Primal Kitchen is a health and wellness brand that sells products, such as Primal Kitchen Collagen Peptides, Collagen Fuel, and protein bars, that offer more healthy alternatives to simple kitchen staples. The company was founded by Mark Sisson and they have gained a lot of traction throughout the health and wellness community and many of their products, like their mayo, avocado oil, and protein bars, have become household favorites.
Their Primal Kitchen Protein Bars come in 5 different flavors and each pack only 2 grams of sugar, which makes them great alternatives to many other protein bars on the market. The bars have between 8 and 9 grams of protein. The protein bars are gluten-free, grain-free, and keto/ paleo-friendly. Let’s take a deeper look into these Primal Kitchen Protein Bars and their ingredients with this review and see if they are worth the hype.
Primal Kitchen Protein Bars Benefits
Helps Provide A Protein Boost
Each of the protein bars packs an average of 8 grams of protein per bar, which makes them an option for those of us looking to get more protein in our day-to-day lives. This product is unique as it contains eggs as the protein source, which is an alternative to the protein sources in other protein bars. The protein in eggs offers a great source of this macronutrient.
May Help With Weight Maintenance (Keto/ Paleo-Friendly)
This benefit is not something directly listed by this company, however they promote these bars as being keto and paleo-friendly. Most protein bars pack a lot of sugar and very few healthy fat sources, so these bars are unique. They use coconut oil as the healthy fat source, which many preach as being a staple in the keto diet. The keto diet is often promoted to help with weight management and many use coconut oil and other healthy fat sources (accompanied with workouts) to help them burn fat at an accelerated pace, although research is conflicting on this ideology.
Gluten-Free and Grain-Free
This is definitely a benefit and gives these protein bars a bit of an advantage. Many protein bars are made out of grains and oats and contain gluten. This makes this bar potentially easier to digest and less burdening on our guts. It also makes it more allergen-friendly as many people try to avoid gluten and various grains in their diets.
Primal Kitchen Protein Bars Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients varies throughout each of the five different flavors, however, the staple ingredients remain the same. Additionally, the ingredient list is not very long and contains mostly whole-food, healthy ingredients.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the more prevalent ingredients in these bars as it is listed as the second ingredient. It is most likely used as a thickening agent or a sort of binding for these bars. However, it also contributes a fat source to these bars, making them a keto option. This does give them a high-fat content of roughly 16 grams of fat per bar as well as 8 grams of saturated fat derived from the coconut oil. Research is conflicting about whether coconut oil is beneficial or not based on its high saturated fat content, however, it’s definitely become more acceptable and widely used in health products today.
Eggs
Eggs and egg whites are used in these bars to contribute a protein source. Eggs also contribute essential vitamins and nutrients, more notably the B Vitamins. These B vitamins may contribute an additional energy source as well. However, some individuals avoid eggs due to vegan diets or due to allergies, so that limits this product to certain consumers.
Soluble Tapioca Fiber
Soluble tapioca fiber is a keto-friendly sweetener derived from non-GMO corn syrup. It is also known as the fiber that is isolated from the tapioca vegetable, which essentially means all of the carbohydrates have been removed, making it a low-carb/keto option. Some say this is a healthy source, whereas others disagree based on potential blood-sugar level spikes.
Monk Fruit Extract
Monk fruit extract is a sugar-free ingredient used in many products today as an alternative to sugar, sugar alcohols, and stevia. Monk fruit provides a sweet taste and doesn’t contribute the aftertaste and potential health/digestive issues that come with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. This ingredient is used in many keto and low-calorie options as it is considered a zero-calorie sweetener.
Do Primal Kitchen Protein Bars Contain Enough Protein?
Although these bars pack a high-fat content that provides energy, density, and make them very filling, are they really considered protein bars? Many protein bars, such as Built Bar (my new favorite), pack between 15 and 25 grams of protein as many bars are used for workout means and even as meal replacers, though that is not really advisable. These bars are not really meant as meal replacers, so it seems feasible that they do not have a high protein content.
If you’re looking for a high-protein option for on-the-go purposes, these bars probably aren’t your best bet. However, these bars fair much healthier due to the clean ingredients in each bar as well as the low sugar content. 8 grams of protein is still a good amount for a snack option, which is what these bars should really be used for.
Claims Vs. Reality
The main claims that this company provides are the bars being keto and sometimes paleo-friendly. This is pretty accurate as the bars contain a high-fat content and a low-carbohydrate and low-sugar content.
They obviously also claim that these bars are protein bars, which is a little unrealistic as although they pack 8-9 grams of protein per bar, it’s not a ton of protein especially as when many people see protein bars, they think they can be used as meal replacers. However, this company does reiterate that these bars are a great snack option.
Who Should Eat Primal Kitchen Protein Bars?
Primal Kitchen Protein Bars can be eaten and enjoyed by pretty much anyone, however, it’s important to note that anyone with an allergy or avoidance of eggs should not consume them. Additionally, these products contain nuts which is a top allergen. However, being gluten and grain-free makes them a great protein bar option for consumers. It’s a product that is largely catered to the paleo and keto community though.
Are Primal Kitchen Protein Bars Safe?
These bars contain a very clean list of ingredients. They contain no sugar alcohols, no chemicals, no preservatives, and no gluten. This makes them a very clean alternative to other protein and granola bars. They should be avoided though if you have a nut, seed, or egg allergy. The company also states that these bars are not a low-calorie food as they pack around 200 calories per bar. This makes them again a snack option, not necessarily a meal option.
Where To Buy Primal Kitchen Protein Bars
Primal Kitchen Protein Bars are available on the Primal Kitchen site and they are on sale right now. You can also purchase them as a subscription and save 10%. These bars are also available on Thrive Market, the Vitamin Shoppe, and in certain grocery stores like Whole Foods and other health food stores.
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If you’re looking for a keto and paleo-friendly protein bar, Primal Kitchen Protein Bars may be worth the purchase. They contain mostly whole-food, healthy ingredients and come in a variety of delicious flavors which gives you many options. With the added benefit of these bars having only 2 grams of sugar while still providing between 8 and 9 grams of protein, we say give Primal Kitchen Protein Bars a go as your protein bar choice.
