The Best Protein Bars at Sprouts & Healthy Snacks To Power-Up

The Best Protein Bars at Sprouts & Healthy Snacks To Power-Up

Sprouts Farmers Market isn’t your average grocery store. Designed to bring the farm stand to the masses, this chain is all about making fresh, wholesome foods available to clean-eating enthusiasts.

Their shelves are brimming with options that fit a variety of dietary needs — from keto, vegan, and gluten-free diets to Paleo, dairy-free, and vegetarian eats. But that doesn’t mean every protein bar or tasty snack fits your health, wellness, or weight loss goals.

So we scoured nutrition facts and ingredient labels to separate some of the most popular picks from the best snacks and protein bars for a low-carb or keto diet. Stick with us, and you can speed through the aisles with laser-sharp focus and leave with the healthiest choices.

Sprouts Healthy Snacks: 5 Easy Grab-and-Go Options

How are we defining healthy? Snacks that get our stamp of approval are:

  • Made from a short list of minimally processed whole-food ingredients
  • Low in sugar and free of added sugar, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols
  • Free of highly refined and inflammatory seed oils (soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, etc.)
  • Soy-free and gluten-free
  • Free of artificial preservatives, flavors, and dyes

You can grab these snacks without the guilt trip, knowing exactly what’s going into your body:

1. Raw Nuts & Seeds from The Bulk Section

Sprouts’ bulk section is a treasure trove for healthy snackers — but only if you know what to look for. You’ll need to bypass some of the more tempting flavored nuts and roasted options. These are often roasted in canola oil, include added sugar, or are sweetened with a monk fruit/erythritol blend.

But you’ll still have your pick from a plethora of raw nuts! Stock up on almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and macadamia nuts. These mighty treats are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, healthy fats, fiber, and essential nutrients.

Don’t forget to explore the world of seeds. Like nuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds are stellar sources of vegan protein, essential omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. Some seeds even net out to zero carbs!

2. Pre-Cut Veggies

Sprouts knows veggies are a vital part of a healthy diet, and they cater to snackers who love a good crunch. Washed and pre-cut veggies from the produce section are a super easy way to sneak more superfood flavonoids into your diet while on the run.

You’ll find individual and shareable veggie trays, celery bites, snack-size bags of sugar snap peas, and even organic spicy microgreens. These low-carb snacks are perfect for eating solo, dipping into single-serving guacamole cups, or munching with other options on this list.

3. Clean-Label Jerky

Carnivore keto dieters know jerky’s usually a dicey high-protein snack. But you can rest assured that the clean labels at Sprouts are free of nitrates, nitrites, artificial sweeteners, and chemical preservatives.

You’ll score a ton of low-carb and sugar-free options for grass-fed and pastured beef, free-range and pasture-raised poultry, and sustainable, wild-caught fish. The hardest part won’t be finding a clean label; it’ll be deciding between drool-worthy flavors like Hatch Green Chile, Rosemary Turkey, Wagyu Beef, and more.

4. Brads Plant Based Organic Snacks

You’re craving chips or pretzels, but make them healthy. Brads hears you, bestie! Sprouts carries two lines of plant-based snacks from this company you’ll want to add to your shopping list:

  • Veggie Keto Crisps. Made with whole seeds, veggies, apple cider vinegar, and spices, a serving of these grain- and gluten-free crackers will only cost two or three carbs (depending on flavor). Let your tastebuds choose from Sea Salt or Everything flavors.
  • Crunchy Kale with Probiotics. Vegan, non-GMO, soy- and gluten-free kale snacks with probiotics? You’re not dreaming. These crunchy kale chips come in Original, Radical Ranch, Vampire Killer, Cheeze It Up, and Nacho flavors. Thank us later.

5. Evolved Chocolates

It’s only fitting to round out our top healthy snacks at Sprouts with something sweet. Enter: Evolved. Their lineup of chocolate keto cups and keto chocolate bars contains wholesome ingredients like organic nuts and nut butter, cacao, coconut, MCT oil, monk fruit extract, and the real surprise: Jerusalem artichoke fiber.

These Paleo, vegan- and keto-friendly snacks clock 1–4 carbs per cup and 3–4 carbs per keto chocolate bar serving. They’re a delightful way to satisfy your chocolate cravings.

However, none of these snacks can stack up to the satiating effect of a protein bar.

What are the Best Protein Bars at Sprouts?

Protein bars are the ultimate snack for busy schedules. Whenever hunger strikes, you’ll have a quick, easy, reliable source of protein in a pre-portioned bar that fits neatly into your daily low-carb or keto macros.

