[Spreadsheet] The Best Vegan Protein Bars: I bought and tested 20 highly recommended or rated bars over the last month or so to find the best ones

[personalizedbook]

@bondo This is great work but perhaps I can be a bit constructive (desructive?). Let's look at No Cow and Builder bars. No Cows are $2.50 per 20 gram bar while Builders are $1.50 per 20 gram bar. This means that No Cow bars are 66% more expensive for the same amount of protein and yet they score a 9/10 on price while Builders score a 10/10.

Unfortunately, vegan protein bars are almost universally a terrible value with the sole exception of Builders.

 

[bondo]

@personalizedbook So what you can do if that's the way you'd like to look at it is make a copy of the sheet, then go to the 'cost score' and change the "S" values with "R" to look at per bar cost.

The reason there's not too much of a difference is because the score is based on the relative difference compared to the max/min for the entire set of bars.

Even though you're quite right that no cow bars are nearly twice the cost per either basis, they're much better value than the worst ones, which is why they still score decently.

It's a pretty arbitrary formula, so I'm sure it could be improved, but I'm pretty happy with the consistency between the different scores. Losing or gaining a point in any category signifies a serious difference.

 

[personalizedbook]

@bondo I see what you are saying. I was thinking of it on a sliding scale of the best bar getting a 10/10 and then all the bars after that were pinned to that price ratio. So if Builders have 15g/$ and get a 10/10 then a bar that has 7.5 g/$ would get 5/10, etc.

 

[bondo]

@personalizedbook That's probably a better idea also.

Regardless, I've spent way too much time on this so far and I don't think it's changing now .

If you want to play around with it and get a result you think is good I don't mind adding an alternate version to the OP.

 

[personalizedbook]

@bondo

I've spent way too much time on this so far and I don't think it's changing now

Yes it's easy to come in and criticize when I haven't done any work. Again, that's for providing this resource!

 

[bondo]

@personalizedbook Oh no worries, criticism is fine (and in this case valid), I'm aware it's not perfect.

 

[resjudicata]

@personalizedbook Where do you get builder bars for $1.50?? Stores near me they’re about $2.50-$3, i usually order online a box of 12 for $22

 

[personalizedbook]

@resjudicata Sprouts sometimes has them for $1.25 but the usual sale price is $1.50. Otherwise Sprouts, Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons are all ~$1.70-$1.80 when not on sale. This is in SoCal, USA.

 

[resjudicata]

@personalizedbook Oh man, i wish we had a Sprouts! I’m in nyc so everything is expensive my parents are in CA, I’ll be sure to check the local albertson’s when I’m in town and stock up!

 

[wonderstruck]

@bondo Most of them have more carbs than protein

 

[bondo]

@wonderstruck Quite a few do, that's why I usually stick to protein powder. But some have decent macros.

 

[3mississippi3418milwaukee]

@bondo BHU and Now Cow has to be my favorite! Just out of curiosity, how come Palm Oil should be avoided?

 

[bondo]

@3mississippi3418milwaukee Personally I don't eat it (aside from the purposes of this experiment), even though it's technically vegan.

Should it be avoided? That's a decision you'll have to make yourself. Plenty of vegans consume it (I haven't seen any stats, but I'd guess that the majority do).

I'll copy/paste a comment I made elsewhere:

It's an industry filled with shady practices.

Most of it comes from southeast Asia, where rainforests are cleared at an incredible pace. Environmental issues aside, this is driving animals like Sumatran orangutans and tigers to extinctions.

Animals are often beat to death or burned alive (forests are burned to clear them).

In theory, sustainable palm oil is better, but it's still relatively new and there's been reports that show that most of it isn't really any different from the regular stuff.

Here's a more detailed look if interested.