Protein Bar Labels: How to Read Protein, Added Sugars, Sugar Alcohols and Fiber

Protein bars put a big protein number on the front of the wrapper, and sometimes a sugar claim next to it. The Nutrition Facts panel on the back shows more. This guide shows how to read four lines on a bar label: protein, added sugars, sugar alcohols and fiber. Our worked examples are the two bars we carry: RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt and Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. If you are new to labels, our guide on how to read a supplement label covers how panels and % Daily Values work in general.

How we wrote this: the label numbers come from the Nutrition Facts text on the RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt product page and the Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip product page, read in October 2026. The rules come from the FDA labeling regulation at 21 CFR 101.9. We describe what the labels and the rule say. We have not tested these bars, the panel on your package may differ from the brand page, and this is not diet or medical advice.

The two panels side by side

Both bars carry a Nutrition Facts panel, the format used for foods. Here are the lines this guide covers, for one bar each.

Line	RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt	Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Serving size	1 bar (52 g)	1 bar (45 g)
Calories	200	210
Total Carbohydrate	23 g, 8%	23 g, 8%
Dietary Fiber	5 g, 18%	3 g, 10%
Total Sugars	14 g	17 g
Includes Added Sugars	0 g, 0%	4 g, 8%
Sugar alcohols	No line	No line
Protein	12 g, 20%	5 g, no percent shown

The RXBAR column is from the RXBAR product page. The Larabar column is what Larabar’s site lists. The Open Food Facts entry for this Larabar, which is crowd-sourced, shows different figures for calories, fiber, sugars and added sugars, so the panel may vary by package. Check the wrapper you have. We use the brand page numbers below and make no call on which is current.

How to read the protein line

The protein line gives grams per serving, and sometimes a % Daily Value. The FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g for adults and children 4 years and older, and also for pregnant and lactating women, with 13 g for children 1 to 3 years, according to the reference table in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9).

Protein grams are declared to the nearest gram. Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7), an amount under 1 g may read “less than 1 gram”, and under 0.5 g it may read 0.

Why the percent is optional, and why it may not equal grams divided by 50

The same section says the % Daily Value for protein is optional. It must be shown if the label makes a protein claim, or if the food is meant for children under 4. When it is shown, it is not simply the grams divided by 50. It is based on the “corrected amount of protein”: the grams multiplied by a protein quality score called PDCAAS (protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score, capped at 1.00), then divided by the Daily Value, per 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii).

The RXBAR panel shows this. The RXBAR page lists 12 g of protein and 20% Daily Value. By our calculation, 12 divided by 50 would be 24%, so the 20% reflects the quality correction: 20% of 50 g is about 10 g of corrected protein. RXBAR does not publish the score it used, so we do not state one.

Larabar’s site lists 5 g of protein with no percent next to it. That is the optional case in the rule. We have not checked every claim on the Larabar package, so we make no statement about whether a percent would be required there.

The rule adds one more case. For foods for adults and children 4 and older, if the protein quality score is below 20%, the label must say “not a significant source of protein” or give the corrected percent next to the grams, per 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7). So when a percent is printed, it tells you something the grams alone do not.

The ingredient list shows where the protein comes from. RXBAR lists egg whites second, after dates, followed by cashews and almonds. Larabar lists dates, then peanuts.

How to read the sugar lines

A bar label can carry two sugar lines, and on bars made with fruit they can look very different.

Total Sugars counts all sugars in a serving, including sugars that come from fruit such as dates. There is no FDA Daily Value for total sugars, so this line has no percent.

Added Sugars counts sugars added in processing. Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iii), it appears indented under Total Sugars as “Includes X g Added Sugars”, to the nearest gram, and may read 0 g below 0.5 g. The Daily Value is 50 g for adults and children 4 and older, and 25 g for children 1 to 3. Our electrolyte drink mix label guide covers when this line may be left off and the footnote that replaces it.

Worked example: RXBAR

The RXBAR page lists 14 g of Total Sugars and “Includes 0 g Added Sugars”, 0%. The ingredients are dates, egg whites, cashews, almonds, chocolate, cocoa, natural flavors and sea salt. No sugar or sweetener is listed as an ingredient, so the 14 g counts as total sugars from the ingredients, mainly the dates, and not as added sugars. Because of the rounding rule, “0 g” means less than 0.5 g per bar.

