1. Prima Ancestral Protein Bar
2. Aloha Organic Protein Bar
3. Perfect Refrigerated Protein Bar
4. Feel Vegan Protein Bar
5. Orgain Protein Snack Bar
6. Bearded Brothers Protein Bar
7. Balanced Tiger Functional Mushroom Protein Bar

I’m not here to tell you there’s anything “wrong” with conventional protein bars per se. It’s simply that many of them contain ingredients that I’d prefer to avoid where possible.

Eating protein bars with these additives is probably mostly harmless, but over time, they can negatively impact your overall health. They can lead to weight gain, disrupt your digestion, harm your metabolism, and even counteract the benefits of your workouts by leaving you feeling sluggish or bloated.

There’s even been a recent case of protein bars containing lead and toxic PFAs, which is another reason to opt for organic protein bars.
Here are some of the common ingredients in protein bars that you may want to skip (like leg day):

Artificial Sweeteners

Many protein bars rely on artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin to reduce calories and sugar content. These sweeteners can affect gut health, potentially leading to bloating, gas, and digestive discomfort. Some studies also suggest they may negatively impact metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

This cheap, processed sweetener is often used to improve taste and extend shelf life. However, HFCS is linked to weight gain, insulin resistance, and increased risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Hydrogenated Oils

Also known as trans fats, hydrogenated oils are used in some protein bars to improve texture and extend shelf life. Trans fats are notorious for raising bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and lowering good cholesterol (HDL).

Artificial Flavors and Colors

Artificial flavors and colors offer zero nutritional value and may cause allergic reactions or other health issues. Some synthetic dyes, like Red 40 and Yellow 5, are even banned in certain countries due to health concerns.

Excess Added Sugar

Some protein bars are loaded with added sugars disguised under names like dextrose, maltose, or cane syrup. Excess sugar can lead to energy crashes, contribute to weight gain, and increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and inflammation.

Low-Quality Protein Sources

Protein bars often use low-quality sources like collagen or gelatin, which lack essential amino acids needed for muscle repair and recovery. While these ingredients can bulk up the protein content on the label, they’re not as effective as high-quality sources like grass-fed whey or organic pea protein.

Synthetic Preservatives

Ingredients like BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are often added to extend shelf life, but they come with potential health risks. These preservatives have been linked to hormone disruption and are even classified as possible carcinogens by some health organizations.

Why switch to organic protein bars?

Organic protein bars provide greater peace of mind that you’re fueling your body with clean, natural, whole food ingredients. They’re free from the stuff you don’t want like ingredients grown using synthetic pesticides, artificial sweeteners, and GMOs, which can negatively impact your health and performance. Organic certification also guarantees that the ingredients were grown and processed using sustainable farming practices, supporting environmental health and fair labor conditions.

In my experience, organic protein bars also tend to taste better. Regular protein bars often taste overly sweet and artificial, whereas protein bars made from organic ingredients are more simple, palatable, and—to put it simply—real.

I’m not here to say you need to eat organic protein bars to be healthy, but if you care about eating a whole food diet with quality ingredients, I think it makes sense to switch to organic protein bars if your budget allows it.

The 7 best organic protein bars in 2025

A lot of protein bars claim to be clean, vegan, and natural… but a lot of them fail to live up to the hype. These are the 7 organic protein bars that we found to meet the highest standards for clean, whole food ingredients while also delivering decent macros to support your training.

Calories: 240 calories per 50g bar
Macros: 15g protein, 23g carbs, 16g fat
Flavors: Cacao, Salted Caramel, Coffee, 

Prima Bars claims to be the world’s first “ancestral” protein bar. That word ancestral gets thrown around a lot these days, but I take it to mean these bars are made from “pre-industrial” ingredients—simple, untainted, natural.

These organic protein bars are fairly new to market, but they already strike me as one of the best. While not certified organic (they say they’re working on it), most of the ingredients are organic and they use nothing artificial. Prima bars use only seven core ingredients: 100% grass-fed beef tallow, 100% grass-fed bovine collagen, 100% grass-fed whey protein, organic raw honey, organic agave, organic vanilla, sea salt, and either organic cacao, vanilla, or coffee for flavoring. It doesn’t get much more down-to-earth than that.

