Last Updated on February 19, 2021 by James Matthews
If you have a peanut or nut allergy, or just honestly don’t like the flavor of nuts, finding a protein bar that doesn’t contain nuts can be kind of tricky. This list includes healthy, store-bought, completely nut-free protein bars that are either made in a nut-free facility or on a dedicated nut-free line.
Sure, there are plenty of protein bars out there that don’t contain nut products, but chances are they still come in contact with some kind of nut during production. This makes it incredibly hard for people with allergies to know which protein bars are safe for them to eat.
This list includes the best 100% nut-free protein bars that contain a decent amount of protein and are even available to buy online. Before we get into the products, let’s talk about what protein bars do, why they are beneficial, and how to choose the right bar for you.
| Protein Bar | Rating |
|---|---|
| Built Bar | 4.6 |
| 88 Acres Granola Bars | 4.4 |
| Blake's Seed Based Bar | 4.4 |
| Enjoy Life Protein Bites | 4.4 |
| ZEGO Seed + Fruit Bars | 4.2 |
| Avalance Bars | 4.0 |
| Go Raw Protein Bars | 3.7 |
What Do Protein Bars Do?
Protein bars can help you with several different things. If you need a quick, nutritious snack-on-the-go, trying to lose weight, trying to stay fuller between meals, grab a protein bar. But what about protein bars makes them so special?
Protein is extremely important in order to be able to sustain your energy and keep you going throughout the day. Our bodies digest protein slowly, so it provides us with constant energy while our body processes it. A protein bar can satisfy your hunger for a longer period of time than a carb-filled snack will. They also provide significant nutrition that your body needs to produce energy.
Protein bars can help assist your weight loss journey by increasing your metabolism and preserving lean muscle. It takes our bodies more energy to digest protein than fats or carbs. Your body will naturally shed calories just by simply eating a high protein diet. Protein bars also help our muscles recover after an intense workout, so it is important to eat enough protein to keep your body healthy.
It has been proven with studies that a high protein snack will keep you fuller longer than a snack that is loaded with carbs and fat (I’m talking to you, ice cream). While these snacks that aren’t great for us are very tempting, your body will thank you when you give it enough protein. If your stomach is full, you won’t feel like constantly eating those snacks that are so hard to break away from.
Are Protein Bars Beneficial?
High protein bars are an extremely convenient and quick way to add some extra protein into your diet. They are a simple way to hit your nutrition goals each day. So many people aren’t eating enough protein in their diet and they may not even know it. If you are really busy and don’t have time to cook a ton of high protein meals or even whip up a protein shake, a protein bar is a great alternative. They can be kept in your workout bag for easy access as well.
Protein bars can also provide you with necessary nutrients before and after a workout. Protein bars also offer a healthy amount of carbs, which digest quickly to give us enough energy to push through an intense workout. They make a good after workout snack by providing a very nice amount of protein.
How to Pick the Best Protein Bar for You
The first thing you should look at in a protein bar is the amount of protein in the bar. In a nut-free bar, it can be difficult to find a bar with a decent amount of protein. On this list, there will be bars that have a lot of protein and bars that have a little protein. Any of these bars will make a good nut-free choice.
The next factor you should look at is the amount of sugar in the bar. Sugar is not evil, but it should be limited especially if you are trying to lose weight. You should steer clear of protein bars that contain more sugar than they do protein. This makes for a bar that is less nutritious than another one out there may be.
Fat content is another thing you should pay close attention to. You want to have a protein bar that offers you some fat because this will slow your digestion and the carbs will release into your bloodstream for extra energy. Fat can also make your bar taste better than a bar that doesn’t contain a lot of fat. You should try to avoid trans-fat in protein bars at all costs.
You should also try to find a protein bar that contains a decent amount of fiber. The more fiber in the bar, the better. Fiber is a great nutrient to have in your body because it can help you keep your blood sugar under control, help you feel fuller longer, and promotes healthy digestion.
Best Nut Free Protein Bars
Nut-Free Built Bars
Built offers 10 flavors of protein bars that are manufactured on equipment that has had no prior contact with peanuts or other tree nuts. These bars are 100% nut-free which is perfect for those who may have allergies.
Nine of the bars have 130 calories, and the remaining one has 140 calories. Each bar contains 17 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.5 grams of fat. While the carb count is higher than the protein, it is an insignificant difference. If you take the total carbs (18 grams) and subtract the fiber (6 grams), that leave 12 grams of carbs. The sugar content of these bars is super low, with nine bars having only 4 grams of sugar, and the last bar only has 5 grams of sugar.
