No Cow · Protein bars
Are No Cow Protein Bars Healthy? Lemon Meringue Pie Bar Nutrition and Ingredients
Short answer
On the nutrition label, yes, it is one of the stronger protein bars. One 60 g No Cow Lemon Meringue Pie bar has 190 calories, 22 g of plant protein, 16 g of fiber, 1 g of sugar and 1 g of saturated fat. It is still ultra-processed (NOVA 4): the protein comes from brown rice and pea protein powders, most of the fiber is added soluble corn fiber, and the sweetness comes from erythritol, stevia and monk fruit. Truvi score (our method): 57 out of 100, close to Kirkland Signature's protein bar (58) and IQ Bar (61), and far above Quest Hero (20).
Truvi score
57/100
Good
- Processing23/100
NOVA 4; 3 additives
- Nutrition85/100
high nutritional quality (Nutri-Score A)
- Overeating89/100
no hyperpalatable combo
Our method, from the label. 75 and up is Excellent, 50 Good, 25 Fair, below 25 Bad. How the score works
No Cow protein bar nutrition facts: is it healthy?
Here is one 60 g bar, from the manufacturer's label in USDA FoodData Central:
| Calories | 190 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 22 g |
| Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Saturated fat | 1 g |
| Salt | 0.4 g |
The good part: 22 g of protein is 44% of the 50 g daily value used on US labels, and 16 g of fiber is 57% of the 28 g daily value, both for 190 calories. Sugar is 1 g. Saturated fat is 1 g, 5% of the 20 g daily value, because the fat is low overall at 4 g per bar.
Salt is low too. One bar has 160 mg of sodium, about 7% of the 2,300 mg daily value. The FDA calls 5% of the daily value or less low and 20% or more high. Put together, the nutrition part of the Truvi score is 85 out of 100, Nutri-Score A on our calculation. Nutri-Score is the A to E nutrition grade used on packs in Europe.
The weaker part is how the bar gets there. The protein, the fiber and the sweetness are all added as separate factory-made ingredients, which is why the processing part of the Truvi score is only 23 out of 100. A large umbrella review in the BMJ pooled 45 analyses covering about 9.9 million people and linked diets high in ultra-processed food with higher risks of death from heart disease and of type 2 diabetes (Lane et al., 2024). Those studies are observational and are about the whole diet, not about one bar now and then.
No Cow protein bar ingredients
The label lists 12 ingredients. They fall into four groups, and each group explains one number on the label.
- Protein. a protein blend of brown rice protein and pea protein, plus pea protein crisps made from pea protein, pea starch and rice flour. These plant protein powders are why one bar has 22 g of protein without any dairy.
- Fiber and body. soluble corn fiber is the second ingredient. It gives the bar its bulk and supplies most of the 16 g of fiber. Glycerine keeps the bar soft and chewy.
- Sweetness without sugar. a sweetener blend of erythritol, stevia and monk fruit. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, and stevia and monk fruit extracts are plant-based sweeteners used in tiny amounts. Together they keep sugar at about 1 g.
- Taste and texture. almonds, palm oil, cocoa butter, natural flavors, salt, water and citric acid, which adds the lemon tartness.
There are no milk, soy or wheat ingredients on the list. The bar does contain almonds.
Are No Cow bars ultra-processed?
Yes. NOVA is the food-processing scale used in nutrition research. Group 4, ultra-processed, covers products made mostly from ingredients of industrial use, such as protein isolates and added soluble or insoluble fiber, often with cosmetic additives such as flavors and sweeteners (Monteiro et al., 2019).
This bar fits that description closely: protein powders, an added fiber, glycerine, natural flavors and three sweeteners make up most of the recipe. Low sugar and plant protein do not change the group, because NOVA looks at how a food is made, not at its nutrients. That is the trade-off with this bar: excellent numbers, built from processed parts.
The additives worth knowing about
Erythritol (E968)
A sugar alcohol used as a sweetener. A 2023 study in more than 4,000 people who were being checked for heart disease found that those with higher blood levels of erythritol had more heart attacks, strokes and deaths over the next three years (Witkowski et al., Nature Medicine, 2023). The FDA reviewed the paper and said the observational studies in it did not establish a causal link, and that it keeps monitoring new information. So this is a link, not proof.
Stevia and monk fruit extracts
Plant-derived sweeteners. The FDA says high-purity stevia sweeteners are reported to be 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar and monk fruit extract 100 to 250 times sweeter, and it has not questioned the safety notices for either.
