Tribe Protein Bars seem to go to lots of places that other Bars do not. They hike, cycle, swim, surf, climb, run, ramble. Just looking at the Tribe Instagram feed probably burns up enough calories to make room for a Tribe Bar.
Several Tribe Bars are Gluten-Free and Vegan. That together with 20 grams or more protein per 100 grams gains them inclusion within my ongoing mission to taste-test review every gluten free vegan Protein Bar out there. So welcome Tribe to the Best Gluten Free & Vegan Protein Bars and Gluten Free Vegan Protein Bars Nutritional Comparison. I taste test and analyse *all* the bars so you do not have to!
Tribe Protein Bars Backstory
More so than any other make of Gluten Free and Vegan Protein Bars Tribe position themselves as part of a highly active lifestyle. Their brand ambassadors are athletes. Tribe host and sponsor athletic events such as trail runs. Go look and maybe enter?
What explains all this? In the words of one of the co-founders, Rob.
“Tom, Rob and Guy started TRIBE in 2015 after a 1000 mile run across Eastern Europe. Frustrated with synthetic sports nutrition on this and other adventures they created a market-leading range of natural energy bars, protein bars, protein shakes and hydration products for endurance athletes. This year TRIBE has been listed in Marketing Weekly’s most 100 innovative companies, had over 20,000 athletes take part in its community running events, and through the TRIBE Freedom Foundation, its charity, raised over £200k to fight human trafficking”
Well okay then! I can get behind that. In the case of the 1000 mile run . . . . way, way behind it.
Tribe Protein Bars Nutrition
Tribe offer both Protein and Energy Bars. Of the Protein Bars three are declared Gluten-Free and Vegan – Choc Brownie, Choc Peanut Butter and Coffee & Walnut. Other bars in the Tribe Range either contain honey or are produced in a different facility and contain no gluten ingredients but are not declared gluten free. This review covers the gluten free and vegan protein bars.
Each 50 gram bar offers at least 10 grams protein. Compared to other brands Tribe Bars are moderate on protein and carbs and sugars.
Ingredients are kept pretty simple. Dates, nuts and seeds together with rice and pea protein. One welcome missing ingredient often seen in other bars is emulsifiers Why is this a good thing? There is some evidence that gut bacteria and common emulsifiers do not get along well. Treat your gut bacteria well and they might return the favour.
Highest Protein & Fibre and Lowest Sugars highlighted Green, Lowest Protein & Highest Sugars highlighted Red
Tribe Protein Bars Taste Test!
My number one pleasure from tasting testing Tribe bars was upon just before the eating itself. Each packet I opened released a lovely natural aroma that matched the flavour of the bar. I absolutely bet I could name each bar from the aroma alone in a blinded “smell test”. But how did they taste?
Tribe Coffee & Walnut
Oh my. Coffee itself can be an acquired taste but who does not love the aroma? And what about Coffee & Walnut cake? Oooh yeah. I l adore coffee but even I can lvoe the aroma and the flavour without the bitterness.
Well the Tribe Coffee & Walnut bars deliver the coffee aroma and flavour wonderfully! This might *the* bar to eat together with an actual coffee. The bar actually contains some extraordinarily crispy pieces of coffee bean that give variety to the soft and chewy bar.
Who else is doing a coffee flavoured bar? Almost no one! Bravo Tribe, this one is a winner!
Tribe Choc Peanut Butter
Conventional and popular flavor for a good reason. The marriage of chocolate and peanut is a good one! Although soft, chewy and fudgy the bar has the welcome feature of visible chunks of peanut sprinkled into the bar making a prettier bar with at least one ingredient you can see!
Tribe Choc Brownie
Given the popularity of Protein Bars and the proliferation of gluten-free brownies the two just had to meet. This one offers a heady, rich chocolatey aroma. Once you have savoured that and . . . . seriously, no, wait. Take a moment to enjoy the aroma! Most of what we call taste is really flavour and most of that is aroma so enjoy it!
Okay ready? Proceeding on to the actual eating. This bar is a very soft and tasty fudge like bar punctuated by crispy cacao nibs. Jolly nice.
Loving the Tribe
Have Tribe made it into any of the ‘best of categories’ within my work of love in the form of the Best Gluten Free & Vegan Protein Bars monster review? Maybe . . . go check!
I buy all the bars I taste test, no freebies, so when I say I like something I really do. All the Tribe Bars are ‘nice’ but the Coffee & Walnut is a classic. I would rate it among my top three best tasting bars easily. Three of how many? I have sampled well over sixty!
Tribe emphasise a subscription model for their bars and shakes but you can simply make a one time purchase. Tribe do a very cool thing by letting you pick which flavour bars you want included in a pack of 18. These retail at £28 when bought direct from Tribe and this appears to be the most economical way to buy them. Tribe Bars are also sold via Ocado, Planet Organic and Amazon.
Have *you* tried Tribe Bars? Love them? Adore them? Tell and share!
More of the Same?
Do you know of a Gluten Free and Vegan Bar I have not tried? The horror! Name it and I will fill in that gap in the universe stat! Ooh, caveat that they must also not contain oats. Oats and I have agreed not to see each other. I am a special type of coeliac that cannot tolerate even the ‘good guy’ gluten-free oats.
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