As for the flavor and texture, Prima bars aren’t overly sweet or overpowering. The bars are slightly softer and not as chewy as some protein bars so you’re not going to tire out your jaw. However, you can chuck them in the fridge if you prefer a more hard, chewy texture. 

I’m really impressed by what Prima has achieved with these bars. While they aren’t exactly cheap ($27.90 for a 7 pack), they’re a great option to have around for an occasional healthy, protein-packed snack.

Calories: Approximately 230 per bar
Macros: 14g protein, 24g carbs, 12g fat (each flavor is different)
Flavors: Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Vanilla Almond Crunch + 14 more

Aloha Organic Protein Bars is hands down one of the best organic protein bars on the planet. Not only are their ingredients super clean, but they also walk the talk when it comes to environmental sustainability.

All of Aloha’s ingredients are certified organic. Their core ingredients include their unique protein blend of rice protein and pumpkin seed protein, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, tapioca syrup, vegetable glycerin, monk fruit, and sea salt. With 17 mouth-watering flavors, you’ll never get bored.

The texture can be described as smooth and slightly chewy and it’s hard to believe they achieve the delicious flavors with all-natural ingredients. At around 230 calories per bar, they’re not going to blow out your daily intake (unless you’re really cutting).

Aloha goes above and beyond by achieving B-corp, Climate Neutral, and USDA Organic certifications, which provides confidence that these bars aren’t only better for your health, they’re also better for the planet.

Calories: Approximately 330 calories per bar
Macros: 17g protein, 24g carbs, 20g fat (each flavor is different)
Flavors: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter, Hazelnut Crisp + 9 more

First up, respect to Perfect Bars for rolling with this name—that takes some balls. While not perfect, Perfect Bars are pretty darn good. They’re unique in that they require refrigeration, which allows them to maintain their cookie dough-like texture. Despite this, you can still travel with these bars as they can be out of the fridge for up to 7 days and still be safe to eat (and that’s probably being super conservative for food safety reasons).

The core ingredients are really clean and certified organic. The main sources of protein are: nut butter, organic nonfat milk powder, organic whole egg powder, and rice protein. The bars are sweetened with organic honey. They’re loaded with so-called superfood powders, such as organic kale, flax seed, rose hip, alfalfa, celery, kelp, and spinach. And a mixture of oils (sesame, olive, and pumpkin seed) provide the moist, doughy texture.

At more than 300 calories, these bars are more nutritionally-dense than some others. But I reckon they’re still worth having in the fridge for an occasional dessert or treat when you’ve got extra calories in the bank.

Calories: Approximately 200 calories per bar
Macros: 15g protein, 12g carbs, 10-12g fat
Flavors: Sunbutta Chocolate Chip, Matcha Latte, Caramel Sea Salt + 3 more

Feel organic protein bars have created a range of protein bars around how they make you “feel”, which is really unique. While the core focus is on providing healthy, vegan protein bars, they’ve taken it a step further by including functional ingredients like ashwagandha, turmeric, and chaga mushroom to deliver additional health benefits.

As far as ingredients go, Feel protein bars are hard to beat. Firstly, they’re 100% organic. The protein comes from pea protein isolate. The sweetness comes from dates and coconut nectar. They contain the nutty crunch of sunflower, pumpkin, and chia seeds, as well as hemp hearts. And some flavors even contain whole chocolate drops. They probably have my favorite texture of all the bars on this list—it’s more like cookie dough or cake than a tough or chewy candy bar.

The macros of the feel bar are also pretty tidy. With 15g of protein, 10-12g of healthy fats, and only 12g of carbohydrates, these should fit nicely into almost any meal plan. 

I’m a big fan of Feel bars. They seem to be a fairly new, small, and founder-run business, so get in behind them if you’re keen to try their organic, functional, protein “bars with benefits”.

Calories: 150 calories per bar
Macros: 10g protein, 19g carbs, 5g fat
Flavors: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Brownie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

As the name suggests, Orgain organic protein bars are made to help you make gains, organically. And that’s what we want, right? The main benefit of these bars is they’re really low on calories for a sweet treat—only 150 calories per bar. However, with only 10g of protein per bar, they may not be the best option if you’re looking to pack on muscle.