Glycerine (E422)
A clear, sweet-tasting liquid that holds moisture, so the bar stays soft instead of drying out.
Citric acid (E330)
The acid found in lemons, used here for sourness. It is one of the most common food acids.
Check the bar you buy
This page is for the Lemon Meringue Pie bar, barcode shown below, using the label in USDA FoodData Central. Some older packs and store listings show isomalto-oligosaccharides, another added fiber, in second place instead of soluble corn fiber. Either way the bar is ultra-processed.
Other No Cow flavors, and the dipped bars, have their own recipes and nutrition, so the numbers here do not carry over. Scan the one in your hand to see its score.
Is there a better protein bar?
Not on our list right now. Truvi's swap search found no protein bar in our US list with a complete label that scores clearly higher than this one, so we don't suggest a swap. If you want a bar that is not ultra-processed, look for one made mostly from nuts, seeds or dates, and expect less protein: the Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie is processed (NOVA 3) but has 6 g of protein and 16 g of sugar from dates per bar.
Full ingredient list and nutrition
Protein blend (brown rice protein, pea protein), soluble corn fiber, glycerine, almonds, pea protein crisps (pea protein, pea starch, rice flour), palm oil*, natural flavors, sweetener blend (erythritol, stevia, monk fruit), cocoa butter, salt, water, citric acid.
| Energy | 317 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 6.7 g |
| of which saturated | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41.7 g |
| of which sugars | 1.7 g |
| Fiber | 26.7 g |
| Protein | 36.7 g |
| Salt | 0.67 g |
Questions people ask
Are No Cow bars healthy?
On the label they are among the better protein bars: 22 g of plant protein, 16 g of fiber, 1 g of sugar and 1 g of saturated fat for 190 calories in the Lemon Meringue Pie bar. The catch is that the bar is ultra-processed, made from protein powders, added fiber and sweeteners. Truvi scores it 57 out of 100.
Are No Cow protein bars good for you?
As a protein snack the numbers are strong and the sodium is low, at 160 mg per bar. It relies on erythritol for sweetness, which a 2023 observational study linked to heart events in people with heart risk factors; the FDA said that study did not show cause and effect. If you eat one most days, it is worth knowing what is in it.
What are the ingredients in a No Cow protein bar?
The Lemon Meringue Pie bar lists: protein blend (brown rice protein, pea protein), soluble corn fiber, glycerine, almonds, pea protein crisps (pea protein, pea starch, rice flour), palm oil, natural flavors, sweetener blend (erythritol, stevia, monk fruit), cocoa butter, salt, water and citric acid.
How many calories are in a No Cow protein bar?
The Lemon Meringue Pie bar has 190 calories per 60 g bar, about 3.2 calories per gram.
How much protein and sugar is in a No Cow bar?
22 g of protein and about 1 g of sugar per 60 g bar. The protein comes from brown rice and pea protein, and the sweetness from erythritol, stevia and monk fruit.
Are No Cow bars ultra-processed?
Yes, they are NOVA 4. The recipe is built from protein powders, added soluble corn fiber, glycerine, flavors and sweeteners. The processing part of the Truvi score is 23 out of 100, while the nutrition part is 85.
Are No Cow bars vegan and dairy free?
The Lemon Meringue Pie label lists no animal ingredients, and retail listings such as Whole Foods Market describe it as vegan, non dairy, gluten free and soy free. It contains almonds, so check the allergen statement on the pack if you avoid nuts.
How is the Truvi score calculated?
It combines how processed the food is (NOVA and additives) with its nutritional quality (Nutri-Score), and how filling it is where the label allows. Each part is scored 0 to 100 and blended into one number. It is our method, an opinion based on the label.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, branded foods: Lemon Meringue Pie Flavored Protein Bar (No Cow, 852346005504).
- Whole Foods Market. No Cow Lemon Meringue Pie Protein Bar, 2.12 oz: product listing and nutrition facts.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aspartame and other sweeteners in food.
- Witkowski M et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nature Medicine, 2023.
- Lane MM et al. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review. BMJ, 2024.
- Monteiro CA et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 2019.
Label data: USDA FoodData Central, branded foods (manufacturer label data), barcode 0852346005504. Score: Truvi score (truviScore v10), balanced setting.
Automated estimate from the product label, an opinion, not a statement of fact about the manufacturer. Ingredient and nutrition data from Open Food Facts (ODbL) may be incomplete or inaccurate. Based on published food-science systems (NOVA · Fazzino · Nutri-Score). Not medical advice.
Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] with the barcode and we will review it.
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