Clif Bar vs RXBAR: Which Has Added Sugar? 16 g vs 0 g

The Clif Bar Chocolate Chip (68 g) and RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt (52 g) differ most on the added-sugar line: 16 g added sugars (32% DV) versus 0 g. Protein is 10 g versus 12 g, but the sources differ, with Clif's coming from soy ingredients and RXBAR's from egg whites and nuts, so the allergen statements differ too.

Key takeaways

• Clif Bar Chocolate Chip (68 g) lists 16 g added sugars (32% DV) and 10 g protein per bar. RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt (52 g) lists 0 g added sugars and 12 g protein.
• RXBAR's 14 g total sugars come from ingredients such as dates, so total sugars and added sugars are separate lines on both labels.
• Clif's protein comes from soy ingredients, while RXBAR's comes from egg whites and nuts. Clif contains soy; RXBAR contains eggs, cashews and almonds.
• Open Food Facts text fields for RXBAR conflict with the label photo on added sugars and the ingredient list, so check the physical package.

Clif Bar vs RXBAR at a glance: which label numbers differ?

The table below uses the Nutrition Facts values for one bar of each product. Serving sizes are not the same, so compare the per-bar figures and read the serving line on your package.

Label item	Clif Bar Chocolate Chip (68 g)	RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt (52 g)
Calories	250	200
Total fat	6 g (8% DV)	8 g (10% DV)
Saturated fat	2 g	2 g (10% DV)
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	130 mg (6% DV)	190 mg (8% DV)
Total carbohydrate	43 g (16% DV)	23 g (8% DV)
Dietary fiber	5 g (19% DV)	5 g (18% DV)
Total sugars	17 g	14 g
Added sugars	16 g (32% DV)	0 g (0% DV)
Protein	10 g (19% DV)	12 g (20% DV)
Calcium	45 mg	50 mg
Iron	2 mg	1.8 mg
Potassium	258 mg	430 mg

The two bars match on saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and fiber, and they differ on calories, sodium, potassium and the sugar and protein lines. The RXBAR figures come from a label photo on Open Food Facts, which lists 12 servings per container. Clif's figures come from the nutrition panel on its Chocolate Chip product page.

Added sugar: how do 16 g and 0 g compare on the Nutrition Facts panel?

One Clif Bar Chocolate Chip (68 g) contains 16 g added sugars, which is 32% of the 50 g Daily Value for added sugars on a 2,000-calorie diet, while one RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt (52 g) lists 0 g added sugars (0% DV).

FDA defines added sugars as sugars added during processing, including syrups, honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. Naturally occurring sugars in milk, fruits and vegetables are not counted as added sugars, and the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, as described in FDA's added sugars guidance. That definition is why a bar can show a total sugar figure and a separate added-sugar figure that differ.

How much sugar in Clif Bar Chocolate Chip?

The Clif Bar Chocolate Chip lists 17 g total sugars and 16 g added sugars per 68 g bar. The added-sugar line is the figure that FDA's Daily Value applies to, so 16 g is the number to compare against the 50 g Daily Value.

The ingredient list includes organic brown rice syrup, organic tapioca syrup and organic cane syrup. FDA names syrups among the sugars it counts as added when they are added during processing.

Does RXBAR have added sugar?

The RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt label photo lists 0 g added sugars (0% DV) and 14 g total sugars per 52 g bar. The 14 g of total sugars comes from ingredients such as dates, so total and added sugars are separate lines.

The same Open Food Facts record also has typed text fields that show 5 g added sugars. Those fields conflict with the label photo, and the reason for the conflict is not disclosed. This article uses the label photo values. Brand-page nutrition data for RXBAR is not included here.

Protein: is 10 g from soy or 12 g from egg whites and nuts the bigger difference?

Clif Bar Chocolate Chip lists 10 g protein (19% DV) per 68 g bar, and RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt lists 12 g protein (20% DV) per 52 g bar. RXBAR lists 2 g more protein in a bar that is 16 g lighter, and the protein sources differ.

