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think! Protein Bar Review

think! Protein Bars: Think Again and Avoid This Fake Food (Nutritionist Reacts)

The think! line of protein bars is marketed as “Protein-rich. Smart. Delicious. No compromises.”

However, one look at the think! nutritional label shows that there’s more than meets the eye about this product—and not all of it is.

Join us for a complete breakdown of think! Protein Bars.

 

What Are think! Protein Bars?

think! is a health bar manufacturer that claims to “provide quality ingredients without sacrificing taste,” and features six product lines:

  • High Protein Bars
  • Vegan High Protein Bars
  • Protein+ 150 Calorie Bars
  • Keto Protein Bars
  • thinkKIDS (a line specially formulated for children 18 months and up)
  • Protein and Fiber Oatmeal (a quinoa-oats breakfast cereal blend in individual cups)

The company posits that everything is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free from artificial colors or sweeteners. All adult products contain between 10 and 20 grams of protein per serving, and kids’ bars have 7 grams of protein per serving.

The company’s products are widely available in grocery stores and supermarkets, retailers such as Walmart and Target, and online shops.

think! is one of the top-sellers in the niche, but it’s not without critics.

“I expect a little bit more than 13 grams of protein with a better formulated texture.”
Hailey Oliviera, USA

think! Protein Bar Nutritional Macros

We’ll be looking at the think! Vegan High Protein Bars in this review, as they’re the only think! product suitable for plant-based diets. The table below displays the macro counts for the three bars from this category.

Flavor Variety Calories Protein Carbs Total Fat Fiber Total Sugars
Sea Salt Almond Chocolate 230 13 grams 27 grams 9 grams 3 grams 5 grams
Chocolate Mint 230 13 grams 28 grams 8 grams 3 grams 5 grams
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip 190 13 grams 24 grams 6 grams 1 gram 5 grams

Let’s explore the benefits and drawbacks of this brand.

Pros and Cons of think! Vegan High Protein Bars

People like think! for its convenience, but fall out of love upon considering these bars’ macros and ingredient list. The table below outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the macros in think! Vegan High Protein Bars.

think! Bar taste test
think! Protein Bar Review
The takeaway
Skip the unhealthy ingredients supplied by think! Stick with bars that pack more of a nutritional punch without sugar alcohols and glycerin.
Texture and Taste
Macros
Plant Protein
Ingredients
Value
Low Sugar
Pros
Non-GMO plant-sourced protein
Low fat content
Free of artificial sweeteners
Three distinct flavors
Cons
Not enough protein for meal replacement
Poor ratios for both weight loss and muscle gain
All flavors contain saturated fats
Far too little fiber
Contain sugar alcohols
Chalky and gummy texture
2
Remy
Founder
Human Food Bar

Psst! Got a moment?

If you're reading this, you came here for one my many protein bar reviews, which means you're a fellow bar eater. 

If you found my article helpful, I hope you'll take a look at Human Food Bar, which I created after testing over 100 bars.

The bar's unique formulation can help you cut cravings, lose weight, sleep better, have more energy, regulate digestion, and more. It does this by balancing your gut biome.

Human Food Bar comes recommended by New York Times best-selling author Dr. Steven Gundry, MD.

Scroll through the gallery to learn more!

Rating the think! Protein Bars

We gave think! High Protein Bars an overall rating of 2 out of 5. Let’s break that down and show you why we have such a low opinion.

Texture and Taste

One major selling point of think! is that it offers unique flavors. However, this doesn’t extend to the company’s vegan products. You don’t get their unique brownie crunch, lemon delight, or cookies ‘n cream. Instead, there are only three flavors, and they’re all typical protein bar-style—mint chocolate, peanut butter, and almond chocolate. The texture left us wanting more, too. The most common word that came to mind was “chalky. Overall, the taste and texture is okay, deserving an average grade on our scale.

Macros

As shown in the table above, there are both good and bad aspects about the think! Vegan High Protein Bars macro content:

  • Protein is non-GMO certified, soy-free, and extracted from peas, pumpkin, and brown rice. The counts in think! tread a fine line where they’re unsuitable for snacking or full meals.
  • Carbs aren’t that bad, but there are a lot of them in think! products. Too many for weight loss and too few for bulking up.
  • Fat content is relatively low compared to some other protein bars on the market, but the bars contain saturated fats which should have you label-checking and thinking again.

Plant Protein or Fiber Content

This bar prioritizes protein over fiber, but falls short in both regards. Protein isolates in think! bars consist of peas, brown rice, and pumpkin seeds. These are good, soy-free-sources, but in poorly considered quantities. Not to mention, there’s barely any fiber per bar, so we can’t give good marks there either.

