If these Healthspan Elite All Blacks HiLO Protein Bars are good enough for the All Blacks, they’re good enough for us.
As you’d expect from any sports nutrition product endorsed by the All Blacks rugby team, the Healthspan Elite protein bars uses quality ingredients. Some of the best protein bars I’ve tried, it’s also the only purely vegan bar to feature in our big group test (other vegan options on test are part of a larger regular range).
Men’s Fitness verdict
Low in sugar and high in fiber, these HiLO bars pack 20g of quality protein into each of their delicious flavors. They’re purely plant based and approved for elite competition too.- Great taste
- Good amount of quality protein
- High in fiber
- Slightly bitter aftertaste
- Only available online
- Limited flavors
How we test the best protein bars
Registered nutritionist (AFN) and sports nutritionist (SENr) Rob Hobson only tested chocolate-flavoured 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.
The protein in these HiLO bars is a blend of soy and pea protein, which helps ensure a good mix of essential amino acids, including leucine, which is required to trigger muscle protein synthesis. These protein bars hit the magic 20g protein mark, so it’s effective as a post-workout recovery option.
Healthspan Elite All Blacks HiLO Protein Bar benefits
The bar is low in sugar at just 1.1g and sweetened with maltitol and xylitol (polyols). It has the lowest levels of polyols of any other bar on test. It also has an impressive amount of fiber per serving at 7.5g, which helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates to keep blood sugar levels balanced.
The black forest gateau flavor I tested is covered in a chocolate-flavored coating. It has a rich chocolate flavor followed by a berry taste which doesn’t taste overly synthetic. Given the fact it’s one of the best vegan protein bars, the texture’s quite pleasant. It’s chewy yet crispy and not gritty like some vegan bars. The taste is clean, but there’s a slightly bitter aftertaste due to the sweetener.
Flavors and availability
Its price is on a par with most other bars on test, although the only option is to buy them online in boxes of 12. There are only three flavors available – the black forest gateau, chocolate and salted caramel, and white chocolate, with the latter having three times the sugar of the other two.
Unsurprisingly for the All Blacks, the HiLO Protein Bars are Informed Sport approved, so they’ve been cleared for use in elite competition.
What other protein bars should I consider?
To be completely honest, HiLO Protein Bars are genuinely some of the best on the market. However, if you want a bar that’s actually available to buy in shops rather just online – that’s just as effective too – there’s really only one alternative, in my opinion. And that’s the Grenade bar.
These have that benchmark 20g of protein too, with just 1.4g of sugar. They taste great and have an equally enjoyable texture – the only major downside is the relatively high amount of polyols, which happens to be an area where the Healthspan alternative comparatively shines.
| Protein per bar | 20g |
| Flavors | Black Forest Gateau; Chocolate & Salted Caramel; White Chocolate Raspberry |
| Other notable ingredients | 1.1g sugar; maltitol and xylitol (polyols); 7.5g fiber |
