How Much Protein Should Your Protein Bar Actually Have? It Depends

If every era has its health buzzwords, after decades of "fat-free," "sugar-free," "ketogenic," "Atkins," or "paleo" flag waving, one word that has had the stamina to stay on health food labels for generations is "protein." This is for good reason, as protein is one of the three foundational macronutrients essential for survival, along with fats and carbohydrates. These amino-acid-based molecules form the very makeup of much of our bodies. This makes the protein bar the perfect unit of food when you're trying to track your intake. But how much protein do you actually need packed into that bar?

Unfortunately, as with most aspects of health and wellness, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. There are three sub-questions we should ask: How much do you need; what else is in that bar; when are you eating it? So, with that in mind, how much protein you need depends on several factors, including your age, gender, bodyweight, and activity level. For most, the recommended daily intake for protein, according to Harvard Health Publishing, is around 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. That means that someone weighing 170 pounds should consume 56 to 61 grams of protein daily, and someone weighing 200 pounds should consume at least 72 grams.

0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight works as a good maintenance baseline for general health, but those who want to build muscle need to consume more protein. Hard exercise damages muscle fibers, and it's the protein consumed that repairs and grows them. That means that we'll need extra protein in our diets on top of the maintenance level. According to Yasi Ansari, RDN, a senior dietitian with UCLA Health, those with active lifestyles should consume between 0.64 and 0.9 grams of protein per pound to account for this extra need.

One trap that's actually easy to fall into is consuming too much protein on a daily basis. The humble chicken breast, the Honda Civic of lean protein, contains around 31 grams of protein per 100 grams. That means that a typical full chicken breast weighing in at around 170 grams packs about 50 to 55 grams of protein, which would account for the bulk of protein intake for many people in just one meal.

Ansari explains that consuming "too much protein can be a concern if it replaces other nutrients, like carbohydrates or healthy fats." Consuming excessive protein over what you can use can also lead to weight gain, being stored as fat on the body. This is where protein supplements like protein bars come in handy, allowing people to dial in their daily intake alongside the many other simple ways to boost the protein in your diet.

Another consideration is what else you're getting in that protein bar. In some cases, the main benefit of protein bars (convenience) can also be the downside, and they may also come with other flavor-favored ingredients. This includes additional fats, carbohydrates, and other nutritional supplements. To choose the best protein bar for your intake needs, it's important to consider the other ingredients, specifically looking at the other calories that are packed in.

Commentary online sometimes recommends ratios to use as a protein bar-selection tool, such as looking for bars with 10 grams of protein for every 100 calories to make sure carb and fat levels are kept in check when you're chasing a protein boost. You can also look for a 1:2 ratio of fat to protein to maintain a balanced intake with other macros. Additionally, finances may have an impact too, as one Reddit user states, "Find the bar with the most protein per dollar."

It's also useful to consider when and why you're eating a protein bar. One of protein's major benefits to dieting is its high satiety, meaning it makes you feel full and keeps you feeling full, quieting the snack-hungry voice in your head. If you're eating a protein bar as a meal replacement, you may consider looking for a much higher protein content. Just understand that 20 to 30 grams of protein could account for as much as half of your recommended daily intake.