PE Nutrition’s protein bars undercut the opposition but do they compromise on taste? This test reveals all.
Life is expensive – seemingly increasingly so these days. So, when budgeting for food and nutrition, it’s understandable that the more expensive protein bars on the market may be hard to justify. Thankfully, bars like this one from PE Nutrition are there to cater for those of us who want a decent protein hit while operating on a slightly tighter budget. The question which I want to help answer in this review though, is are they worthy of a spot among the best protein bars on the market? Well, here’s how PE Nutrition’s The Bar stacks up against the rest.
Men’s Fitness verdict
On the face of it, this bar does offer a significant hit of protein for not much money. However, that comes at a different sort of cost. Neither the texture nor the flavor are anything to be desired.- Cheap price
- High in protein (21g)
- Low in sugar
- Sickly orange flavor
- Powdery texture
- Long ingredient list
How we test protein bars
Registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr) Rob Hobson only tested chocolate-flavored bars to provide consistency in his reviews. He judged them on their taste, texture and nutritional effectiveness, as well as cost and availability, and the amount of polyols – a type of sweetener which can upset the gut in high amounts.
PE Nutrition’s The Bar range comprises of three regular flavors and three vegan varieties. Its protein is a blend of soy protein and whey protein isolate. I tested the chocolate orange flavored bar, which has the most extensive ingredients list of any bar in our overall group test. So, not ideal if you’re somebody who champions a natural recipe above all else.
PE Nutrition The Bar: what ingredients does it contain?
Of all those ingredients though, protein is top of the list, with a whopping 21g (the highest of any bar on test) packed into a single 60g serving. For that reason, the PE Nutrition bar is unquestionably a good post-workout option to keep in your kit bag – and at 193kcal it’s fairly low in calories too.
Another positive is that PE Nutrition protein bars are low in sugar, containing only 1.3g. Unfortunately, to make up for that, the bar is sweetened with maltitol (polyol) and contains a relatively high 16g of polyols.
What is it like to eat?
Whenever I conduct this sort of review, I always make sure to acknowledge that taste and texture can be subjective. However, I’d be surprised if anyone reading this would truly enjoy eating the PE Nutrition bar – at least the variant I tried. The Chocolate Orange bar was too sweet, with a slightly sickly, synthetic flavor, and the texture only made things worse. Chewy, but also fairly powdery too, the feel in the mouth is rather unusual.
It’s possible that the Cookies & Cream or Salted Caramel options may fare better on your palette, but having experienced the Chocolate Orange one, I wouldn’t put money on it. As such, if you buy one of these PE Nutrition bars, the consumption process will be one of toleration for the good of the protein that you’re taking onboard, and nothing more than that.
Still, at £1.45 it’s the cheapest bar on test, and as I mentioned before, it really does pack a lot of protein into a single bar. If the sickly sweet taste and powdery consistency aren’t a concern, this could be a good budget option, as it can deliver a substantial slice of your protein requirements. However, if you’re after a more pleasant eating experience, or do indeed have a bit more money to play with, you might want to consider some of the other protein bars I’ve tested instead. Find out more about those below:
What rival protein bars should I consider?
For me, it’s hard to look beyond Grenade protein bars. These equal the 21g of good stuff that you get in the PE Nutrition bars, but unlike the PE bars, they actually taste good and have inoffensive textures too. So, if you want to get a big hit of protein and enjoy the taste while doing so, Grenade is your friend.
Alternatively, if you want your protein bar to do more than just offer protein, consider the Fulfill Protein & Vitamin bar. Impressively, if you opt for one of these, you’ll not only get 20g of protein, but also benefit from some vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C and E, as well as folic acid. Nice.
If you live on a vegan diet though, fear not. I’ve also tested a bunch of the best vegan protein bars around, highlighting which ones are worth your time, and which ones perhaps aren’t. Or, if you prefer to consume your protein as a liquid, have a gander at my compilation of the best whey protein powders.
| Protein per bar | 21g |
| Flavors | Chocolate Orange; Cookies & Cream; Salted Caramel |
| Other notable ingredients | 1.3g of sugar; 16g of polyols including maltitol |
