Protein is having a moment, and so is the conversation about where it comes from. While high-protein diets have gone mainstream, the science is increasingly clear that the source of your protein matters just as much as the amount.
Plant proteins, in particular, are earning serious attention from researchers, dietitians, and health-conscious eaters alike. Here’s what the evidence says about why plant proteins belong in your daily routine, and how 9 grams in every ILA bar makes it easier than ever to get there.
What Are Plant Proteins, and Why Do They Matter?
Plant proteins are proteins derived from whole food sources like nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Unlike animal proteins, they come packaged with fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fats that work together in the body. That package matters. Research consistently shows that the health benefits associated with plant-based eating are largely attributed to whole food plant sources rather than isolated protein extracts.
This is a meaningful distinction in a world where “plant-based” has become a marketing term applied to products that lead with synthetic ingredients and processed fillers. A whole roasted peanut delivers protein alongside niacin, healthy monounsaturated fats, and naturally occurring antioxidants. The best plant-based snack bars use a thoughtful combination of whole food sources and clean plant proteins, rather than relying on cheap fillers to hit a macro number on the label.
The American Heart Association’s most recent dietary guidance encourages emphasizing legumes, nuts, and seeds as protein sources, citing evidence that plant-forward dietary patterns are associated with favorable cardiovascular health outcomes. A landmark long-term study tracking over 200,000 adults found that people who obtained a higher proportion of their protein from plants had lower rates of cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease in that population, compared to those with lower plant-protein ratios.
How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?
Protein needs vary by age, activity level, and goals, and many active adults choose to target a higher daily protein intake than the minimum RDA. For an active adult weighing around 150 pounds, that translates to roughly 82 to 109 grams of protein daily.
Most people aren’t dramatically deficient, but many are underestimating how strategically they need to distribute that protein across the day. Research on muscle protein synthesis suggests that spreading intake across meals, rather than loading it all at dinner, may support muscle maintenance and satiety.
This is where plant-based snack bars become more than a convenience play. A bar delivering 9 grams of plant protein at mid-morning or mid-afternoon isn’t just a snack. It’s a structured protein distribution strategy in a wrapper you can throw in your bag.
Whole Food Plant Protein vs. Empty Label Claims: Read the Full Ingredient List
Walk down any grocery aisle and you’ll see vegan energy bars making bold protein claims. Flip them over and scan the ingredient list, and the story often changes. Many bars pad their protein numbers with cheap fillers, excess added sugars, or a long list of additives that have nothing to do with nutrition.
What matters isn’t just how much protein a bar has, but what else is in it. When protein comes from whole food sources, like peanut butter, hemp seeds, and date paste, it also comes with fiber, healthy fats, and micronutrients—an overall nutrient mix many people look for in a snack. Context matters. A bar built on real ingredients, where pea protein works alongside roasted peanuts and hemp seeds rather than replacing them, delivers a fundamentally different nutritional experience than one engineered to hit a protein number with minimal real food.
At ILA, the 9 grams of plant protein in every bar come from a combination of whole food ingredients and clean plant protein sources. That means you’re getting the full nutritional picture: healthy fats, naturally occurring fiber, and the micronutrients that whole plants carry. It’s balanced nutrition by design, not by sleight of hand.
Plant Proteins and the Bigger Picture of Balanced Nutrition
One of the persistent myths about plant proteins is that they’re “incomplete,” meaning they don’t contain all essential amino acids in sufficient amounts. While it’s true that most individual plant proteins have lower levels of one or more essential amino acids compared to animal proteins, this becomes largely irrelevant in the context of a varied diet. Combining different plant protein sources across the day, like nuts and seeds, legumes and whole grains, naturally fills in any amino acid gaps.
The more important story is what plant proteins bring beyond amino acids. Research published in Circulation has reported that higher legume intake is associated with lower coronary heart disease risk in observational research. Nuts and seeds show similar protective associations. These effects aren’t explained by protein alone. They reflect the full bioactive matrix of whole plant foods working together.
That matrix is what makes ILA bars a genuine plant-based snack bar rather than just a vehicle for protein numbers. The goal was never to hit a macro target. It was to build a bar where every ingredient does something: the peanut butter and roasted peanuts contribute healthy fats and protein, the hemp seeds add omega-3s and micronutrients, the pea protein closes the gap to 9 grams, and the date paste provides natural sweetness alongside potassium and trace minerals.
Why 9 Grams Is the Right Number
Nine grams of plant protein per bar is a meaningful amount. It can help you add protein between meals and may help you feel more satisfied—without being an unusually high-protein single serving.
For most active adults, a bar with 9 grams of protein alongside carbohydrates and healthy fats can be a helpful between-meal anchor—one that may help keep you feeling steady and satisfied through the afternoon slump or a long meeting stretch.
If you’re navigating a plant-forward lifestyle, training for an event, or simply trying to eat more intentionally, the protein source in your snack bar matters. Many vegan energy bars lean on protein isolates and added sugars to hit a number, but whole food plant proteins, the kind that come with fiber, fat, and phytonutrients still intact, are worth seeking out.
ILA bars are built on that standard, with whole ingredients and nothing hidden.
References
- Wang, F., Tessier, A-J., Manson, J. E., Rimm, E. B., Sun, Q., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2024). Dietary plant to animal protein ratio and risk of cardiovascular disease in three prospective cohorts. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 120(1), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqad035
- Guasch-Ferré, M., & Willett, W. C. (2021). The Mediterranean diet and health. BMC Medicine, 19, 112. Referenced via: Redefining protein quality: Integrating health outcomes and environmental impacts in the plant-animal protein debate. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11675218/
- Ros, E., & Hu, F. B. (2013). Consumption of plant seeds and cardiovascular health: Epidemiologic and clinical trial evidence. Circulation, 128(5), 553–565. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.001119
- Mariotti, F., & Gardner, C. D. (2019). Dietary protein and amino acids in vegetarian diets — A review. Nutrients, 11(11), 2661. Referenced via: Plant proteins — Assessing their nutritional quality and effects on health and physical function. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7760812/
- Doma, K. M., et al. (2025). Dietary plant-based protein supplements: Sources, processing, nutritional value, and health benefits. Foods, 14(18), 3259. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183259
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2025). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. Reviewed via Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source commentary. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/2026/01/09/dietary-guidelines-for-americans-2025-2030/
- Viguiliouk, E., et al. (2017). Effect of replacing animal protein with plant protein on glycemic control in diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Referenced via: Sustaining protein nutrition through plant-based foods. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8804093/
- American Heart Association. (2021). 2021 dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 144(23), e472–e487. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031