Choose a protein bar by the particular ingredient you need to avoid, then check the current wrapper before packing it with your commuter coffee. Vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free describe different requirements: PhD Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge is labelled vegan and dairy-free but contains soya and peanut, while Tesco lists nākd. Protein Peanut Butter Bar as gluten-free and dairy-free but says it contains peanuts.
The useful meaning of “free-from” depends on what you need to avoid; protein and sugar figures come after that check when an allergy is involved.
Before putting a wrapped bar in your bag, read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any “may contain” statement on that pack. A broad category label cannot answer whether the bar fits your particular restriction.
Check the plant-protein ingredients as well as the vegan or dairy-free claim. PhD lists soya and peanut in its Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge bar, despite its vegan and dairy-free designation.
If you have no relevant ingredient restriction, compare nutrition per bar for a snack to carry with coffee. A low-sugar claim does not establish that a bar is vegan, dairy-free or suitable for an allergy.
Start with the ingredient you must avoid, then compare the bar’s serving size and nutrition with what you want from a snack on the journey.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergens | Read the current ingredients and highlighted allergens. Check any “may contain” statement for the allergen you avoid. | I need to know whether this particular bar fits my restriction before I take it on the train or bus. |
| Vegan or dairy-free ingredients | Check the vegan or dairy-free designation, then look for other relevant ingredients and warnings. PhD lists soya and peanut in Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge, which it designates vegan and dairy-free. | A plant-based bar may fit my food preference, but I still need to check any other ingredients I avoid. |
| Gluten and dairy | Look for both claims on the exact product. Tesco lists nākd. Protein Peanut Butter Bar as gluten-free and dairy-free, while also declaring peanuts and a “may contain” warning for soya and nuts. | I want a bar that meets both restrictions, not one whose free-from label answers only half the question. |
| Nutrition per bar | Compare the stated serving sizes alongside protein, sugars and polyols. PhD lists 21 g protein and 16 g polyols per 64 g Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge bar; Tesco lists 7.6 g protein per 45 g nākd. Protein Peanut Butter Bar. | Once the ingredients fit, I can decide whether one bar has the nutrition profile I want with my coffee. |
A claim applies to particular ingredients. A vegan or dairy-free bar can still contain peanut or soya, and its pack may also carry a precautionary allergen statement.
Identify the ingredient you avoid, then check the full ingredients, highlighted allergens and any “may contain” wording on the current wrapper.
Tesco lists nākd. Protein Peanut Butter Bar as gluten-free and dairy-free, but its ingredients include peanuts, peanut butter and peanut flour.
Check for declared peanuts and nuts separately, even when another free-from claim matches your needs.
A protein figure does not resolve an allergen restriction. PhD Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge lists 21 g protein and 16 g polyols per 64 g bar, alongside soya and peanut ingredients.
Screen the ingredients first. Then compare protein, sugars and polyols using the serving size shown on each pack.
Ingredient information can differ between formulations or batches. Grenade’s peanut guidance specifically distinguishes named peanut-containing flavours and notes that older batches of another flavour may have a different peanut status.
Read the wrapper on the batch you are buying, even if you have bought the flavour before.
A brand or browsing category can help narrow the search, but suitability rests on the exact flavour and its current pack.
Its Carb Killa range is positioned by Grenade as protein bars for eating on the go.
Its Smart Bar and Smart Plant lines offer different ingredient routes rather than one shared free-from profile.
Its UK range separates vegetarian protein bars from vegan snacks, which can help when browsing by dietary preference.
Barebells has vegan protein-bar variants, including Vegan Salty Peanut.
Tesco is a retailer with free-from browsing categories and product-level dietary information, rather than a single protein-bar formulation.
Quest describes protein-bar attributes on its US site.
These Joybuy options span plant-based and gluten- or dairy-free snack choices alongside conventional bars for comparing protein and sugars. Check the current pack against any ingredient you avoid; a fruit-and-nut bar is not interchangeable with a bar chosen mainly for its protein content.
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A plant-based flapjack option to consider for a coffee commute when checking gluten and dairy requirements. This pack contains three 50 g bars; check the current wrapper for soya and the full allergen information.
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A fruit-and-nut option for shoppers checking vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free requirements, not a nut-free choice. Check the pack for peanuts, hazelnuts and precautionary allergen wording, and confirm the bar weight before buying.
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A fruit-and-nut snack to consider with commuter coffee when checking vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free requirements, rather than choosing by protein alone. This pack contains four 35 g bars; check the wrapper for almonds, cashews and any precautionary allergen statement.
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A conventional protein-bar option for comparing nutrition when you do not need a vegan or dairy-free bar. The pack contains twelve 50 g bars; check the current ingredients for milk and soya and compare the stated polyols per bar if relevant to your choice.
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A low-sugar protein-bar option for shoppers comparing nutrition rather than seeking a free-from bar. This pack contains twelve 60 g bars; check the wrapper for milk, soya and wheat, as well as the per-bar polyols figure.
No. A vegan designation does not establish the bar’s full allergen profile. PhD Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge is designated vegan and dairy-free but contains soya and peanut; Barebells says its Vegan Salty Peanut bar contains peanuts and may contain milk, gluten-containing cereals and nuts. Check the particular pack against your restriction.
No. Tesco lists nākd. Protein Peanut Butter Bar as gluten-free and dairy-free, but its ingredients include peanuts, peanut butter and peanut flour, and it may contain soya and nuts. Check each ingredient you need to avoid separately.
Check the name, full ingredients and emphasised allergens on the item itself. Food Standards Scotland states that, since 1 October 2021, UK food made and prepacked on-site for direct sale must carry this information, including emphasis of the 14 allergens required to be declared. Read the pack you are buying rather than relying on a shelf description.
It is precautionary allergen labelling about an allergen that could be unintentionally present, rather than a declaration that it is an ingredient. The Food Standards Agency describes it as a way to communicate potential cross-contact; a vegan or gluten-free claim does not cancel that warning. Assess wording relevant to your allergy against your own allergy-management advice.
Yes, if polyols matter to your choice, compare the amount and serving size on the specific bar. PhD lists 16 g polyols per 64 g Smart Plant Vanilla Fudge bar; its conventional Smart Bar page separately warns that excessive consumption may cause laxative effects. Do not assume that the warning or polyols amount is identical across the two products.