Keto Bars

What bars are keto friendly?

A bar is keto friendly when the carbohydrate figure on its own wrapper fits the day you are counting. Here that runs from 3.6 g in the vanilla brownie to 8.4 g in the double chocolate, per 40 g bar.

Each bar states its own number rather than a range. The Vanilla Brownie declares 3.6 g of carbohydrate in 40 g, the Magnetic Peanut 4.2 g, the Chocolate covered Coconut 4.6 g, the Chocolate covered Salted Caramel 4.7 g, the Tropical Coconut 7.7 g and the Double Chocolate 8.4 g.

That figure decides how a bar fits your day rather than whether it is allowed at all. Two Double Chocolate bars come to 16.8 g in one sitting, most of a strict 20 g day, while two Vanilla Brownie bars come to 7.2 g.

On a British label the carbohydrate line already sits apart from fibre, so nothing has to be subtracted before you count it. The guide to how many carbs a day on keto sets out where a 20 g or a 50 g budget comes from.

What are good low carb protein bars?

A low carb protein bar is keto friendly when it pairs single figure carbohydrate with real protein. Three of these six do: the Vanilla Brownie at 7.9 g of protein and 3.6 g of carbohydrate, the Salted Caramel at 7.7 g and 4.7 g, the Chocolate covered Coconut at 7.4 g and 4.6 g.

Those three are the plant protein recipes, built on pea and rice protein. Each draws about 18 per cent of its energy from protein: 18.2 per cent, 18.4 per cent and 18.1 per cent for the vanilla brownie, the salted caramel and the chocolate covered coconut.

Twelve per cent is the threshold a food has to clear to count as a source of protein, so those three qualify and the other three do not. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass, and that line belongs to those three bars alone.

Which keto protein bars have the most protein?

The Vanilla Brownie leads the keto protein bars on this page with 7.9 g in a 40 g bar, ahead of the Chocolate covered Salted Caramel at 7.7 g and the Chocolate covered Coconut at 7.4 g. The Magnetic Peanut declares 6.1 g, the Double Chocolate 4.4 g and the Tropical Coconut 2.3 g.

The last three are the whey isolate recipes, and their protein share of energy falls to 9.4 per cent, 8.1 per cent and 3.6 per cent. They sit below the source of protein threshold, which makes them keto bars first and protein bars second.

What goes into a keto bar?

Erythritol stands in for sugar on all six ingredient lists. The protein comes either from peas and rice or from whey isolate, and that split runs through the whole shelf.

The plant family starts with oligofructose and pea or rice protein, then adds MCT fats at 13 to 14 per cent of the recipe. The Chocolate covered Coconut and the Salted Caramel are finished with 18 per cent chocolate, sweetened with erythritol rather than sugar.

MCT fats are an ingredient here and nothing more, because MCT carries no authorised claim in Great Britain. The Vanilla Brownie takes a different route to texture, with pea protein chips at 5 per cent of the bar.

The whey family is built on cocoa butter and whey protein isolate with inulin. The Double Chocolate leads with dark chocolate at 72 per cent cocoa, the Magnetic Peanut with a peanut paste that is 97 per cent peanuts, and the Tropical Coconut with desiccated coconut and white chocolate.

Fibre keeps its own line on a British label. The three plant bars declare 12 g in the Chocolate covered Coconut and 11 g each in the Salted Caramel and the Vanilla Brownie, per 40 g. The producer does not declare fibre for the other three.

Sugars run from 1.0 g in the Vanilla Brownie to 4.7 g in the Tropical Coconut, which lists dextrose in its coconut mix. Polyols such as erythritol still count towards the carbohydrate figure in Great Britain, and the guide to the best sweeteners for keto explains why.

Which keto bar is best for you?

The best keto bar for you is the one whose numbers match the gap you are filling. All six work as keto snack bars in the same 40 g format, so the protein from 2.3 g to 7.9 g and the energy from 165 kcal to 260 kcal decide it.

