Quality of ingredients
Always when choosing protein bars, first you need to look at the quality of the ingredients. Second, come the pleasure of taste and texture. Luckily, with the Bulletproof bars and bites, you get all of them: high-quality ingredients, indulgent taste, and soft texture. For some, the texture might be a little too soft but think of it as a proof of not containing any artificial hardeners and fillers that most bars on the market do.
Starting with the ingredient list: make sure you understand what the bar, you’re about to eat, is made of. The shorter the list of ingredients, the better. It’s quite difficult to find organic, low-carb protein bars with no artificial sweeteners. As with real food, organic production is very important in minimizing the anti-nutrients and toxins in your body.
The most important ingredients in all Bulletproof protein bars are organic cashew nuts, grass-fed collagen protein, and high-quality MCT oils (XCT and Brain Octane). Let’s take a closer look at these three first.
Why collagen, and not whey?
The benefits of collagen are significant. For example:
- It helps the body to produce creatine, which is essential for muscle building
- Collagen provides the proteins needed for the regeneration of skin, cartilage, and bone
- It also supports the recovery process after workout
Collagen protein has essential amino acids that are missing from most other protein sources. Actually, the average person has hardly any collagen in their diet! Therefore, the Bulletproof collagen bars provide an important addition to your amino acid intake.
Upgraded Collagen is sourced from the purest pasture-raised cows, which spend their wholes lives in the pasture. These cattle are completely grass-fed and not affected by drugs and hormones. Upgraded Collagen is enzymatically processed to leave its peptides undamaged. This results in a highly bioavailable protein that is easily digestible.
Cashews - aren’t they a suspect?
If you’re familiar with the Bulletproof Diet, you might wonder why cashews, which are under suspects on the Diet Roadmap, are used as the main ingredient. The nutritional value of cashew nuts is optimal: protein and fats, and a low sugar amount. Plus they give a creamy texture to the bars. The cashews used in the Bulletproof collagen bars are sourced from specific suppliers to meet quality standards for mold. The risk for mouldiness is the reason why nuts are suspect, and since that is ruled out, they are safe to consume.
Why add fat to a protein bar?
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT oils) are crucial on the Bulletproof Diet. These healthy fats provide fast and continuous energy and improve mental clarity and focus. Most bars out there are filled with sugars and artificial fillers. Fat is a far better option. It’s recommended to eat the bars on an empty stomach so that the fat satisfies your hunger for longer. In addition to boosting your energy level, the high-quality oils help in maintaining the state of ketosis.
Other ingredients
All ingredients are delicately processed at low temperature to preserve their natural flavors. Chicory root, or inulin, is a soluble fiber that supports digestion and the regulation of hormone production. Organic coconut oil and sea salt balance the flavors in all five bars. And what creates the delicious vanilla, chocolate, and lemon twists? Lab-tested, Madagascar vanilla beans, raw cacao powder, or lemon oil - all organic, of course.
Stevia, used in the Bulletproof collagen bars, is a safe and natural sweetener. Most protein bars contain sucralose or other harmful sweeteners that you don’t want in your body.
Macro Ratios
It’s important to check the protein and sugar amounts. Fat is an additional plus for you energy and clarity, but you don’t need to worry about the calories on the Bulletproof Diet. Here they are listed just in case you are interested.
You might question should a protein bar have more protein in it. But on this diet, you eat moderate protein amount, only a few carbs, and plenty of healthy fats. These bars and bites have an optimal ratio to support that.
| PRODUCT | Size | Protein | Fat | Sugars | Calories | Difference in ingredients |
| Vanilla Shortbread Bar | 45 g | 12 g | 14 g | 2 g | 210 kcal | This is the base for all bars and bites |
| Fudge Brownie Bar | 45 g | 11 g | 14 g | 2 g | 200 kcal | Raw cacao added |
| Lemon Cookie Bar | 45 g | 12 g | 14 g | 2 g | 210 kcal | Lemon oil added |
| Vanilla Shortbread Bite | 21 g | 5 g | 6 g | <1g | 100 kcal | Same recipe as the vanilla bar |
| Fudge Brownie Bite | 21 g | 5 g | 7 g | <1g | 100 kcal | Same recipe as the chocolate bar |
Taste
After comparing the quality of the ingredients, taste and texture preferences guide you to find your favorite. Start by thinking of the flavor you usually prefer in desserts and treats: vanilla, chocolate or lemon? Note that since cashews and healthy oils form the foundation for all Bulletproof bars and bites, the different flavors are quite mild. The fudge is not like dark chocolate, and lemon isn’t especially intensive, but they have just a slight twist to creamy cashew taste. Since the cashew base is so delicious, you’ll fall in love with all of them. The bars are not that sweet, either, but have a perfect palette of sweet and salty.
Texture
The bars and bites are soft due to the healthy, high-quality XCT and Brain Octane Oils. It might be that some of the bars are slightly broken or packed in the other half of the wrapper. The products are advised to be kept at room temperature, but if you prefer your bars and bites to be a bit harder, keep a few of them in your fridge. This makes them firmer and easier to eat. Think of the delicate texture as a proof of the best ingredients used. You’ll appreciate the quality over artificial hardeners that make other bars so hard and chewy.
The bites are a smaller version of the bars. The recipe for the chocolate/fudge bars has recently changed, so you definitely want to taste the fudge, either as a full bar or a smaller bite. The texture is similar to the vanilla bars and bites: soft, and dissolves smoothly in your mouth without chewing.
On the go, it’s a good idea to keep the bars in a plastic bag with some napkins, since sometimes the oil might leak if the bar gets damaged by other things in your bag. Also, eating might be a little messy, but you can just do what one of our customers - use the extra oil as moisturizer! (Or, use the napkin.)
Conclusion
If you like to eat less at once, go with the bites. If you prefer to eat more, the bars are the best choice for you. The size is actually the main deciding factor. The flavor and the texture are quite similar in all versions. When it comes to choosing vanilla, chocolate, or lemon cookie, it’s a good starting point to think which flavor you usually like the best. If in doubt, try vanilla first.
