The Ultimate Guide to Lectin-Free Protein Bars
The Ultimate Guide to Lectin-Free Protein Bars
Find the right lectin-free protein bar for you
The number of options and factors to consider when selecting an energy bar is dizzying. You want a bar that’s low in sugar, high in prebiotic fiber, made from healthy, clean ingredients, and palatable.
If you happen to be keto, you want your bar to be loaded with high quality protein and healthy fat.
Say “No” to Lectins
You should also opt for a snack bar that’s Gundry-approved: it needs to be lectin-free. Lectins are pesky plant proteins that can cause systemic inflammation and contribute to a range of diseases–as well as weight gain.
This is quite challenging as it turns out since the trend towards lectin-free foods is relatively new and the incumbent food bar manufacturers are behind the curve.
Dr. Gundry’s Quest Bars for the Plant Paradox Diet
Dr. Steven Gundry, who pioneered the Lectin Free Diet, AKA the Plant Paradox Diet, has recommended select flavors of Quest Bars.
The comparison chart further below includes the specific flavors that are lectin-free, but frankly I cannot recommend any of them (most experts agree Quest Bars are not healthy, lectins or not).
The good news is that there are some niche lectin-free protein bars that are very healthy (and tasty!) that didn’t make it onto Dr. Gundry’s list. Considering that there are over 1000 energy bars on the market, it’s no surprise that he might have missed a few!
My Protein Bar Geek-Out
Everyone has their own unique needs when it comes to nutrition, even within a given dietary plan like the Plant Paradox program.
I created the Ultimate Protein Bar Comparison Chart (follows below) in hopes that it will make it easier for you to find exactly what you need, whether you’re Keto, Paleo, Lectin-Free or all of the above.
It’s the result of extensive research, including looking at the ingredient lists of literally hundreds of protein bars, from dozens of popular and niche brands.
I’ve discovered several bars that check most or all the boxes and also taste great…and just as many that are actually quite bad!
Find the right lectin-free protein bar for you
The number of options and factors to consider when selecting an energy bar is dizzying. You want a bar that’s low in sugar, high in prebiotic fiber, made from healthy, clean ingredients, and palatable. If you happen to be keto, you want your bar to be loaded with high-quality protein and healthy fat.
You should also opt for a protein bar that’s lectin-free. Lectins are pesky plant proteins that can cause systemic inflammation and contribute to a range of diseases–as well as weight gain. This is quite challenging as it turns out since the trend towards lectin-free foods is relatively new and the incumbent food bar manufacturers are behind the curve.
Dr. Gundry’s Quest Bars for the Plant Paradox Diet
Dr. Steven Gundry, who pioneered the Lectin Free Diet, AKA the Plant Paradox Diet, has recommended select flavors of Quest Bars. The comparison chart further below includes the specific flavors that are lectin-free, but frankly I cannot recommend any of them (most experts agree Quest Bars are not healthy, lectins or not).
The good news is that there are some niche lectin-free protein bars that are very healthy (and tasty!) that didn’t make it onto Dr. Gundry’s list. Considering that there are over 1000 energy bars on the market, it’s no surprise that he might have missed a few!
Everyone has their own unique needs when it comes to nutrition, even within a given dietary plan like the Plant Paradox program. I created the Ultimate Protein Bar Comparison Chart in hopes that it will make it easier for you to find what you need, whether you’re keto, paleo, lectin-free or all of the above. It’s the result of extensive research, including looking at the ingredient lists of literally hundreds of protein bars, from dozens of popular and niche brands.
I’ve discovered several bars that check most or all the boxes and also taste great…and just as many that are actually quite bad!
See all the bars below. Bon appetite!
The Ultimate Lectin-Free Protein Bar Comparison Chart
The Ultimate Lectin-Free Protein Bar Comparison Chart
(Flip your phone for a better view.)
The Ultimate Lectin-Free Protein Bar Comparison Chart
Cracking the Code on a Healthy Protein Bar
In my comparison I chose attributes that are important based on my understanding of popular diets including Lectin-free, Paleo and Keto (because for many people there’s overlap) and I also looked at some broad characteristics:
Lectin-free options: The operative word here is “options”, as there is not a single brand where every flavor/variety of bar is lectin-free. Common culprits include cashews, peanuts and sunflower seeds.
Keto friendly: Very low sugar, high fiber, high fat, low glycemic index.
Paleo friendly: There are some terrific bars that are fine for Paleo but still have lectins. Depending on how strict you are about avoiding lectins, you may want to consider them.
No sugar alcohols: I included this because sugar alcohols give many people stomach aches due to their high polyol levels. Some have even been linked to cancer.
Prebiotic fiber: Prebiotic fibers such as inulin feed healthy gut bacteria, helping your microbiome, and slow down the absorption of sugar.
Organic and GMO-free: Chemical fertilizers, Preservatives and GMOs are real health hazards.
Grass-fed whey protein: Because grass-fed whey protein has 3-5x more Conjugated Linoleic Acid and higher concentrations of Immunoglobulin G.
