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Quest Bars vs. Nola Bars: What’s the Difference?

Disclaimer

Granola bars are often considered healthy snacks, but if you take a peek at the label, they’re typically loaded with sugar and include high-carb ingredients like quinoa or other whole grains. Of course, there’s no room for any of that nonsense on a keto diet, so finding the right bar for you means digging a little deeper.

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This article will review and compare two keto-friendly granola bars, the Perfect Keto Nola Bar and The Quest Snack Bar. 

What Are Quest Bars?

Quest Snack Bars are the granola-like version of traditional Quest Bars, one of the most popular low-carb protein bars. Quest, as a company, makes a variety of snacks, including bars, protein powder, chips, cookies, and more. With their snack bars, Quest introduced a line of sweet and salty on-the-go snacks with high protein content and low carb count. 

They currently have three flavor varieties, including Chocolate Mixed Nuts, Peanut Chocolate Crunch, and Sea Salt Caramel Almond. 

Quest Snack Bar Nutrition

Chocolate Mixed Nuts 

Calories: 210 Kcal

Total Fat: 15 grams

Sodium: 170 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 14 grams

Dietary Fiber: 7 grams

Total Sugars: 1 gram

Sugar Alcohols: 3 grams

Net Carbs: 5 grams 

Protein: 10 grams

Peanut Chocolate Crunch

Calories: 210 Kcal

Total Fat: 15 grams

Sodium: 160 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 14 grams

Dietary Fiber: 7 grams

Total Sugars: 1 gram

Sugar Alcohols: 3 grams

Net Carbs: 5 grams 

Protein: 10 grams

Sea Salt Caramel Almond 

Calories: 210 Kcal

Total Fat: 15 grams

Sodium: 170 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 15 grams

Dietary Fiber: 7 grams

Total Sugars: 1 gram

Sugar Alcohols: 4 grams

Net Carbs: 5 grams 

Protein: 10 grams

Quest Snack Bar Ingredients 

Chocolate Mixed Nuts 

Almonds, Peanuts, Soluble Corn Fiber, Pistachios, Whey Protein Isolate, Palm Kernel Oil, Erythritol, Glycerin, Milk Protein Isolate, Sodium Caseinate, Cocoa Processed With Alkali. Contains less than 2% of the following: Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Sweetener, Sunflower Lecithin. 

Peanut Chocolate Crunch

Peanuts, Soluble Corn Fiber, Palm Kernel Oil, Whey Protein Isolate, Erythritol, Glycerin, Milk Protein Isolate, Sodium Caseinate, Cocoa Processed With Alkali. Contains less than 2% of the following: Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Sweetener, Sunflower Lecithin. 

Sea Salt Caramel Almond 

Almonds, Soluble Corn Fiber, Peanuts, Whey Protein Isolate, Palm Kernel Oil, Erythritol, Glycerin, Sodium Caseinate, Milk Protein Isolate. Contains less than 2% of the following: Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Sweetener, Sunflower Lecithin. 

Are Quest Snack Bars Keto-Friendly? 

Assessing whether a bar is keto-friendly is pretty straightforward — will the macros keep you in ketosis? So, let’s take a look at Quest’s macronutrient profile.

With 15 grams of fat per bar and 10 grams of protein, you’ll definitely be getting the macros you need to feel satisfied. Furthermore, although Quest bars have around 14 to 15 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of those carbs come from fiber, and 3 to 4 grams come from sugar alcohols. 

This leaves you with a net carb count of 5 grams per bar — which certainly falls within the keto-friendly category.  

Quest Snack Bar Taste

Now that we’ve determined that Quest Snack Bars are indeed keto-friendly, what about the taste? Many keto-friendly snacks get some flack for not holding up flavor and texture due to the unique ingredients that are added to keep things keto. 

With that being said, Quest Snack Bars get raving reviews for their flavor and texture. Many people enjoy the combination of sweet and salty and love the crunchy texture. 

Here are some reviews from their website:

“This bar has the texture and taste of your typical snack bar, but the macros make this a better choice. This is a great blend of sweet and salty for that mid-afternoon slump. I brought these along on a hike, and they were a hit!”

“I bought these this month, and I already need to restock! These are a perfect mid-day snack for me, with the perfect amount of saltiness and sweetness.”

“The combination of Chocolate and mixed nuts is perfect when you’re craving a crunchy low carb snack Simply delicious”

What Are Perfect Keto Nola Bars?

Perfect Keto Nola Bars are keto-friendly granola (or no-la) bars that omit the granola but keep the taste and texture of the granola bars you grew up with. Perfect Keto makes a line of low-carb snacks that are specifically developed with the keto dieter in mind. Some other Perfect Keto snacks include the original Perfect Keto Bar, Keto Cookies, Keto Nut Butter, Keto Collagen, and Keto Protein. 

Perfect Keto Nola Bar Nutrition

Peanut Butter Nola Bar

Calories: 150 Kcal

Total Fat: 12 grams

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Sodium: 55 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 12 grams

Dietary Fiber: 5 grams

Allulose: 4 grams 

Total Sugars: 1 gram

Net Carbs: 3 grams 

Protein: 6 grams

Coconut Chocolate Chip Nola Bar

Calories: 140 Kcal

Total Fat: 12 grams

Sodium: 50 mg

Total Carbohydrate: 14 grams

Dietary Fiber: 6 grams

Allulose: 4 grams 

Erythritol: 2 grams 

Total Sugars: 1 gram

Net Carbs: 2 grams 

Protein: 3 grams

Perfect Keto Nola Bar Ingredients 

Peanut Butter Nola Bar

Peanuts, Soluble Tapioca FIber, Allulose, Medium Chain Triglycerides Oil (From Coconut Oil), Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract [REB A], Monk Fruit Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to preserve freshness). 