Is Clif Bar a protein bar?

Clif lists 10 g protein (19% DV) per 68 g bar on the Chocolate Chip label. Its product page describes the bar as 'Non-GMO and made with 10 grams of protein,' and the brand calls it an energy bar 'made to help energize you before or during activity.' Whether it fits any category depends on how you define the term, so the label's protein figure is the fact to compare.

Where does the protein come from in each bar?

Clif's protein comes from soy ingredients: soy protein isolate in the soy rice crisps, organic roasted soybeans and organic soy flour. RXBAR's protein comes from egg whites and nuts, specifically cashews and almonds. Protein quantity on a label does not describe digestibility, amino acid profile or how either protein behaves in the body, so the label alone cannot answer those questions.

Ingredients: what does the Clif Bar ingredient list include versus RXBAR?

The Clif Bar Chocolate Chip ingredient list has 14 entries, while the RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt label photo lists 8: dates, egg whites, cashews, almonds, chocolate, cocoa, natural flavors and sea salt.

The Clif list begins with organic rolled oats, organic brown rice syrup, soy rice crisps, organic roasted soybeans, organic tapioca syrup and organic cane syrup. Three syrups appear among those first six entries. The list also includes unsweetened chocolate, chicory fiber, organic soy flour, sunflower and/or soybean oil, natural flavors, salt, organic cinnamon and mixed tocopherols, which the label identifies as an antioxidant. The soy rice crisps are themselves made with soy protein isolate, rice flour and barley malt extract.

The RXBAR list is short and centers on dates, egg whites and nuts, with chocolate, cocoa, natural flavors and sea salt. It does not list a syrup in the label photo.

Allergens: what does each bar say it contains and may contain?

Clif Bar Chocolate Chip says CONTAINS SOY and MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, MILK, SESAME, AND WHEAT. RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt says CONTAINS EGGS, CASHEWS AND ALMONDS and may contain peanuts, other tree nuts and milk.

FDA lists nine major food allergens in the U.S.: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame, as described on its food allergies page. Under that list, Clif's 'contains' statement names soy, and RXBAR's names eggs and tree nuts. Read the 'may contain' statements on each package separately from the 'contains' statement.

Because the protein sources differ, a reader avoiding soy will find it in Clif's contains statement, while a reader avoiding eggs or tree nuts will find them in RXBAR's. The protein gram figure alone does not show which source a person will tolerate or prefer.

Does RXBAR have dairy?

The RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt ingredient list in the label photo does not include milk, but the label says the product may contain milk. For a milk allergy, check the 'may contain' line on the physical package before buying.

Is RXBAR gluten free?

RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt is listed as 'Gluten Free' on its Open Food Facts record, while Clif Bar Chocolate Chip's gluten status is not disclosed. Clif's label says it may contain wheat, and its product page carries no gluten-free claim.

How to read these two labels yourself: a checklist for shoppers

• Check the serving size first: 68 g for the Clif Bar Chocolate Chip and 52 g for the RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt.
• Find the 'Includes Added Sugars' line and its percent Daily Value, and read it separately from total sugars.
• Read the ingredient list in order, noting where syrups and sweeteners appear.
• Read the 'CONTAINS' statement and the 'may contain' statement separately.
• Confirm any front-of-package claim, such as 'Gluten Free', against the allergen statement on the back.
• Compare the package in hand with any online database entry, since the RXBAR typed fields do not match its label photo.

These label facts describe the products, not how any person responds to them. The evidence here cannot establish individual responses to either bar, effects on blood sugar or fullness, or outcomes for people with specific conditions or allergies beyond the label statements. Ingredient lists and allergen statements change over time, so the package in hand is the final reference for current sugar and allergen content.

For more on comparing labels, see Fairlife vs Premier Protein: Protein, Sweeteners and Ingredients and Barebells vs KIND: Which Protein Bar Has the Cleaner Label?.