• Vanilla Brownie, 40 g: 3.6 g carbohydrate, 7.9 g protein, 11 g fibre, 176 kcal, £3.19
• Magnetic Peanut, 40 g: 4.2 g carbohydrate, 6.1 g protein, 255 kcal, £2.69
• Chocolate covered Coconut, 40 g: 4.6 g carbohydrate, 7.4 g protein, 12 g fibre, 168 kcal, £3.19
• Chocolate covered Salted Caramel, 40 g: 4.7 g carbohydrate, 7.7 g protein, 11 g fibre, 165 kcal, £3.19
• Tropical Coconut, 40 g: 7.7 g carbohydrate, 2.3 g protein, 260 kcal, £2.69
• Double Chocolate, 40 g: 8.4 g carbohydrate, 4.4 g protein, 218 kcal, £2.69

The Tropical Coconut is the outlier in two directions. It carries the most carbohydrate at 7.7 g and 15 g of saturated fat in a 40 g bar, and it is also the one bar with no nuts or peanuts in the composition.

Price follows the recipe rather than the size. The three chocolate covered bars cost £3.19 each, which is £7.98 per 100 g, and the other three cost £2.69, which is £6.73 per 100 g.

Not every gap in the day is a sweet one. The keto crisps are the savoury shelf, a 30 g bag rather than a 40 g bar, for the afternoon when a chocolate coated bar is the wrong answer.

Where can you buy keto bars in the UK?

Keto bars come from specialist ranges rather than the supermarket biscuit aisle. Holland & Barrett and Amazon list several brands, and every bar on this page ships direct across the United Kingdom from £2.69.

British supermarkets cover keto friendly whole foods well, from hard cheese to olives and nuts. A packaged keto snack bar with the carbohydrate figure printed on the wrapper usually comes from a specialist range or an online shop instead.

Order any bar on this page and it ships across the United Kingdom, from £2.69 a bar. Choose the Vanilla Brownie if you count carbohydrate first, the Magnetic Peanut if you want the peanut butter route, and order a mixed batch before settling on one.

Frequently asked questions

What protein bars are keto friendly?

Vanilla Brownie, Magnetic Peanut, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Coconut. Those four protein bars declare 3.6 g, 4.2 g, 4.6 g and 4.7 g of carbohydrate in a 40 g bar, and any bar from any brand passes or fails on that same line of the pack.

Does Tesco offer any keto snacks?

Keto friendly whole foods yes, keto bars rarely. Tesco and the other large British supermarkets sell cheese, nuts and olives, while packaged keto bars come from specialist ranges, from Holland & Barrett and Amazon, and from online shops like this one.

Can I eat Weetabix on a keto diet?

No, Weetabix is a wholewheat cereal biscuit. Wheat based breakfast cereals carry far more carbohydrate per serving than a keto bar, which is why a 40 g bar here declares 3.6 g to 8.4 g.

Are keto bars healthy?

A keto bar is a formulated snack, not a health food. It is built to keep carbohydrate low in a portion you can carry, and it replaces a biscuit rather than a meal. The carbohydrate line and the ingredient list tell you more than the word keto on the front.

Are there zero carb protein bars?

No bar on this page is carbohydrate free. The lowest figure here is 3.6 g in the Vanilla Brownie, and a bar sold as zero carb is usually rounding a small number down.

Are any of these keto bars vegan?

The Vanilla Brownie is the vegan bar. The Magnetic Peanut, the Tropical Coconut and the Double Chocolate all list whey protein isolate from milk, so those three are not. The remaining two carry no vegan wording on the pack, so read the label before ordering.

Are there nut free keto bars?

The Tropical Coconut lists no nuts or peanuts. The other five list almonds, peanuts or cashews in the composition. Traces from the production line are a separate question, so the allergen line on the pack is the one to read.

Are keto bars gluten free?

Three bars carry the gluten free wording. The Chocolate covered Coconut, the Chocolate covered Salted Caramel and the Vanilla Brownie are labelled gluten free on the pack. No bar here lists a cereal ingredient, but only those three carry the wording.

How many keto bars can you eat in a day?

One bar a day is a sensible ceiling. A single bar takes 3.6 g to 8.4 g out of the carbohydrate you have to spend, and two Double Chocolate bars come to 16.8 g, which is most of a strict 20 g day.

Which keto bar has the fewest carbohydrates?

The Vanilla Brownie, at 3.6 g per bar. It is also the richest in protein at 7.9 g in 40 g. At the other end the Double Chocolate declares 8.4 g of carbohydrate, more than twice as much in the same 40 g.