Drop 001: David Bars — The Lawsuit, the Gut Bomb, and the Protein Trade-Off

They might be low in calories, but the truth about these bars (and the legal heat behind them) is anything but sweet.

What’s the Hype?

David Bars exploded onto the scene with flashy macros: 28g protein, only 150 calories. Fitness influencers ate them up. But there’s a catch — or a few.

David Protein Bars offer a variety of flavors including Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk, Fudge Brownie, Salted Peanut Butter, Blueberry Pie, Cake Batter, Cinnamon Roll, and Red Velvet. They also have a Variety Pack, which allows you to try different flavors. 

First Up: The Taste

Let’s be honest. My husband Stone (who never sugarcoats anything) tried the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and said:

"These really aren’t good. I almost didn’t finish it. The only good part was the chocolate chips."

And that’s coming from someone who finishes everything. So there’s that. I couldn’t even try them because of one ingredient…

But What’s In Them?

Enter: maltitol. A sugar alcohol and binding agent known for wrecking digestion in a lot of people. It’s cheap, sweet, and notorious for bloating, cramps, and emergency bathroom trips.

If your gut can’t handle that, hard pass. So for me (the girl with the sensitive tummy), it’s a HARD pass.

The bars are categorized into Protein System, Binding System, Fat System, and Flavor System. 

Protein System: This includes milk protein isolate, collagen, whey protein concentrate, and egg white. It’s important to note that the first two listed will make up the majority of the protein - milk protein isolate and collagen are lower quality proteins compared to whey protein and egg white. 50/50 here.

Binding System: Maltitol, glycerin, allulose, tapioca starch, and soy lecithin are used to create the bar's structure. 

Fat System: Modified plant fat (EPG), coconut oil, and potentially other oils (like cocoa butter or palm kernel oil in some flavors) are used to provide texture and flavor without the typical caloric impact. 

Flavor System: This varies by flavor, but common ingredients include unsweetened chocolate, natural and artificial flavors, salt, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium. 

And Now the Lawsuit

Also worth noting: David Protein is currently being sued for antitrust violations. They acquired Epogee, the company behind a fat-replacement ingredient called EPG, and allegedly blocked competitors from accessing it.

Small brands filed a federal lawsuit claiming they’ve been intentionally locked out of using this key ingredient — which has created a ripple of backlash across the supplement and functional food space.

This isn’t just a label issue — it’s a bigger conversation about monopolies, gatekeeping innovation, and whether performance brands are playing fair behind the scenes.

Final Word

If you’re deep in a deficit and need high protein with the lowest calorie trade-off? Maybe it’s worth keeping around if your gut doesn’t rebel.

But for most people? There are way better bars that won’t leave you feeling wrecked or disappointed.

Pretty remarkable macros, ruthless business practices, and a flavor miss. Try it once — but don’t build your diet around it.

Say it with me….OVER RATED.