Barbells Protein Bar, Vector Cereal, Mary's Crackers: Product Review Roundup
A review of nutrition facts and ingredients to help you make an informed choice.
Hello, readers! In this week’s edit, I’m reviewing three popular products: Barbells protein bar, Vector cereal, and Mary’s Gone Crackers.
If this is your first review roundup, check out my first roundup here for some important context. As a reminder, when I review a product, I’m considering:
Level of processing.
How the product fits into a healthy dietary pattern. Reminder: no single food has the power to make you healthy or unhealthy.
Where nutrients are sourced from in a product (ingredients), and how significant an ingredient is in contributing to the nutritional value of the food (nutrition facts).
Marketing claims.
How the product compares to others on the market.
Let’s dive in.
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Barbells Protein Bar
Barbells are marketed as protein bars that “taste like regular chocolate bars”, with no added sugar and a high protein content. They are relatively new in the protein bar category (launching in the U.S. in 2020 and Canada in 2024) and have quickly gained popularity.
Nutrition Profile
Barbells (Cookies & Cream flavour) contains 7g of fat from sunflower oil and cocoa butter, including 3g of saturated fat from cocoa butter alone. Each bar provides 20g of carbohydrates from glycerin, maltitol, polydextrose, and tapioca starch. This includes 3g of fibre from polydextrose and 1g of sugar from trace amounts found in various ingredients. They offer 20g of protein from milk protein, with smaller contributions from collagen and soy protein isolate.
Overall Review
Overall, Barbells are marketed and priced like premium protein bars but are more processed (and, in my opinion, lower quality) than competing brands. On the plus side, they offer a decent amount of fibre and high protein content. However, the primary ingredients that contribute to their nutrition are ultra-processed, including the main sources of fat and carbohydrates. These bars are also high in non-caloric sweeteners (a moderate amount of maltitol plus sucralose), which may not necessarily be a healthier alternative to higher sugar content.
TL; DR: 👎 we can do better!
Vector Cereal
Vector is a cold cereal promoted as a high protein “meal replacement”, available in Canada.
Nutrition Profile
A serving of Vector cereal contains 45g of carbohydrates from rice, whole grain wheat, oats, and rice flour. This includes 3.3g of fibre from whole grain wheat and oats and 12g of sugar from added sugars (table sugar, corn syrup, molasses, honey, and malted barley syrup). It contains 2.7g of fat from vegetable oil (unspecified) and 5.7g of protein from soy protein concentrate, and to a lesser extent, roasted soybeans and whole grain wheat.
Overall Review
My biggest peeve with Vector cereal is its misleading “high-protein” claim. The fine print on the package states that Vector cereal contains 13g of protein *when combined with cow’s milk* (which has 8g of protein per cup). The protein content of the cereal alone is only 5.7g per serving! Not only is this cereal not high in protein, it’s not even high in protein compared to other cereals on the market. For reference, the protein content of cereal typically ranges from 1-20g per serving, and it’s not uncommon for a whole-grain-based cereal to contain up to 6 grams of protein per serving, from whole-grains alone.
Interestingly, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. in 2015 against General Mills’ Protein Cheerios for misleading customers by using a similar protein claim. Protein Cheerios listed 11g of protein on the front of the package, which included the protein content of milk. The settlement required General Mills to stop adding the protein content of milk when advertising the protein content on the front of Cheerios Protein boxes.
Aside from the protein content, Vector cereal is also high in sugar and contains only moderate fibre content compared to other cereals on the market.
TL;DR: 👎 I suggest choosing an alternative cold cereal to start your day.
Mary’s Gone Crackers
Mary’s Gone Crackers are gluten-free, whole grain and seed-based crackers widely available across the U.S. and Canada.
Nutrition Profile
Per 30g serving (12 crackers), Mary’s Gone Crackers contain 20g of carbohydrates, including 3g of fibre primarily from brown rice and quinoa, with flax seeds contributing to a lesser extent. There is no sugar in these crackers. A serving has 5g of (mostly) unsaturated fat from flax and sesame seeds. They also contain 4g of protein from whole grains and seed-based ingredients. Lastly, they contain 180mg of sodium per serving from tamari (soy sauce).
Overall Review
Mary’s Gone Crackers are an excellent cracker option, providing a good source of fibre and unsaturated fats. The ingredients are minimally processed and include nutrient-dense whole grains and seeds, with a small amount of tamari for flavouring (which adds moderate sodium). Their fibre content is especially noteworthy compared to other gluten-free options on the market, which tend to be lower in fibre due to the absence of traditionally used wheat-based whole-grain ingredients.
TL; DR: Mary’s Gone Crackers are a great option 👍.
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Talk soon,
~Brittany
“The Grocery Edit” is written by Brittany Raftis, MScFN, RD. She works as a Registered Dietitian and is passionate about helping people sort through the confusion of ingredients and nutrition facts to reduce stress surrounding daily food choices. She uses an evidence-based approach to clear up misinformation about nutrition and help people select the right products to support their health and enjoyment of food.