Orgain bars are USDA certified organic and use minimal, clean, whole food ingredients. The Orgain protein blend is made from organic brown rice protein and organic pea protein. They use naturally-occurring low-calorie sweeteners, organic almond butter, and natural flavoring. The texture is soft, fudgy, and slightly chewy. I really like how they include chocolate chips, protein crisps, and real nuts to create a more enjoyable mouth experience than most protein bars. There are four flavors to choose from, but I recommend Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

I think Orgain organic protein bars are a great option for a sweet, protein-rich treat if you’re trying to restrict your calories or cutting. If your main priority is increasing protein intake, I’d probably go with one of the other options on this list.

Calories: 230 calories per bar
Macros: 11g protein, 23g carbs, 12g fat
Flavors: Decadent Dark Chocolate, Scrumptious Sweet Vanilla 

Bearded Brothers organic protein bars are impressively minimal with only 7 whole food ingredients per bar. Handcrafted in Austin, Texas, by a small team, these bars are as down to earth as you can get. 

The 7 ingredients are: Organic dates, almonds, pea protein crisps, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate (or vanilla), cacao powder and sea salt. No nonsense, just real food. The texture is a little less artificial than most other protein bars—quite soft and a tad crumbly. It’s more like a bliss ball in bar form.

I feel like 11g of protein is at the lower limit of what can be considered a “protein” bar and the calories are quite high. So while these are a great option if you’re after simple ingredients that taste good, they may not meet the needs of those who are training hard and wanting to max-out on protein.

Native Natural Deodorant is probably the biggest, most well-known natural deodorant for men out there. It was a venture-backed brand that went on to sell to US multinational Procter & Gamble for $100 million within two years. Native timed the natural products wave perfectly and reaped the benefits. To be honest, I’m a little hesitant to include Native on this list. However, their excellent reputation and extensive product range twisted my arm.

Native deodorant is made from “naturally-derived” ingredients. They include most of the good stuff other natural brands use—coconut oil, shea butter, tapioca starch, and magnesium hydroxide. However, they also use baking soda and some synthetic fragrances (they do have a Sensitive deodorant without baking soda). The products are still free from toxins like aluminum, parabens, and phthalates… but they’re not as natural as they could be.

Native has a really solid reputation, which is a big reason why they make the list. Not only does it have 4.4 stars from 89,000 ratings on Amazon, people tend to rave about Native across the board. It promises 72 hour odor protection and there are plenty of customers who verify it lasts “all day”, however this claim has been challenged in a class action lawsuit, which says there’s no clinical study to back it up. I found some people who complained about Native making them more sweaty, which goes to show it’s not for everyone (no product is!).

Native has a HUGE scent range—26 different scents at last count (including some holiday season specials), and pretty much all of them are suitable for men. The main range of stick deodorant comes in plastic packaging, but they also offer a plastic-free cardboard tube for people who want a more eco-friendly option. Native also has whole body deodorant cream and a spray deodorant, though I wouldn’t recommend that.

While I think Native could do better in terms of all-natural ingredients and sustainable business practices, there’s no denying it’s a solid natural deodorant for men. It’s said to be less greasy and smoother to apply than some other brands and it really seems to work for thousands upon thousands of happy customers.

Native Natural Deodorant reviews

“In terms of performance, Native works like a charm. I was worried about making the switch from my traditional antiperspirant, but I was relieved to find that Native effectively controls odor without leaving any residue or stains on my clothes. It glides on smoothly and absorbs quickly, making it perfect for those hurried mornings. Plus, it’s aluminum-free, which makes me feel good about what I’m putting on my skin.” — Native Deodorant Coconut & Vanilla

“I’ve been struggling to find something that works naturally under my arms and everything I’ve ever tried always ends up causing a rash or irritation. Since I started using this two weeks ago, I was hesitant, but willing to try anything at this point. I’m a male, 28 years old, and have sensitive skin. Honestly the scent lasts all day and I’m stoked on that part because any other deodorant or antiperspirant still allowed me to stink at the end of a work day. 10/10 recommend to anyone and everyone!” — Native Deodorant Sea Salt & Cedar