The Internet Has a New Favorite Single-Ingredient Protein Snack and I'm Here for It

I’ve never been a big fan of protein bars. To me, they’ve always tasted chalky and unnatural. And…well, they kind of are.

When you’re eating a protein bar, you’re eating something with lots of ingredients. I’m not someone who never eats processed food (what would life be without the occasional Oreo?), but I do often feel like eating a protein bar is basically like eating a (very filling, to be fair) candy bar...except it doesn’t actually taste all that good. And listen, if you love the taste of them, feel free to disagree here. Protein bars are great for the convenience, for travel days, for stashing at your desk when you don't have time for a full meal, etc. But I've just never found one I've really enjoyed.

Enter: The Internet’s new favorite “protein bar”, which is a single-ingredient snack the girlies on TikTok are loving.

The “bar” in question is actually not a bar at all, but a hunk of parmesan cheese. Online, people are calling this out as an easy, on-to-go, high-protein snack. Only unlike a protein bar, this is delicious and not chock full of a laundry list of ingredients. 

Listen, as a cheese lover, I’m fully on board with this. I’d much rather chew on a piece of parm as opposed to any of the protein bars I’ve actually tried. Obviously, a hunk of parm isn’t nearly as portable for on-the-go snacking as a packaged bar, but it’s also...packaged food. Which is kind of the positive and the negative here, you know?

There’s definitely a time and place in which a protein bar is going to make sense (I will not be stashing a block of cheese in my car for snack emergencies, thank you very much), but if I’m home and want a filling snack? I’d much rather reach for my cheese drawer than a bar.

Registered dietician Anna Bohnengel co-signs that parm is a delicious snack option, albeit one she never considered as a protein bar replacement…but the Internet girlies get a few things right, says the expert.

“An ounce of parmesan provides about 10 grams of protein, and it’s definitely less processed than protein bars,” says Bohnengel.

“But it’s also calorie-dense and contains no fiber, so it may not be very satisfying on its own," she adds. “Pairing it with fruit or vegetables can make it a more balanced snack.”

Anyway, BRB. I’m off to make myself a snack plate of parm and berries. And sure, it’s the most convenient grab-and-go snack, but doesn’t that feel so much more luxurious and enjoyable than a protein bar?