Vega Sport Protein Bar (Chocolate Coconut): 15g Protein, Labelgrade B- (74/100)
B- 74 / 100 — Strong plant-protein density (25g per 100g from a rice + pea blend) and decent fiber. Held back by 19g of sugar — and despite the whole-food framing, most of it is added (cane sugar plus three syrups), not fruit. Saturated fat from the chocolate coating and coconut is moderate.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Vega Sport Protein Bar in Chocolate Coconut delivers 15 g of plant protein per 60 g bar at 250 calories, with 4 g of fiber (USDA FDC 1908343) — about 25 g of protein per 100 g, which is excellent for a vegan bar and unusual for one. The protein comes from sprouted brown rice plus pea, a pairing that together covers all nine essential amino acids, so the “complete protein” claim holds up. The catch is sugar: 19 g per bar, and despite the organic, whole-food, athlete-focused branding, most of it is added — organic cane sugar leads the chocolate coating, and three syrups (tapioca, brown rice, agave) follow. The Labelgrade is B- (74 / 100): a near-top protein-density score (A-) pulls it up, while the sugar load (F) and a moderate saturated-fat load (C-) pull it back. This is a real high-protein bar that is also a high-sugar one — closer to a post-workout refuel than an everyday snack.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 88 / 100 | 25 g per 100 g from rice + pea — top-tier for a plant bar, and a complete amino acid profile |
| Ingredient quality | B | 78 / 100 | Recognizable whole foods (sprouted rice protein, dates, coconut, real cocoa), but a long list carrying four separate added sugars |
| Saturated fat load | C- | 58 / 100 | 4.5 g per bar (~7.5 g per 100 g) from the chocolate coating and coconut — moderate |
| Sodium load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 40 mg per bar — effectively a rounding error |
| Sugar load | F | 24 / 100 | 19 g, and despite the framing, mostly added (cane sugar + three syrups), not fruit — the grade’s main drag |
| Fiber | B | 77 / 100 | 4 g per bar — good, helped by the inulin from chicory root |
The two non-perfect grades tell the whole story. Sodium is a non-issue (40 mg is almost nothing for a packaged food), and protein is excellent. What costs this bar an A-tier overall is sugar, full stop — and the honest read is that the wrapper invites a misread. “Organic,” “sprouted,” and “plant-based” describe the sourcing, not the sugar. The chocolate coating’s first ingredient is organic cane sugar; three more syrups appear below it. Your body metabolizes all of them as sugar. The dates add some whole-food sweetness, but they don’t account for 19 g — the syrups do. So the C- saturated fat (from cocoa butter and dried coconut, both legitimately plant-derived) is the second-place problem; sugar is the first.
The vegan-athlete angle, read honestly
The “Sport” name and the WADA-banned-substance testing aren’t decoration — this bar is built for a specific job: refueling after hard training when you’re avoiding dairy and whey. On that narrow brief it’s well-designed. The 15 g of complete plant protein supports muscle repair, the 4 g of fiber and 250 calories make it substantial, and the 19 g of fast sugar plus rice and tapioca syrups are exactly the kind of quick carbohydrate that helps replenish glycogen in the post-workout window. Eaten within 30-60 minutes of an intense session, the sugar load is a feature, not a bug.
The problem is when it leaves that window. As a 3 p.m. desk snack, the same 19 g of sugar and 250 calories are a cost with no training to absorb them — you’d get the protein with a fraction of the sugar from a scoop of the very rice-or-pea protein this bar is built on, blended into water or unsweetened plant milk. The “Sport” branding is doing real work to make a candy-bar sugar load feel like fuel; it is fuel, but only if you’re actually fueling.
How it compares
| Product | Protein per bar | Sugar per bar | Fiber | Sweetener approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vega Sport Chocolate Coconut (this product) | 15 g | 19 g | 4 g | Cane sugar + 3 plant syrups |
| KIND Crunchy Peanut Butter Protein | 12 g | 8 g | 5 g | Honey + glucose syrup + sugar |
| RXBAR Chocolate Chip | 12 g | 13 g | 5 g | Dates only — no syrups, no cane sugar |
| RXBAR (USDA single bar) | 7 g | 10 g | 3 g | Dates + egg white protein |
Against its two closest shelf-mates, the trade is explicit. Vega Sport has the most protein of the group — its 15 g beats both the KIND and RXBAR Chocolate Chip bars at 12 g — but also the most sugar, at 19 g. RXBAR gets its sweetness from dates alone (no added syrups at all), and KIND runs less than half the sugar. There’s a second contrast worth naming: Vega Sport is the only fully vegan option here — KIND uses honey and nonfat milk powder, and both RXBARs use egg whites as the protein backbone. So the real positioning is narrow and defensible: if you need the most plant protein in a bar and it must be vegan, Vega Sport is the pick. If you want protein with a cleaner sugar line, RXBAR’s date-only approach wins; if you want the least sugar outright, KIND does.
