sugar or artificial sweeteners, but with 27.4 grams of natural sugars per serving, plus only 6.8 grams of protein, they’re a little hard to justify as a go-to healthy protein bar.

The Think! Keto Bars in particular boast the healthful attribute of having more fiber than sugar, which is something to look for when choosing foods that aren’t going to disrupt natural blood sugar levels and regulation.

So, overall, at just $1.99 each and offering 10 grams of protein per serving, we’re calling the Think! Keto Bars the best protein bar available at Trader Joe’s, with the Rx Bars coming in as a close runner up.

Here, we will share a list of our recommendations of the best protein bars at Trader Joe’s for those who might not be as concerned about artificial sweeteners:

Best Protein Bar for Protein + Fiber Content: Quest Protein Bars

Despite being sweetened with artificial sweeteners, Quest Protein bars offer by far the most protein and fiber per serving of any other protein bar available at TJ’s.

Best Vegan Protein Bar: Frooze Balls and Barebells

It’s a tie! While Frooze Balls boast their lack of artificial sweeteners or added sugars, Barebells pack just as much fiber while offering more than twice as much protein. Both are great vegan protein bar options if you’re not worried about consuming artificial sweeteners or natural sugars.

Best Organic Protein Bar: GoMacro

Despite having a scary amount of added sugar per serving, these protein bars are undoubtedly the best option when it comes to being the triple threat: organic, vegan, and gluten free.

Best Overall Protein Bar: Think! Keto Protein Bars

With no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, plus a good fiber-to-sugar ratio and a decent amount of protein, it’s hard to beat these bars. Bonus: they’re also our pick for the best gluten-free protein bar at TJ’s!

Are Trader Joe’s Protein Bars Healthy?

The question of whether Trader Joe’s protein bars are healthy is a complex one. To put it simply, most of the protein bars available at TJ’s (and honestly, most commercially available protein bars in general) aren’t very healthy. They’re usually packed with sugar and highly processed, making them better as an occasional snack when you’re in a pinch than a go-to choice for your daily diet.

Some of the best things to look for when trying to figure out if something is healthy or not is its sugar content and fiber content. Generally speaking, healthy foods are low in sugar and high in fiber (or, at least, higher in fiber than sugar).

As we noted above, Rx Bars, Frooze Balls, and Think! Keto Bars have zero grams of added sugar (or artificial sweeteners), making them stand out the most as potentially healthy options.

So, what are the least healthy protein bars at Trader Joe’s?

Despite offering a high amount of protein and being both vegan and gluten free, all varieties of Clif Bars are actually the least healthy protein bars on this list. With a whopping 17 grams of added sugar per bar (12 grams for the kids’ Z Bars) paired with just a few grams of fiber, these bars are closer to a candy bar than a health food bar.

Unfortunately, despite being the only vegan, gluten free, and organic protein bar at Trader Joe’s, GoMacro Bars are also among the least healthy options on the shelf due to having 14 grams of added sugar per serving.

Trader Joe’s Protein Bar Reviews

Since there are so many different protein bars available at Trader Joe’s, we’re only going to share reviews for the ones we think are the best.

Here are some great reviews for the Think! Keto Protein Bars:

If you ask me, Rx Bars (specifically the Chocolate Sea Salt and Peanut Butter Chocolate flavors) are my personal favorite protein bar of all time. They’re undeniably delicious, rich in chocolate flavor, perfectly chewy, and have zero added sugar.

While I typically prefer to buy foods that are organic, I make an exception for these bars because they’re so good and have such a straightforward and simple recipe.

And knowing that they’re only $1.99 at Trader Joe’s makes them even better!

FAQs

Are Trader Joe’s protein bars vegan?

Some are vegan. Trader Joe’s carries about 15 different brands of protein bars, and about 6 of those brands offer vegan options.

Does Trader Joe’s sell Barebells protein bars?

Yes! Trader Joe’s stocks several different varieties of Barebells Protein Bars, including Hazelnut Nougat, Salty Peanut, and Cookies & Cream.

Does Trader Joe’s sell whey protein?

Yes! Trader Joe’s has several different varieties of whey protein, including their own Trader Joe’s brand in different flavors and Designer Whey brand in different flavors and varieties.

Conclusion

When it comes to protein bars, things aren’t exactly what they seem. Marketed as a health food product, most commercially available protein bars (including the ones available at Trader Joe’s) aren’t actually all that healthy. But the good news is that Trader Joe’s does sell a few options that are on the healthier side, including their Think! Keto Protein Bars and Rx Bars. One great thing about buying protein bars at Trader Joe’s is that they’re generally less expensive than at other retailers.