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It can be hard to eat healthy on the go. That goes double when you’re traveling abroad. Fortunately, the recent popularity of high-protein eating in Japan means you don’t have to forsake gains while enjoying your time here.
Protein bars in particular are a fast-growing market. And they’re popular enough now that you can snag them at any convenience store in the country. Here are some of my personal faves, along with their nutritional statistics. Plus, I’ll cover a few other ways you can get your protein fix as well.
It can be tough to maximize your protein in Japan if all you do is eat out.
For the most part, food here has good cost/price performance. But many restaurants keep prices low by carefully watching their ingredients. For many chains and small shops, this means including more cheap carbs at the expense of more expensive elements – like meat.
Obviously, you can control your protein better if you have a kitchen available and can cook for yourself. Extended-stay hotels, share houses, AirBnBs (shudder), and monthly mansions (if your Japanese is up to snuff) are good ways to secure kitchen access for short-term stays.
If all you have is a microwave, though, you can still eat high-protein for many meals. Chains like CHICKEN WORKS explicitly cater to the high-protein crowd. And as I wrote previously, you can usually find microwaveable fresh food at 7-11 that’ll let you make your macros.
It’s also getting easier to find protein supplement products. Japan’s seen a “protein boom” in the past few years that’s led to an explosion of new additions to store shelves.
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By all indications, the boom looks set to continue. Morinaga, one of the major manufacturers of protein bars locally, says it’s predicting its IN line of health foods and protein supplements, such as protein bars, will grow by 127% by 2030.
The best combini protein bar options
You won’t find many (if any) health or supplement stores in Japan. There’s really no equivalent to America’s GNC or Super Supplements here. Instead, you’ll find health and supplements sections squirreled away in stores like Don Quixote. You’ll also find some supplements and protein bars available in drug stores like Sun Drug and in grocery stores. (Many people also use online stores, such as iHerb and Amazon JP.)
You can also find protein bars in any combini (convenience store) you fancy. Most of these are available at any 7-11, Family Mart, or Lawson you’ll find around a major city. That makes it easy to get a quick, somewhat healthy bite on the go while still hitting your macros.
I’ve put my favorite ones below. My criteria are: (1) protein content (the higher, the better); (2) sugar (the lower, the better); and (3) taste (is it more enjoyable than eating stale cardboard?).
I’ve also noted the allergens, as some of these contain ingredients such as nuts. Warning: Other flavors not listed here in the same line may have nuts. I’ve tried to call these out where possible. When in doubt, read the packaging (use a translation app if needed).
And before anyone says anything: yes, the majority of your calories should come from whole foods. While I eat a primarily whole foods diet, I enjoy protein bars as a snack on the go, or as a semi-healthy dessert replacement.
Morinaga in Gold Protein Bar (20g protein)
A lot of the bars below come from the same product line: Morinaga’s IN protein bars. Mostly because (1) they’re everywhere, (2) there’s a great variety, and (3) they actually taste good!
My go-to (when I run out of my actual favorite – see below) is the Gold Protein Bar line. At 20 grams protein and only 13.2 grams of sugar, it’s got the best balance of any of the bars I’ve tasted. The slightly high sugar content does mean it’s higher calorie than most bars I usually eat, at 259 calories. But the cranberry-strawberry version of this bar is too tasty to pass up.
Allergens: Milk, soy for the cranberry/strawberry. Another version, the crunchy chocolate, contains nuts.
Meal in One Bar Giga Protein (一本満足バーギガプロティン)
Available in chocolate and caramel flavors, this bar packs a whopping 27 grams of protein. But it also weighs in at 320 – 330 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Health experts suggest limiting added sugar to around 36 grams a day, which means this will consume almost half of your daily allotment.
This bar is very tasty. However, it’s also very filling. If you’re starved and need an extra boost to carry you until lunch or dinner, this is your go-to.
Another downside for those with nut allergies: it contains almonds. So stick with one of the other bars if you’re allergic.
Allergens: Milk, soy, almond.
Morinaga in Protein Bar
The second in our review of the Morinaga line, the regular in Protein Bar delivers a little less protein (16 grams) – but also fewer total calories at around 210 – 215 a bar depending on flavor. It contains around 11 grams of sugar.
Allergens: Milk, soy.
Morinaga in Protein Bar Wafers
At 190 calories and only 10 grams of protein (and around 14g of sugar), this is the least power-packed of the Morinaga line. But it’s tasty! I eat these when I want something closer to a candy bar.
Allergens: Milk, wheat, soy; some flavors may contain nuts. (My favorite, the cafe ole, does not.)
Good but harder to find
Strong Bar
My absolute favorite bar here is the Strong Bar. And honestly, if this were easier to find, it’d be at the top of this list.
If you get your protein bars from Costco, this is close in nutritional profile to the Kirkland Signature protein bars. At only 230 calories, it packs 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. It only contains around 6 grams of sugar and all from natural sweeteners like grapes – no straight cane sugar.
It’s also one of the more “natural” of the bars listed here. Strong Bars only contain eight ingredients and no additives or preservatives.
The downside? First, it’s pricey. You’ll spend around 380 yen a pop – about $2.60. While that’s not out of range for protein bars in the states, it’s still high.
Also, Strong Bars are a lot harder to find than those listed above. I often find them at larger 7-11s. You can also order them in bulk off of Amazon JP and iHerb. However, they’re about 60 yen more expensive per bar when you buy them online.
Allergens: Milk, soy
The non-bar options
Protein bars can get old fast. Here are a few non-bar options you can reach for to keep things interesting.
High-protein milk
Meiji’s Savas Milk Protein line of filtered high-protein milk is my go-to for a quick jolt of protein. It comes in two versions – 15 grams and 20 grams. The calorie/protein ratio is awesome – only 127 calories in a 430ml serving! Sugar-wise, it clocks in at around 11 grams.
High-protein yogurt
If you’re a fan of Oikos greek yogurt – rejoice! It’s in Japan as well! And it’s got the same health profile as its counterparts abroad.
The most common version you’ll find of Oikos are the smaller versions with around 92 calories, 10 grams of protein, and about 11 grams of sugar. However, look hard and you may also find the larger plain yogurt, which contains a whopping 18 grams of protein, only 107 calories, and around 6 grams of sugar.
An easier alternative to find is Meiji’s Savas Milk Protein yogurt. It clocks in at a mere 80 calories with 15 grams of protein and only 5.5 grams of sugar. You can find the Savas at select combini and practically any supermarket. (I love adding this one to oatmeal.)
Nutritional jellies
Vitamin jelly packs are a popular supplement in Japan. However, most of them have little protein content. One exception comes from – you guessed it! – Morinaga, which produces a 15 gram in Protein Jelly. It contains 112 calories and around 10g of sugar.
What to read next
A Guide to High-Protein Eating at 7-11 Japan
Sources
空前のプロテインブーム！～あなたのギモン調べます～. NHK News
. 森永製菓で最も成長率が高く、市場の追い風が強い事業とは? Nikko Froggy
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