14 Best Protein Bars for Diabetes

There are a TON of great protein bars for diabetes available out there. Here are key things to look for.

Knowing what to look for in a protein bar, or any other type of bar, is the most important thing to decide if they’re good protein bars for diabetes. In this article, I breakdown what to look for and my favorite protein bars, energy bars, and low glycemic bars for diabetes.

*Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored in any way. These are all truly my favorite bars for diabetes. However, I do work with some of these brands occasionally. That’s actually one of my favorite things about my job… some of my favorite foods to eat are also my clients! And some of the links in this post are affiliate links. What does that mean? It means that if you click on a link and end up purchasing that product, I may get a small commission, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

Also, this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care, and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.

What should you look for in diabetes-friendly bars?

As a dietitian living with diabetes myself, I rely on good-quality protein bars quite often. Whether it’s a busy morning and I need to grab one on the go, or I need a snack I can just throw in my purse for the afternoon, they come in quite handy. Bars are convenient and easy to consume when I have other things on my mind. I’ve tried all of the bars in this post and am excited to share my favorites with you!

Just like with packaged snacks (check out my post on the best-packaged snacks for diabetes here), when we’re eating a bar there are several questions to answer:

• Is this bar a snack, a meal, part of a meal, etc?
• How much protein is in the bar?
• How much fat is in the bar and what type of fat is it?
• What is the total amount of carbohydrate in the bar?
• What quantity of the carbohydrate is made of sugar?
• How much fiber is in the bar?

All of these factors played into the protein bars for diabetes recommendations below… and the energy bars and snack bars for diabetes recommendations as well. 

What types of protein bars for diabetes are available?

A bar does not have to be labeled “diabetes-friendly” for it to be a good option for people with diabetes. You just need to know what to look for. (Make sure to read this post too on balancing blood sugars and choosing the right foods.)

Best protein bars for diabetes 

When we’re looking for the best protein bars for diabetes, obviously we want a bar that’s high in protein, but I’m also looking for bars that have:

• At least 4g fiber per bar
• Low amounts of added sugar

Some of the bars you’ll see below are low carb protein bars, and some have more moderate amounts of carbohydrate (10-20g). How much carbohydrate should be in a protein bar for people with diabetes is going to depend on the things we discussed above.

So let’s dive in…

1. KIND Protein Bars

KIND Protein Bars: These KIND protein bars have more protein than their traditional bars (though I love those as well!). Each bar has 12g protein and 5g fiber.

2. RX Bars

RXBar  Chocolate Sea Salt Bar: RX Bar also has 12g protein and 5g fiber/bar, but with a different texture. RX Bars are a denser tougher bar, so something to keep in mind.

3. KIND Breakfast Protein Bars

KIND Breakfast Protein Bars: I love these soft breakfast bars from KIND. They come two to a package, so if you’re not wanting the full serving (2 bars), you can have one and still get 4g protein.

4. Nature Valley Chewy Protein Bars

Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars: Do not write these bars fromNature Valley off! Each bar has 10g protein and 6g fiber and are absolutely delicious!

5. TruBars

TruBars: I originally discovered TruBars at Costco and have not met a flavor I don’t love. With about 12g protein and 12g fiber in each bar, they are an excellent choice for people with diabetes

6. Epic Bars

Epic Bars: Epic Bars were the first meat based bar I started to see in the nutrition and protein bar section of the grocery store. They have so many delicious flavors and are a great way to get blood sugar stabilizing protein in throughout the day.

7. Power Crunch Protein Bars

Power Crunch Protein Bars: My daughter asked for one of these randomly at the grocery store a few months ago, and has been obsessed ever since. With only 12g carb and 13g protein, I was a-ok with that!

8. Think! High Protein Bars

Think Protein Bars: Think bars have been around for a while, but I’m adding them to my list this year because of how delicious they are. Because they’re a sugar free protein bar, they do contain sugar alcohols, so if you’re sensitive to those keep that in mind.

9. Zing Bars

Zing Bars: We’ve been fans of Zing bars for well over 10 years in our house! (Please bring back the minis!!) Each bar is delicious and packs 5g fiber and 10g protein.

10. MunkPack Probiotic Protein Bars

MunkPack Protein Bars: MunkPack Protein Bars offer 15g protein and 6g fiber in each bar. And, because they’re sweetened with mostly allulose, they only have 1g sugar. The Peanut Butter Cup flavor is one of my favorite low sugar protein bars on the market.

11. Perfect Bar Minis

Perfect Bar Minis: These are the perfect little size for kids lunches or a grown up snack. They pack 9g carb, 6g protein, and 8g plant based fat.

12. Quest Bars

Quest bars: Quest bars have several different delicious flavors and each bar packs about 20g protein and 12g of fiber (or more). They do use sugar alcohols though, so they would not be appropriate for people sensitive to sugar alcohols.

13. IQ Bars

IQ Bars: I love the texture of IQ Bars, and just like many of the other bars in this post, they’re high in protein and fiber. Each bar has only 1-2g sugar and at least 12g protein.

14. Aloha Bars

Aloha Bars: If you need to know which flavor to try first, Key Lime has to be it! SO good! Aloha bars are a protein bar for diabetes thanks to their combination of protein, fiber, and low added sugar.

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Common Questions about Protein Bars for Diabetes

Now that we’ve gone through 14 of the best protein bars for diabetes, I’ll answer some of the most common questions I get as a registered dietitian about protein bars and diabetes.

Are RX bars low glycemic and other bars that use dates?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t good for people with diabetes. It just means that you need to be aware of what else could impact your blood sugars when you choose to eat a bar made with dates.

Is your blood sugar running lower or higher that day? Have you just been exercising? Is it first thing in the morning? Do you need a quick energy boost? What else is in the bar? All of these things are questions to ask your personal dietitian and how they could impact your food choices. 

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This article was originally published in December 2020 and is updated yearly with new product recommendations.