A Protein Bar Surviving Scrutiny (& Tasting As Good As It Sounds)

A clean-ingredient chocolate crisp bar that earns the endorsement

80%+ of the time it’s feasible to hit a whole foods, home cooked meal. But in that 20% of the time it’s not, I prefer something quick without the compromise.

Each time I post what falls into that convenience bucket, the esoteric health bros come at my neck with “just eat real food”. Inevitable.

What these same dudes fail to take into account is most of us have lives we adapt to. We don’t shape them around a neurotically organized eating schedule. I’m not packing a Tomahawk steak in my gym bag when I’ve got somewhere to be/not heading home after a training session.

But lucky for us, it’s 2026 and there’s no excuse for not getting clean nutrition on the go.

V1 Nulla was good. I don’t like changing things up if they’re working. So I kept going back to the well. That was until Marc at CleanForm assured me these were in a league of their own. I was a bit skeptical at first, which I’ll explain later.

Let’s jump into what the V2 Nullas are all about.

What’s actually in it

Metabolic health is a priority here. That means we wouldn’t even bother discussing a product if it didn’t meet our clean ingredient profile standard.

A lot of protein bars are now shifting towards this nutritional gymnastics to keep protein content high with as minimal calories as possible. What that usually means is being deceptive about the actual calorie content (see: recent David protein bar controversy)

What you see is what you get with the V2 just like the V1.

Ingredient breakdown:

• Almond Butter (Almonds)

• Honey

• Allulose

• Milk Protein Isolate

• Whey Protein Isolate

• Dark Chocolate (Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanilla)

• Whey Crisp (Whey Protein Concentrate, Rice Flour)

• Vegetable Glycerin

• Monk Fruit

• Imitation Vanilla Flavoring (Water, Sugar, Alcohol, Vanilla Extract, Caramel Color, Vanillin)

• Sodium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (as goBHB®)

Nutrition Facts (per 1 bar / 68g serving)

• Calories: 260

• Total Fat: 11g (14% DV)

• Saturated Fat: 2g (10% DV)

• Trans Fat: 0g

• Cholesterol: 5mg (2% DV)

• Sodium: 15mg (1% DV)

• Total Carbohydrates: 28g (10% DV)

• Dietary Fiber: 3g (11% DV)

• Total Sugars: 15g

  • Includes 12g Added Sugars (24% DV)

• Protein: 20g

• Vitamin D: 0%

• Calcium: 20%

• Iron: 4%

• Potassium: 4%

What I’m liking most about both versions is what they decided to leave out.

No seed oils. No filler ingredients. No gluten.

Look closely enough at most mainstream bars and they’re stacked with omega-6 oils as the default fat. From a margins standpoint, it makes sense – they’re cheaper & more shelf-stable. From a health of the customer perspective – not so much.

A quality off-the-shelf product in 2026 is defined less by what’s in it and more by what isn’t. CleanForm again has shown they get that.

What’s different from V1

Not just a new flavor & taste profile. A couple new ingredients set the V2 apart: honey & goBHB.

They’re not just dumping high fructose corn syrup or even cane sugar in there to sweeten the flavor profile. It’s real honey. And if it’s one thing you shouldn’t fall for here, it’s the dietary reductionism of “muh liquid sugar”. Honey is nature’s sweet medicinal elixir.

The other piece added is the goBHB — a patented, exogenous ketone supplement made from beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) salt. A nice addition for appetite suppression & the natural energy feel, but a supplement that I haven’t been totally sold on yet. Plus the ~1g isn’t close on the 8—10g+ clinically-tested dosing. Point being, I’m not buying these for the BHB.

How they actually taste

If I can sum it up quickly: cookie dough crisp.

These came in a few weeks ago…just as I was ~3 weeks into my current 10 week cut. If this is you, just buy one of those cell phone lock boxes before you get a box of these. You’ll take one down and want six more.

They’re dangerously good. I’ll put it into perspective: Lady Phys despises the typical protein bar – Quest, Pure Protein, Kirkland…the list goes on (cottage cheese is her primary source…IYKYK). Her initial reaction: “I feel like I’m eating straight cookie dough. Get these away from me before I eat the box.”

But the real standout piece of V2 is the texture. You’ll immediately be blown away by the crisp on the first bite.

Overall, the flavor profile & texture is incomparable to any bar I’ve ever tried. And I’ve tried my fair share over the last couple decades.

Yes – think back to the PowerBar days…and every bar since then. Those who know, you can practically taste the font.

How I’ve been eating them

Just like the V1 Nullas, these are best coming out of the fridge. Even better crumbled over a Creami as a topping.

Beyond that, they do exactly what a convenience food should. These are excellent for travel or a fast 20g protein bolus post-training when going home to cook isn’t in the cards.

Verdict

These are a clear add to my rotation. They hit every wicket I care about on the protein-snack front:

• Strong protein-to-calorie ratio: 20g protein at 260 calories. No goofy macro 4D chess to get there.

• Clean ingredient profile: No seed oils, no filler, no gluten.

• Texture and taste like you’ve never had in a “protein bar”: the crisp…oh man the cookie dough crisp.

• Fair price: especially for a brand-new DTC entrant in a brutally competitive category.

• Portable: this is the entire point, of course.

Where to Buy

Grab a pack of 12 for $36 with code PHYS10 at checkout.

Enjoy, friends. And I hope you guys love ‘em as much as I do.

Until next week. Stay after it.

Your friend,
Phys