Coconut Chocolate Chip Nola Bar

Almonds, Organic Coconut, Dark Chocolate Chips (Unsweetened Chocolate, Erythritol, Cocoa Butter, Stevia Extract, Sunflower Lecithin), Soluble Tapioca FIber, Allulose, Medium Chain Triglycerides Oil (From Coconut), Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract [REB A], Monk Fruit Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to preserve freshness).  

Are Perfect Keto Nola Bars Keto Friendly?

With only two to three net carbs per bar, Perfect Keto Nola Bars can fit squarely into your keto meal plan. 

Perfect Keto Nola Bar Taste

As mentioned previously, keto products can get a bad reputation for lack of flavor or strange texture due to the unique ingredients that are often incorporated to keep things low-carb. 

Both the taste and the texture of Perfect Keto Nola Bars get outstanding reviews as these bars not only hit the spot for taste, but they provide that chewy and crunchy texture that you expect from a traditional granola bar.

Here are some reviews from customers:

“These taste amazing and have the consistency of a traditional chewy granola bar.”

“I purchased both Peanut Butter and Coconut Nola Bars. They both are delicious and convenient.”

“Absolutely love the nola bars! It reminds me of an almond joy!!!! Will be ordering more soon!”

“These are moist, nutty, with coconut and chocolate. They are simply delicious! When you crave a Coconut chocolate bar these hit the spot. I highly recommend them.”

Quest Bars Vs. Perfect Keto Nola Bars

Both Quest Snack Bars and Perfect Keto Nola Bars get a thumbs up from their customers on taste and texture, but where do they stand when we compare them side by side?

Macros

For a keto dieter, macros are king. You can have the most delicious tasting product in the world, but if it doesn’t keep you in ketosis it’s not good for a keto dieter.

While both Quest Snack Bars and Perfect Keto Nola Bars fit into the keto-friendly category, their macros differ slightly:

Brand Perfect Keto Nola Bar Quest Snack Bar
Calories  140 Kcal 210 Kcal
Fat 12 grams 15 grams
Carbohydrates 14 grams  15 grams
Fiber 6 grams  7 grams
Sugar Alcohol 6 grams  4 grams
Net Carbs 2-3 grams  5 grams 
Protein 3 grams  10 grams

Assessing the two brands from a keto-friendly perspective, Perfect Keto is the clear winner with only two to three net carbs per bar. However, Quest Snack Bars do offer quite a bit of protein, which may help with satiety. From a fat standpoint, they’re almost neck in neck, and they both have a great fiber content. 

One area where these two bars deviate quite a bit is in the calorie count. While Perfect Keto Nola Bars contain only 140 calories, as they’re meant to be a light snack, Quest Snack Bars have 210 Kcals, making them a little more substantial. 

In this way, it could be a wash as the higher carb count would account for the fact that Quest Snack Bars also contain more overall energy. 

If you’re looking for a snack that’s a bit more substantial, Quest Snack Bars may be the winner in terms of macronutrients. However, if you are someone who doesn’t like to waste carbs on snacks and prefers to keep things as low-carb as possible, Perfect Keto Nola Bars are the way to go. 

Ingredients

Looking at the macros of your snack bars is crucial as a keto dieter, but the ingredients list should be your second stop when scrutinizing labels as “keto-friendly” doesn’t always equal high-quality. In general, you want your energy bars to be made with natural ingredients and real food.

Perfect Keto Nola Bars and Quest Snack Bars are both grain-free, soy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, and contain no added sugars. They are also both paleo-friendly and vegetarian-friendly. 

The Perfect Keto Nola Bars are dairy-free, making them an option for those who avoid dairy or are looking for a vegan-friendly bar. Quest Bars contain whey and sodium caseinate, which are two ingredients derived from dairy, making them a no-go for those with dairy sensitivities.

Quest Bars also include soluble corn fiber, which is a questionable ingredient as most of the corn (if not all) produced in the United States is GMO. Since Quest doesn’t make any non-GMO claims on their packaging, it’s safe to assume that the corn they use is, in fact, GMO[*]. 

Perfect Keto also adds a special ingredient to their bars; medium-chain triglycerides, which are a type of fat that is readily absorbed and broken down into ketones in your liver.

All in all, when comparing the two bars for ingredients, Perfect Keto is a clear winner with a cleaner label and the added benefit of MCTs[*]. 

Flavor and Texture

Both Quest Snack Bars and Perfect Keto Nola Bars are fan favorites for their flavors and textures. In this category, the two bars are neck-in-neck. 

Overall Quality 

While both bars can be considered high-quality in terms of macronutrients, Quest Snack Bar has potentially GMO corn, along with an added allergen of dairy. Dairy will not be an issue for many people, but these bars are a no-go if you’re dairy-free or vegan. 

Perfect Keto bars have an exceptionally clean label, with no red flag ingredients added. They also rank a little lower on the net carbs, making them the best choice in terms of quality for keto dieters. 

The Takeaway 

Taking everything into account, the Perfect Keto Nola Bar may be a better option for most people. With that being said, Quest Snack Bars are a close second with a keto-friendly macronutrient profile and an ingredient list that is mostly high-quality. 

GET RESULTS IN 30 DAYS

Join 90k+ people who are losing weight with Keto Kickstart, our doctor-developed program designed to give you real weight loss results.

If you’re looking for a quick snack to hold you over, Perfect Keto Nola Bars are the way to go. However, if you’re craving a granola bar that is a bit more substantial or could be used as a meal replacement, Quest Snack Bars can offer a more robust option with 10 grams of protein and about 70 more calories.

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