Ingredients
Complete protein blend (organic sprouted whole grain brown rice protein, pea protein), dark chocolate coating (organic cane sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sunflower lecithin), organic tapioca syrup, organic brown rice syrup, organic dates, chocolate liquor, dried coconut, Vega Saviseed (sacha inchi) oil, inulin (from chicory root), cocoa powder, organic agave syrup, natural toasted coconut flavor, organic vanilla extract, sunflower lecithin.
The structure to notice: the first ingredient is the protein blend (good — many “protein” bars lead with sugar), but the second is a chocolate coating whose own first ingredient is organic cane sugar, and three more syrups (tapioca, brown rice, agave) are sprinkled through the rest. Counting the dates, that’s five sources of sugar in one bar. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 1908343.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 bar (60 g)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 bar (60 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 250 |
| Protein | 15g |
| Total Fat | 9g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 29g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4g |
| Total Sugars | 19g |
| Sodium | 40.2mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 1.08mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Vega Sport Protein Bar, Chocolate Coconut (2.14 oz (60 g) bar) · UPC 838766080154. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in the Vega Sport Chocolate Coconut bar?
15 g of protein per 60 g bar (USDA FDC 1908343) — about 25 g per 100 g. It comes from a complete plant blend of sprouted brown rice protein and pea protein, which together cover all essential amino acids. That's genuinely high for a plant-based bar and competitive with whey-based ones.
Does it have added sugar?
Yes — a lot, and this is worth being clear about. Of the 19 g of total sugar, most is added: the ingredient list includes organic cane sugar (in the chocolate coating), organic tapioca syrup, organic brown rice syrup, and organic agave syrup, plus dates. 'Organic' and 'syrup' still mean sugar. The body processes organic cane sugar and agave the same way it processes table sugar. Don't read the whole-food, vegan framing as low-sugar — at 19 g this bar carries about as much sugar as a candy bar.
Is it a meal or a snack?
At 250 calories, 15 g protein, 29 g carbs, and 19 g sugar, it's closer to a small meal or a real post-workout refuel than a light snack. The sugar and the rice/tapioca syrups give it fast carbs, which is defensible right after hard training when you want to replenish glycogen — but as a midday desk snack it's a calorie-and-sugar load you may not need.
How much saturated fat?
4.5 g per bar (~7.5 g per 100 g), which grades C-. It comes from the dark chocolate coating (cocoa butter) and the dried coconut — both plant sources, but saturated fat all the same. It's moderate, not alarming, but it's the second thing (after sugar) keeping the grade out of the A range.
Is it actually vegan and gluten-free?
Yes. The protein is entirely plant-based (brown rice and pea), and the bar is certified vegan and gluten-free, Non-GMO Project verified, and third-party tested for WADA-banned substances (it's marketed to athletes). No dairy, egg, or whey.
Does it contain artificial sweeteners?
No — there's no sucralose, aspartame, ace-K, or sugar alcohol. The sweetness is all real sugar: cane sugar, tapioca and brown rice syrups, agave, and dates. That's a cleaner sweetener profile than a sucralose-bombed bar, but it's the reason the sugar number is so high.
How does it compare to an RXBAR or KIND bar on sugar?
It has the most protein of the three (15 g vs 12 g for both RXBAR Chocolate Chip and KIND Crunchy Peanut Butter) but the most sugar too. KIND runs 8 g of sugar, RXBAR Chocolate Chip runs 13 g (all from dates, no syrups), and Vega Sport runs 19 g from cane sugar plus three syrups. So you're buying 3 extra grams of protein with 6-11 extra grams of sugar.
Is it 'high in protein' under FDA rules?
Yes — 15 g per bar is 30% of the 50 g Daily Value, well above the 20% threshold for the 'high in protein' claim.