When it comes to food, every review is subjective. Just because I hate a product, that doesn’t mean that you are necessarily going to hate the same product.

But as you go through this site, it’s important that you understand my scoring system. If you see that I gave a protein snack a score of “6”, what exactly does that mean?

I’ll give you a very quick overview!

What Each Review is Based On

If I just reviewed products strictly on the basis of “does it taste good or bad” then there would be no way to differentiate each snack. The scores I give are based on 4 factors:

  1. Texture/Consistency
  2. Flavor Accuracy (does it taste like what it says it does)
  3. Nutrition Facts
  4. Overall Taste

Why I Don’t Include Price in My Rating

Price does play a tiny factor in my overall review, but not enough to have a major effect on the final score.

If a product is absurdly expensive, I’ll make that clear in the review and it will absolutely affect my recommendation, but not necessarily the final score.

This is because when it comes to healthy products, the smaller companies are generally the ones that need to charge more. If somebody starts up a tiny production to make their own protein bars, they are likely going to have to charge more to cover their expenses than if General Mills starts selling their own protein bars with the equipment they already have.

On top of that, the ingredients used in products vary a ton, so it’s really not fair to directly compare them in terms of price.

If you wanted a burger, you could go to a local burger joint and get a delicious burger, or you could go to McDonald’s (which is delicious in its own right). It’s technically the same product, but vastly different ingredients and a much different price when all is said and done.

You wouldn’t give the fancy burger a low score because it costs more than McDonald’s, and that’s kind of how I feel about pricing protein snacks.

I include prices in all my reviews so you can judge for yourself, but I don’t let it affect my judgment.

The Scoring Scale

Everyone is going to have a different scoring scale, so I’d like to clarify mine. If you give something a 7/10, you may view it totally differently than something I scored a 7/10…

Scores of 0 – 4

Anything in this range is just downright bad, and something I would never buy again.

It’s rare for something to be scored this low, but it does happen from time to time. When you see this score, you can safely avoid the product.

Reviews in this range:

Incredibowl Cereal box
I won't go ahead and say this is the worst protein cereal I've ever had, but it's definitely towards the bottom of my life. Whereas I find most keto-friendly cereal to be TOO crunchy, this cereal has no crunch at all and is very much like styrofoam. If you're expecting a healthy version of Frosted Flakes, you're going to be extremely disappointed.
3.5
GNC Layered Bar
I have to be completely honest... these bars are really bad. If you want an overpriced, generic-tasting protein bar that does not resemble Girl Scout Cookies in the slightest, then you'll love these.
3.9
Give 'Em A Try

Scores of 4.1 – 5.9

If a product falls in this range, that means I find it to be very mediocre. It isn’t horrible, but it’s not something I’m going to be looking to purchase again.

Basically, this is my “average” range. There’s simply nothing special about these products in my mind.

Reviews in this range:

Rockin protein shakes
While ready-to-drink shakes provide convenience, that's about where the positives end. In terms of flavor, you're better off just mixing protein powder with water and saving your money.
4.6
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Bars
Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams are two of the greatest cereals on the planet, but these protein bars are far from the best. In fact, they don't even taste like the cereals. As far as protein bars go, these taste just like any other generic bar out there.
4.8
Give It a Try

Scores of 6 – 6.9

When a protein snack falls anywhere in the 6’s, it’s a solid snack, but something about it just falls short for me.

These are all products that I’m happy to eat, but they don’t get me excited to run out and buy them again.

Reviews in this range:

Authentic Protein Bars
If you love peanut butter, there Authentic Bars will be right up your ally, because they basically taste like a block of peanut butter. Is that good or bad? I'll leave that up to you to decide, but for me, that's only OK.
6.5
Give 'Em A Try
Quest Peanut Butter Cups
Quest Peanut Butter Cups are exactly what you need if you are on a low-carb diet and miss candy (specifically Reese's). While it's certainly not identical to a Reese's Cup, and there is a distinct artificial sweetener flavor, it's definitely close enough to satisfy those candy cravings.
6.9
Give It a Try

Scores of 7 – 7.9

This range is by far the most common score range that I give to products, and if you see something in the 7s, that means I really like it. In many cases I give a protein snack a score in the 7’s because it’s my first time trying it, then when I try the snack again, it is likely to improve.

Whether it’s a 7.2 or a 7.9, these are all snacks that I thoroughly enjoy, but still have room for improvement.

Reviews in this range:

Atkins Protein Chips
If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to Quest protein chips, these Atkins chips might be exactly what you need. While lighter than a regular tortilla chips, these protein chips have a satisfying crunch and overall solid flavor.
7.4
Give It a Try
Hilo Life Low Carb Chips
On taste alone, these are definitely the best high-protein chips I've tried. Since they are marketed as a keto-friendly chip and not necessarily a protein chip, the protein content is slightly lower than something like Quest Chips, but the taste makes up for it.
7.9
Give It a Try

Scores of 8 – 8.9

If I score a product in the 8’s, that means it’s really impressive.

These are all protein snacks that I will happily purchase again and will proudly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious snack.

They’re not perfect, since protein snacks rarely are, but these are pretty much as good as you’ll get.

Reviews in this range:

Quest cheese crackers
These Quest Cheese Crackers are the real deal. If you're a fan of Cheeze-Its, there's just no way you won't enjoy these. It's rare I try a product that ends up being exactly what I want it to be, but Quest nailed these crackers.
8.7
OWYN Protein Shakes
These plant-based protein shakes taste better than any other vegan shakes I've tried, and they are true to their flavors. Many plant-based shakes have an "Earthy" taste to them, but you would never know that these shakes were plant-based.
8.4
Give 'Em A Try

Scores of 9 – 9.9

You’ll never find me scoring anything a 10/10 because I don’t believe perfection exists, and every product can always be improved.

That being said, even scoring something in the 9’s is very rare around here. To me, anything that is scored 9 or above is absolutely incredible, so I don’t take it lightly.

Very few snacks have managed to crack into the 9’s, but here’s hoping that changes going forward.

Barebells protein bar review
Barebells are my favorite protein bar on the market right now, and every single flavor of theirs is excellent. If you want a protein bar that eats like a candy bar, you won't find one better than Barebells.
9.1
Give 'Em A Try

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