vegan paleo bars

Quinoa Protein Bars: An Excellent Source of Healthy Protein

If you’ve heard of quinoa, it’s probably been in comparison to other grains. It is usually talked about as a healthier alternative to rice, pasta or wheat, as it contains twice as much fiber, a good amount of protein and a variety of important vitamins and minerals like magnesium, iron, riboflavin and manganese.

Another interesting fact found in the bestselling book Quinoa 365, by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, is that quinoa has been ranked in the top 10 foods for muscle-building due to its protein and amino acid content plus complex carbohydrates. Want to get specific nutrition data? The USDA has a food nutrient database that you can check out online to search for quinoa.

However, only recently have I heard about quinoa protein bars…

Getting the Benefits of Quinoa… in a Bar

Quinoa makes a lot of sense in a protein bar, though. It is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat, and is a great alternative to protein sources such as eggs, dairy or nuts that are commonly found in protein bars.

Whether you have an allergy to these foods, a food sensitivity, are a vegan eater or you want a high-fiber protein bar, quinoa can be a simple solution.

Oskri makes a Quinoa Bar. It’s vegan, gluten free, lactose free and contains no refined sugar. It’s also organic and soy-free.

Some people compare the taste and texture to sesame sticks. They are crunchy vs chewy, if that matters to you.

The Good News …or the Bad News

These quinoa protein bars only contain 4 ingredients. This can be good news or bad news. The first 2 ingredients are quinoa seeds and sesame seeds – which make up almost 60% of the bar. If you you don’t like either of these seeds, I highly recommend that you don’t get this bar, but you probably already figured that out.

Keen-Wah Protein Bars

YogaEarth makes gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO quinoa protein bars called Keen-Wah Decadence Protein Bars. Although they contain healthy, clean ingredients, these bars are more like a desert than a snack. You might have already guessed this from the name on the package.

For example, the organic chocolate chia contains almond butter, coconut nectar, Peruvian cacao powder, chopped almonds, cacao butter, Peruvian cacao nibs, chia seeds, sprouted quinoa flour, quinoa crisps, brown rice protein powder and Himalayan sea salt. It also has a chocolate coating.

Bars are also soy-free, except some flavors contain a very small amount of soy lecithin.

You can’t really complain about the ingredients – just be prepared for something rich and chocolate-ful. Of course, if you are looking for an easy and healthy dessert alternative, this is it.

You can also get coconut almond or cayenne cinnamon (because I know you’re wondering, it’s not super crazy – just a mild spicy flavor).

Another Option – with Less Protein.

Pure Organic makes their Ancient Grains Nut Bar, which contains quinoa, hemp, flax and amaranth. However, with just 5 grams of protein, plus rice and several sweeteners, I would not necessarily consider it paleo.