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You grab a protein bar between meetings, thinking it’s a smart choice. But an hour later, your stomach is bloated and gassy, and you’re wondering what went wrong. If that sounds familiar, you might be overlooking one key ingredient: sugar alcohols.

With roughly 7 in 10 Americans actively trying to eat more protein, the grocery aisle is flooded with low-sugar options. But to keep the calorie count down, many brands quietly load their recipes with artificial polyols that wreck your gut. As a registered dietitian, these are the best low-sugar protein bars that actually skip the sugar alcohols so you can hit your daily targets without the GI distress.

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