88 Acres Protein Bars
88 Acres has a wide range of nut-free products. When it comes to protein bars, they offer flavor choices of dark chocolate brownie and banana bread. Their bakery is free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and sesame.
The chocolate brownie bars have 280 calories and a very high fat content. 1 chocolate brownie bar has 21 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. 1 banana bread bar has 260 calories, 19 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, 12 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. The sugar content of each bar is low at 7 grams.
Blake’s Seed-Based Protein Bar
Blake’s Seed-Based Bars is a bakery that is free of peanuts and tree nuts as well as some other allergens. The options for protein bars are very limited, as they only offer one flavor. The bright side is that the one flavor they do offer is chocolate mint.
These seed-based bars are made with a combination of seeds, chocolate, and mint to help you power through your day. This bar is vegan and free of common allergens. Each bar has 260 calories, 15 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbs, 13 grams of fat, and 6 grams of fiber. There is only 9 grams of sugar in each bar.
Go Raw Protein Bars
Go Raw protein bars have plant-based protein. They offer two flavors of bars; dark chocolate and zesty lemon. This brand offers the only bar made with sprouted watermelon seed protein that provides easy, on-the-go energy and nutrition.
The dark chocolate protein bars have 240 calories, 12 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber. The zesty lemon bars 240 calories, 12 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber. Both of these bars contain a high amount of sugar, 14 grams in the chocolate bar and 16 grams in the zesty lemon bar.
ZEGO Seed+Fruit Bar
The ZEGO seed and fruit bar is available in four flavors; fudgy chocolate, sunflower date, apple cinnamon, and lemon ginger. These bars are made in a nut-free facility, they are free of the top 12 allergens, and they are vegan.
Each bar is 160 calories, has 7 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber. They are high in sugar with 12 grams, meaning they have more sugar than they do protein. All of the ingredients in these bars are organic, and each bar goes through purity testing to ensure that allergens are not detected.
Avalanche Bar
The Avalanche bars are handmade and packed with nutrition and protein. They are great for a grab-and-go snack that will keep you feeling full. The ingredients used for these bars are natural and nut-free. They contain ingredients such as rolled oats, toasted sunflower kernels, flaxseed, dried fruit, whey protein, and honey.
Avalanche offers its protein bars in six flavors; apple cinnamon, blueberry vanilla, caramel espresso, cherry chocolate, cinnamon raisin, and cranberry pineapple. They also offer a multi-pack that contains one of each bar, great for sampling to figure out which is your favorite.
The bars have between 295 and 305 calories. Fat content ranges from 11 grams to 13 grams, carbs range from 39 grams to 44 grams, protein ranges from 10 grams to 12 grams, fiber is consistent with 5 grams per bar, and sugar ranges from 15 grams to 20 grams.
Enjoy Life Protein Bites
Offering a nice twist on a normal protein bar, these protein bites make an incredibly easy snack. These bites are allergy-friendly and free from 14 allergens, including nuts. This treat has flavors such as dipped banana, dark raspberry, and SunSeed butter.
Dipped banana protein bites offer a delicious chocolate-covered banana taste in vegan form. Each serving contains real banana bits covered in a chocolate pumpkin seed coating. Each serving of the chocolate-dipped banana protein bites contains 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 11 grams of sugar.
Dark raspberry protein bites provide a delicious combination of raspberries and dairy-free chocolate. Each serving is 170 calories, contains 10 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein, and 11 grams of sugar.
The SunSeed butter protein bites are made of rich, dairy-free chocolate and sunflower seed butter, making them nut-free, but truffle-like. Each serving has 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.
Conclusion
During research for the best nut-free protein bars, it’s often found that there really aren’t many that are 100% nut-free. Sure, they can be free from nut ingredients, but if they are made in a nut-free environment, whether that is an entire nut-free facility, or a line completely dedicated to nut-free production.
Finding a nut-free protein bar that actually contains a decent amount of protein is another really important factor to consider when you are looking for the best nut-free protein bars that are available on the market right now.
On another note, if you find a nut-free bar, it is pretty likely that the bar will be free of other allergens such as dairy or soy as well. If you do the right research, you can find a nut-free protein bar that can help you with all of your needs.
