If you're in the market for protein bars, specifically vegan ones, and you haven't had luck so far, you aren't alone.
Recently, demand for vegan protein bars has gone through the roof, but most mainstream brands still focus on creating protein bars from whey and animal-based protein using a traditional protein blend due to the low cost and ease of production.
In this No Cow protein bars review, we'll tell you everything you need to know about this plant-based protein bar that might just be the answer for vegans.
No cow bars are a gluten-free and dairy-free alternative to traditional protein bars. They are designed to be meal replacement bars that are suitable for keto, kosher, paleo, and vegan diets. They are made using plant protein and are currently available in 17 flavors.
These bars promise 20+ grams of protein per bar. The primary source of protein in these bars is pea protein isomalto-oligosaccharides.
No Cows is owned by Daniel Katz. He founded the company, and it was initially called D's Naturals. Later on, after securing investment from General Mills, he renamed the company to No Cows and still maintains ownership.
No Cow protein bars are currently available in 21 flavors.
These include:
One of the most essential things in a protein bar, especially a vegan protein bar, is the nutritional information. Many companies that made dairy-free meal replacement bars in the past have been unable to deliver the same kind of nutritional punch that standard protein bars offer.
No Cow makes a statement in this regard.
They offer more than 20 grams of protein with each bar (22 grams to be exact), which is easily comparable to animal protein bars.
No Cow bars give you a total of 24 grams of carbs, of which 17-18 grams are in the form of fiber content.
The bars have 5-7 grams of fat and just 1 gram of sugar. Moreover, the sugar comes from stevia extract, so you don't have to worry about nasty insulin spikes.
Calorie count will vary depending on flavor. Generally, it will be between 190 and 230 calories per bar.
One of the best things about the No Cow protein bars is that they use very few ingredients, and they are all either natural products themselves or derivatives of natural foods.
No Cow bars are packed with protein blend (pea protein and brown rice protein), glycerin, isomalto-oligosaccharides, cocoa butter, natural flavor, stevia extract, peanut butter, monk fruit, salt, water, citric acid, almonds, palm oil, soluble corn fiber, peanut flour, and chocolate flavors.
Some of the flavorings and ingredients vary according to the particular flavor you are buying, but these are some of the most common ingredients that you will find on all the bars.
Some bars, such as the coconut, will have coconut powder, while other flavors, including the cookies and cream, will not have monk fruit stevia extract. So they will vary a little bit depending on the particular flavor you are buying.
Some vegan-friendly and soy-free protein bars are priced relatively high. Price is a significant consideration for health enthusiasts who want to eat multiple protein bars per day (or even one per day).
No cow bars has done as much as possible to keep its prices affordable and competitive. In fact, No Cow bars are pretty much the same price, if not cheaper, than dairy-based protein bars.
Depending on the flavor, the price can vary between $2.50 to $4. If you get a box of 12 it will cost between $21 and $30 (around $2 per bar). This is an excellent price for a gluten-free and dairy-free protein bar.
Regarding availability, your best options are either Amazon or the No Cow official website. Both these sources will give you the best possible prices.
No Cow bars are available at some retail stores, but you might not be able to get all the different possible flavors, and sometimes the prices can be higher. If you are buying at a gas station or a high-end store, expect to pay a bit of a premium for these bars.
If you want to try them out, look at the variety of sample packs on the No Cow official store. You can get a mixed bag of either the regular protein bars, the dipped protein bars, or a sample bag of their entire protein bar menu. This is a great way to try all the flavors, and it's also a great deal.
The price is right, the macros are on point, and there is a great selection of flavors, but there is one more component to a quality protein bar: taste and texture.
Fortunately, No Cow doesn't disappoint in this department, either. The bars have an excellent flavor. but there are two things that you need to be a bit careful about.
One is the high fiber content. This can create gastric issues for some people, especially those that have a sensitive gut. The result is excessive gas production, so ensure you drink enough water to help the protein bar digest.
Also, start with smaller doses to see how it settles with you, and then adjust your intake accordingly.
The other thing is the slightly sandy texture in your mouth while eating the bar. Some people enjoy it, but it can be a little unusual if you aren't used to it.
This texture is because of the pea protein used heavily in the bar. Pea in granulated form tends to leave this textural feeling in your mouth, which is entirely normal.
Other than that, the flavors are fantastic, they are made with quality ingredients, and the bars even smell great when you open them up. Some flavors are a bit sticky right out of the pack, so you might want to peel off enough of the wrapper to expose how much you want to eat instead of the entire bar.
The peanut flavors have bits of peanut in them, which adds a delightful crunch to the overall smooth, thick, and chewy texture. If you go for the dipped bars, you will notice that they have a pretty thick coating.
They don't add a lot of sugar to the bar, which can be problematic for people with a sweet tooth.
The most popular flavor from No Cow, according to online reviewers, is the crunchy peanut butter bar. This bar packs a ton of both peanut pieces and peanut butter.
The peanut butter bar has a very satisfying thick structure, almost like a fudgy chocolate brown. It is a very sweet bar but without that distinct stevia aftertaste. This is an excellent option for people who enjoy something protein-packed and sugary during their workouts, as a recovery snack, or even as an on-the-go breakfast.
In second place is the chocolate fudge brownie bar. This bar has a lot of chocolaty flavors and a very thick consistency, but the flavor leans more toward dark chocolate than super-sweet milk chocolate.
This is a smooth bar with bits of cacao nibs and an authentic chocolate taste from the outer coating. If you are a fan of dark chocolate, then the nibs will be a welcome treat, but the bitterness from the cacao nibs can be a bit overwhelming for others.
In third place is the peanut butter chocolate chip. This flavor combines the best of both worlds from the flavors in the top two spots. Instead of peanut pieces, you get the cacao nibs packed in a smooth peanut butter body coated with the delicious flavor from the outer coating of chocolate.
The perfect combination of sweet and bitter for those who like something akin to a sweet and salty taste.
If you are looking for an excellent vegan-friendly protein bar that does not compromise on taste or macros, then No Cow is a good choice.
You can sign up for their monthly membership plan to get bars delivered right to your doorstep and save a lot of money on packs of 12.
No Cow bars pack a ton of protein into each bar, but the best part is the amount of flavor they pack in too. And with so many bars to choose from, you will find the perfect bar for your next protein hit.
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