Ingredients

Read the ingredients label on any variety of think! Vegan High Protein Bar and two facts become glaringly obvious:

  • Sweetener, typically maltitol syrup, is the second ingredient after the protein sources.
  • Real foods like nut butter, chocolate, and cocoa butter are somewhere in the middle or toward the end of the list.

Fake food, anyone?

Value

With their dependence on sugar alcohols like maltitol syrup, and processed ingredients like oils and glycerine, we can’t give think! Vegan High Protein Bars a high value rating. Rarely any super-healthy ingredient ever reaches the manufacturing process! Sure, you get a lot of protein in a relatively low-calorie package, but it’s coming from food sources that don’t promote well-being. High-value bars nurture your body, and these fake ingredients don’t.

Low Sugar

Much like our judgment of think! ingredients and value, we can’t give a high rating when it comes to its sugar contents. These bars are low-sugar and free from artificial sweeteners, and instead depend on sugar alcohols for their sweetness. These compounds bother your digestion and can cause conditions like IBS to flare up.

think! Protein Bar vs. Human Food Bar

The situation isn’t looking great for the think! bar. A rating of 2/5 leaves you with a bar to consume sometimes, but not an addition to your daily diet.

That’s where our Human Food Bar enters the picture. We’ve spent years looking into the industry giants, gauging what works and what doesn’t.

Our alternative bar delivers on all fronts, whether you need a post-workout snack or an after-dinner sweetener.

It supplies the right amount of fiber, made of prebiotics and resistant starch, helping your digestive system run smoothly. We also avoid fake food sources, prioritizing natural superfoods like baobab making these bars delightful, with no texture issues.

The table below compares think! to our Human Food Bar across several relevant categories.

think! Protein Bars Human Food Bars
Fiber Low—up to 4 grams per bar Just the right amount—12 grams per bar, from diverse sources
Taste & Texture Varied tastes but gummy Solid and crunchy at all temperatures
Protein Derived from peas, rice, and pumpkin Derived from hemp—packed with minerals and antioxidants
Sugar Low added sugar, contain sugar alcohols Zero added sugar
Superfoods None Baobab, tiger nuts, green banana flour

Your body can only benefit from daily Human Food Bar consumption.

Rethink your choice of think!

think! is something you might have in a rush, but too many fake foods and unhealthy ingredients went into these bars to make them a worthy addition to your diet. You can reap immense benefits from protein bars, but only if you choose the right products—such as the Human Food Bar.

close-up of the Human Food Bar

Frequently Asked Questions

Are think! vegan protein bars meal replacements?

think! high-protein bars are advertised as multi-purpose and are supposed to be energy bombs, workout boosters, and meal replacements.

But, you need at least 18 grams of protein per meal and think! bars fall short. If you’re using these products to replace a missed meal, add a piece of high-fiber fruit and two tablespoons of chunky peanut butter to complete your necessitated protein intake.

What diets are think! Protein Bars suitable for?

The vegan protein bars by think! suit the following dietary preferences:

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free
  • Kosher

Unlike our Human Food Bar, these products don’t suit low-sugar, low-carb, or lectin-free eaters.

What should I look for in a protein bar?

Besides natural ingredients and good taste, macro contents differentiate good from bad bars. Here’s a brief rundown (you can read the full version in our plant bar buyer’s guide):

  • Protein—8–10 grams for snacking, 18–20 grams for meal replacement
  • Carbs—2:1 protein to carbs for fat loss, and 1:2 for muscle gain
  • Total fat—no saturated or trans fats
  • Fiber—a carb-to-fiber ratio of 4:1 or less, from healthy sources
  • Total sugars—no more than 6–8 grams of total sugars

The Human Food Bar meets these standards, making it ideal for health-conscious individuals.

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Founder
Remy is the founder of Human Food Bar. A health and wellness enthusiast based in Berkeley, California with a deep interest in dietary nutrition, he's well versed in the Plant Paradox, Keto, Paleo and Vegan diets. He has a borderline obsession with nutrition bars that eventually gave birth to the Human Food Bar. In his free time he likes to blog, cook, mixologize, garden and mountain bike.
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Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Nutritional Synergy
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Kathy is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in Human Nutrition. She's been a Registered Dietitian for 32 years serving in all capacities of my profession from clinical nutrition to public health and education. She's passionate about helping people change their lives for the better using medical nutrition therapy and in the art and practice of writing about all aspects of functional and integrative nutrition.
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Founder
Remy is the founder of Human Food Bar. A health and wellness enthusiast based in Berkeley, California with a deep interest in dietary nutrition, he's well versed in the Plant Paradox, Keto, Paleo and Vegan diets. He has a borderline obsession with nutrition bars that eventually gave birth to the Human Food Bar. In his free time he likes to blog, cook, mixologize, garden and mountain bike.
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