Worked example: Larabar

Larabar’s site lists 17 g of Total Sugars and “Includes 4 g Added Sugars”, 8%. By our calculation, 4 divided by 50 is 8%, which matches. The ingredients are dates, peanuts, semisweet chocolate chips (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla extract) and sea salt, and the page headline reads “Just 4 ingredients”. The only added sugar in that list is the sugar inside the chocolate chips. The sugar from dates counts toward Total Sugars, not Added Sugars. As noted above, the added sugar figure on another listing differs, so read the line on your own wrapper.

Put simply: Total Sugars tells you how much sugar is in the bar, and Added Sugars tells you how much of it was added as sugar or sweetener. Read both lines, then read the ingredient list to see the source.

How to read sugar alcohols

Some bars are sweetened with sugar alcohols such as mannitol, xylitol or sorbitol. Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iv), the Sugar Alcohol line is voluntary. It must be shown when the label makes a claim about sugar alcohols or total sugars, or a claim about added sugars when the food contains sugar alcohols. The label may name the specific one, for example “xylitol”, instead of the general term.

Because the line is often voluntary, a missing line does not tell you on its own whether a bar contains sugar alcohols. Check the ingredient list as well. Neither of our two bars lists a sugar alcohol, on the panel or in the ingredients.

How to read the fiber line

Dietary Fiber sits under Total Carbohydrate. The FDA Daily Value is 28 g for adults and children 4 and older, and for pregnant and lactating women, with 14 g for children 1 to 3, according to the reference table in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9). Fiber grams are declared to the nearest gram. Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(i), an amount under 1 g need not be declared or may read “less than 1 gram”, and under 0.5 g it may read 0.

RXBAR lists 5 g of fiber and 18%. By our calculation, 5 divided by 28 is about 17.9%, which rounds to 18%. Larabar’s site lists 3 g and 10%. By our calculation, 3 divided by 28 is about 10.7%. The rule at 21 CFR 101.9(d)(7)(ii) allows the percent to be worked out from the actual, unrounded amount, so a printed percent will not always match the rounded grams exactly.

Allergens and the ingredient list

Bars often combine nuts, seeds, eggs, milk and soy, so read the ingredient list and the allergen statement every time. The RXBAR page says the bar contains eggs, cashews and almonds, and may contain peanuts, other tree nuts and milk. The Larabar ingredient list includes peanuts. Recipes and facilities can change, so the package in your hand is the one to go by.

A quick protein bar label checklist

1. Serving size: one bar, and how many grams? Bars differ in weight, so compare per serving and note the weight.
2. Protein: grams per bar. If a percent is shown, remember it uses the quality-corrected amount, not grams divided by 50.
3. Protein source: named in the ingredient list.
4. Total Sugars: all sugars, including those from fruit. No percent.
5. Added Sugars: grams and percent of the 50 g Daily Value.
6. Sugar alcohols: a line on the panel if declared, and the ingredient list either way.
7. Fiber: grams and percent of the 28 g Daily Value.
8. Allergens: the “contains” and “may contain” statements.
9. Front claims: do they line up with the panel?

FAQ

Why does a bar with 12 g of protein show 20% and not 24%?

The protein percent is based on the corrected amount of protein, which is the grams multiplied by a protein quality score, capped at 1.00, then divided by the 50 g Daily Value. On the RXBAR panel, 20% works out to about 10 g of corrected protein, by our calculation.

Why do some bar labels show no protein percent?

Under 21 CFR 101.9, the protein percent is optional unless the label makes a protein claim or the food is for children under 4.

How can a bar have 14 g of sugar but 0 g of added sugars?

Sugars that come from ingredients such as dates count toward Total Sugars, not Added Sugars. RXBAR lists 14 g of Total Sugars and 0 g of Added Sugars, and dates are its first ingredient.

Where does the added sugar in a fruit and nut bar come from?

Check the ingredient list. In the Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip ingredient list, the only added sugar is the sugar inside the chocolate chips.

Do all bars have to list sugar alcohols?

No. The line is voluntary unless the label makes certain sugar or sugar alcohol claims, so read the ingredient list as well.

What does “0 g” mean on a label?

For grams of sugars, added sugars, fiber and protein, 0 g can mean less than 0.5 g per serving.

Where to go next

See the product pages for RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt and Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, see both next to KIND in RXBAR vs Larabar vs KIND bar, compare protein amounts across aisles in our high protein snacks and pantry staples roundup, read the sugar lines on a drink mix in our electrolyte label guide, or go back to the basics in how to read a supplement label.

Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication, have a health condition or have a food allergy.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.