Welcome to “McDaniel’s Bite-Sized Reviews” | PRO BAR Live
It’s a weekly series we’re calling “McDaniel’s Bite-Sized Reviews!” Every other week, we’ll share a popular food, drink or supplement one of our MNT Registered Dietitians tried, reviewed and rated. With the growing number products on the grocery store shelves, figuring out which items are getting you the most nutritional bang for your buck can feel overwhelming? Our hope is that we can make grocery shopping at least 0.5% easier!
FYI – these posts aren’t sponsored. They are opinions of unpaid tastebuds.
Check Out Our Past Reviews:
- Week One: Banza Elbow Pasta Made with Chickpeas
- Week Two: Lifeway ProBugs Organic Pouches
- Week Three: Sports Research Collagen Peptides
- Week Four: Lúvo Planted Power Bowls
- Week Five: Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack & Waffle Mix: Buttermilk
- Week Six: Beyond Meat Burger
- Week Seven: Litehouse Cilantro Greek Yogurt Dressing
- Week Eight: Clif Whole Lotta Bars
- Week Nine: Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs
- Week 10: Cauliflower Crackers
- Week 10: Happy Inside Cereal for Digestive Health
Product: PRO BAR Live
PROBAR live is the newest addition to the PRO BAR line of nutrition bars. Their latest bar is a “live” probiotic nutrition bar that contains 10g plant-based protein, no added sugar and 1 billion CFU’s of live probiotics. PRO BAR Live comes in 4 flavors: Almond Butter, Coconut Cashew, Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
Why Did We Try Pro Bar Live?
This line of refrigerated bars caught my eye in the check out line of Whole Paychex. I was headed into a unique work week where I was going to have little time to eat during the day. A bar would be the ideal nosh to quickly get down a lot of nutrition in a convenient, non-messy manner. This bar fit the bill. In one small dense square it packed in ~300 calories, healthy fats, protein and fiber. And as a bonus, it included live probiotics and no added sugars. The checkout line wins again.
Nutrition Facts Label
Almond Butter
Coconut Cashew – Whole Foods Didn’t Carry This Variety, So No Pic Available
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Where to Find PRO BAR Live:
Use their store locator to find out where you can buy PRO BAR Live. In the Midwest, you can purchase them at Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, and Schnucks.
PRO BAR Live: Are They Worth the Bite?
Our 5 Star Rating
Taste: 5/5 stars
Personally speaking, I loved the taste, crunch and consistency. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the “chill factor” of the bars. In fact, I think I’ll start storing all of my energy bars in the fridge. The chocolate chip variety definitely brought the chocolate if you’re craving something sweet at 3 pm.
Nutrient Density: 4/5
Calories: Dense: would be the right word for the calorie content in the bars. As you can see in the photos above, they pack a lot of calories and fat into a small package. For some, 300-320 calories is a lot for a “snack.”
Fat: 23-25 grams of fat could make up almost half the fat some people need in an entire day. But, the source of fat matters, and most of the fats in these bars come from nuts, nut butters and seeds.
Protein: PRO BAR live contains 10 grams of plant protein from nuts, seeds and rice protein. This is the ideal amount of protein post-workout or combined with a hard-boiled egg and banana for an on-the-go breakfast.
Added Sugars: There are NO added sugars, but you will get 5-8 grams of sugar (1-2 tsp) depending on the bar. Compared to other energy bars, this is a low amount of sugar.
Fiber: Fiber grams ranged from 4-6 grams which is on par for what I recommend in bars.
Probiotics: 1 billion CFU of live and active cultures from the bacteria strain (Bacillus Coagulans GBI-30 6086) has been linked to digestive health and immune function. This strain of bacteria is resistant to high temperatures with its probiotic activity. Which means, it’s no biggie if you throw it in your gym bag and eat it warm hours later.
Value: 2/5
PRO BAR live is sold on the PRO BAR website for $19.99 per 8 bars or $2.50 a bar. In our past review of the Clif Whole Lotta bar, this price is a Whole Lotta more than traditional bars. It is, however, in line to other refrigerated, high calorie-fat bars such as the Perfect Bar ($3/bar).
Overall Rating of Happy Inside: 3.3/5 Stars
If you are looking for a delicious, convenient and satiating bar that contains 10 grams of plant-protein, no added sugars and probiotics at a high price, this bar is for you.
How We Tried It
As a mini meal at 3 pm. It did ward off my hunger until dinner and prepared me for a typically chaotic post summer camp pick up. It felt like a decadent dessert that didn’t take long to eat for a busy, on-the-go mama.