High Amazon rating: Bars with at least 4 stars got extra points (because the crowds have wisdom).
What I didn’t look at:
Price: Price is all over the map, and different people have different budgets, so I left it out.
Taste: Subjective, so I skipped it. But, bars with a high Amazon ratings taste better.
Vegan: To keep things simple. But, bars with “N/A” in the whey protein column are vegan.
The Winner
MariGold Bars was my top ranked bar and I used to eat a lot of them…until I created own bar: Human Food Bar.
Human Food Bar is the only bar purpose designed for Dr. Gundry’s Plant Paradox Diet. I’ll leave it to you, the discerning consumer, to decide what bar is best for you.
I am leaving up my endorsement of Marigold Bars because, despite my bias, I want to do my best to be fair and balanced. MariGold Bars may not be perfect for people on the Gundry Diet, but there’s plenty to like.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes these bars so good.
✅ Lectin-free options: MariGold Bars has nine lectin-free flavors: Coconut Rage, Macarooned, ChocoNut, ChunkyChoco Pecan, Lemon Pie, Pure Joy, Chocolate Mint, Texas Praline Pecan and Cinnabahn.
✅ Low sugar/Keto friendly: 6g total carbs, 1-3g sugar, up to 8g fiber, 17g fat, 22g protein (may vary depending on bar).
✅ Organic and GMO-Free: From grass-fed whey protein and ghee to Fair Trade chocolate and coffee beans, MariGold Bars does not compromise on ingredients.
✅ Prebiotic fiber: Contains up to 8g of coconut or chicory root fiber, which has inulin.
✅ Grass-fed whey protein: MariGold Bars are a grass-fed whey protein powerhouse. They are also hormone, antibiotic and pesticide free.
✅ Paleo-friendly ingredients: Grass-fed whey, chocolate, coconut, coconut oil, stevia, inulin, grass-fed ghee, pecans, and very small amounts of coconut nectar and maple syrup (less than a couple grams of sugar).
✅ No sugar alcohols: Sweetened with stevia, coconut nectar and maple syrup.
✅ Preservative-free: They even come in refrigerated packaging–a sure sign they’re fresh! They also travel well and keep just fine out of the fridge.
✅ High Amazon rating: These bars have 4.6 stars on Amazon, which is elite for this category. Rest assured: these bars are loved by many more people than just me.
Best Lectin Free Protein Bar in 2023
This article was originally published in 2018, and by 2023 Dr. Gundry and I had both ended up creating our own lectin-free, gut-friendly protein bars.
Naturally, I had to make a video comparing them!
March 23, 2023: Human Food Bar 2.0 has gone viral in the lectin-free community after being picked up by several influencers. We are going to sell out before the next batch comes in, so get yours while you can. If you prefer Dr. Gundry’s bar (which is more expensive BTW) here’s the link.
The Winner
MariGold Bars was my top ranked bar and I used to eat a lot of them…until I created own bar: Human Food Bar.
Human Food Bar is the only bar purpose designed for Dr. Gundry’s Plant Paradox Diet. I’ll leave it to you, the discerning consumer, to decide what bar is best for you.
I am leaving up my endorsement of Marigold Bars because, despite my bias, I want to do my best to be fair and balanced. MariGold Bars may not be perfect for people on the Gundry Diet, but there’s plenty to like.
✅ Low sugar/Keto friendly: 6g total carbs, 1-3g sugar, up to 8g fiber, 17g fat, 22g protein (may vary depending on bar.
✅ Prebiotic fiber: Contains up to 8g of coconut or chicory root fiber, which has inulin.
✅ Grass-fed whey protein: MariGold Bars are a grass-fed whey protein powerhouse. They’re also hormone, antibiotic and pesticide free.
✅ Paleo-friendly ingredients: Grass-fed whey, chocolate, coconut, coconut oil, stevia, inulin, grass-fed ghee, pecans, and very small amounts of coconut nectar and maple syrup (less than a couple grams of sugar).
✅ No sugar alcohols: Sweetened with stevia, coconut nectar and small amount of maple syrup.
✅ Preservative-free: They even come in refrigerated packaging–a sure sign they’re fresh! They also travel well and keep just fine out of the fridge.
✅ High Amazon rating: These bars have 4.6 stars on Amazon, which is elite for this category. Rest assured: these bars are loved by many more people than just me.
✅ All Organic and Fair Trade: From grass-fed whey protein and ghee to organic Fair Trade chocolate and coffee beans, MariGold Bars does not compromise on ingredients. And they never use GMO foods.
Read the Amazon reviews and check out all their lectin-free bars below, or start shopping.
Best Lectin Free Protein Bar in 2023
This article was originally published in 2018, and by 2023 Dr. Gundry and I had both ended up creating our own lectin-free, gut-friendly protein bars.
Naturally, I had to make a video comparing them!
March 23, 2023: Human Food Bar 2.0 has gone viral in the lectin-free community after being picked up by several influencers. We are going to sell out before the next batch comes in, so get yours while you can. If you prefer Dr. Gundry’s bar (which is more expensive BTW) here’s the link.