Bars with at least 10 grams of protein help you feel fuller for longer, so you can curb sugar cravings and prevent overeating between meals. Protein also plays a role in muscle preservation during weight loss.

But with so many options out there, finding a bar that’s both delicious and good for you can be a challenge. Let’s compare some of the most popular and best-selling protein bars available at Sprouts Farmers Market:

Aloha

Pros: Aloha protein bars are made with natural ingredients, sweetened with monk fruit, and pack 14 grams of plant-based pea, brown rice, or pumpkin seed protein.

Cons: These bars are high in carbs (14–16 net carbs). Flavors like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip can also contain up to 5 grams of sugar, so they’re not the best protein bars for low-carb diets. They’re also pretty pricey; a 12-pack case will set you back around $36.

Atlas Bar

Pros: Atlas bars contain healthy staples like grass-fed protein, nut butter, coconut oil, and monk fruit. You’ll even find Ashwagandha, one of the best adaptogens and brain health supplements. They’re also low in sugar and high in protein.

Cons: These bars contain some not-so-healthy ingredients, such as soluble vegetable fiber and sunflower lecithin. They’re also not vegan, vegetarian, or dairy-free protein bars. Atlas bars come in at $34.90 for a 10-pack at Sprouts.

Gomacro Protein Bars

Pros: Gomacro Macrobars deliver 12 grams of plant-based protein. They’re also organic, vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free.

Cons: The first ingredient in the Peanut Butter Protein Bar flavor is organic brown rice syrup. So this bar racks up 34 net carbs and 12 grams of sugar — definitely not one of the protein bars with the least sugar.

Larabar

Pros: We like that Larabars are made with “just six real ingredients.”

Cons: However, those ingredients are not made with low-carb dieters in mind. Their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar contains semisweet chocolate chips (made with sugar) and apples. So it has 22 net carbs and 15 grams of sugar for just three grams of protein. 

Check out this list of the best protein bars for weight loss instead.

Munk Pack Nut & Seed Keto Bar

Pros: Munk Pack makes its keto bars with nuts, seeds, unsweetened chocolate, monk fruit, and vitamin E.

Cons: You’ll also find corn fiber, palm oil, rice flour, and lecithin in them. Some of these may raise your blood sugar levels, while the palm oil sabotages your sustainable food goals. These bars also contain allulose, a sugar alcohol that may promote the growth of harmful gut bacteria and lead to diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.[*][*]

Finally, when we scope out flavors like Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, we see there’s only 5 grams of protein for 10 net carbs.

Truvani

Pros: We like that Truvani only contains a short list of organic, minimally processed, vegan ingredients.

Cons: They’re not keto-friendly protein bars. Truvanis contain up to 22 net carbs, 15 grams of sugar, and just 5–8 grams of protein per bar.

Psst! You Can Find IQBARs at Sprouts!

As champions of transparency, we’re confident that IQBAR is the best protein bar at Sprouts. Here’s why:

✅  You’ll dig our clean label. Our short list of minimally processed whole foods makes every IQBAR a non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and Kosher victory.

🌱  Our vegan protein bars support better health. Each IQBAR provides 12 grams of eco-friendly almond and pea protein. This complete protein source is easily digestible, highly bioavailable, satiating, and boosts your workout performance and overall body composition.[*]

🎉  Our prebiotic fiber feeds healthy gut bacteria. IQBARs contain 7-10 grams of tapioca fiber. It can help reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness.[*] That’s why the benefits of prebiotic fiber include weight loss, weight gain prevention, improved insulin sensitivity, and healthy blood sugar balance.[*][*]

🧠  Our brain-boosting nutrient blend nurtures healthy noggins. IQBARs are formulated around five key ingredients that combat brain fog, skyrocket mental performance, and lower stress and anxiety levels. They’ll even keep your mind sharp and healthy as you age. Win-win-win!

Choose Between Healthy & Convenient? Not You!

Life will always be super busy, and having quick, healthy snacks on hand is essential to achieving your health and wellness goals. You don’t have to choose between those goals and convenience when you shop at Sprouts.

You now have a handful of delicious, nutritious options that fit your dietary needs and give you the confidence to make the best decisions. So upgrade your snack game with IQBARs and conquer cravings, afternoon slumps, and hangry moods without breaking a sweat!

🛒  Click here to add IQBARs to your Sprouts Shopping List, Pickup, or Delivery order now!

 

Written by Lauren Ciccarelli, a writer and research geek passionate about low-carb nutrition, mental health, and meditation. Her 2,500+ articles empower doers with science-backed tips for leveled-up living.