GoMacro
Maple Sea Salt MacroBar
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
An organic, vegan bar built around seed butter and a pea/brown rice protein blend, flavored simply with real maple sugar and sea salt—no sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
When to choose GoMacro Maple Sea Salt MacroBar
Quick, sweet‑salty energy before a workout or as an afternoon bridge snack when you want organic, plant-based ingredients and don’t need a 20g protein bomb.
What's in the GoMacro bar?
GoMacro’s Maple Sea Salt MacroBar leans into plant power: its protein comes from an organic blend of sprouted brown rice protein and pea protein, with a little lift from pumpkin seeds.
Carbohydrates sit near the top of the category, driven by brown rice syrup and maple sugar plus plenty of crispy and puffed brown rice for that satisfying chew. Sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seeds bring mostly unsaturated fats, adding creaminess, crunch, and staying power.
The maple-and-salt personality is exactly what it sounds like—real maple sugar and sea salt—without artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Big picture: this is an organic, plant-based bar designed more for quick fuel and a satisfying bite than for maximal protein.
- Protein
- 11 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Calories
- 270
Protein
1115LOWThe 11g of protein come primarily from an organic blend of pea protein and sprouted brown rice protein, with pumpkin seeds contributing a bit more. Pea protein helps cover rice protein’s lower lysine, so together they offer a more balanced amino acid mix—even if the total protein lands on the lighter side compared with many protein bars. It’s a clean, dairy-free approach that relies on refined plant isolates rather than whole legumes or grains.
Fat
109MIDFat (10g) is mostly from sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seeds—naturally rich in unsaturated fats with only modest saturated fat and no palm or coconut oils. That means creamy texture, crunchy bits, and better satiety, though sunflower skews omega‑6, so it’s smart to balance your day with omega‑3‑rich foods. Relative to other bars, it’s a mid-to-high fat profile sourced from whole seeds, not industrial shortenings.
Carbs
3620HIGHMost of the 36g of carbs come from brown rice syrup (a refined rice-based binder) and maple sugar, with crispy and puffed brown rice adding extra starch. This mix leans toward quicker-burning energy—brown rice syrup digests fast—while the whole-grain rice crisps bring texture more than fiber. The bar’s seed fats and moderate protein help take the edge off, but overall it sits on the high-carb, quick-fuel end.
Sugar
84HIGHYou’ll see 8g of sugar, primarily from maple sugar, while brown rice syrup adds sweetness and carbs even though not all of its sugars count toward the ‘sugars’ line on the label. There are no artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols here—just traditional sugars and rice syrup. Keep in mind: ‘lower sugar’ doesn’t automatically mean slow release; rice syrup breaks down quickly during digestion.
Calories
270210HIGHAt 270 calories, the bar gets most of its energy from carbohydrates, then fats from seeds, with a smaller contribution from protein. That makes it more of a small meal or pre-activity snack than a ‘light’ nibble. If you want longer-lasting fullness, pair it with something extra protein-forward; for quick energy, it’s already built for that.
Vitamins & Minerals
Iron reaches about 10% Daily Value, likely from pumpkin seeds and the pea/rice proteins. Calcium and potassium show up in smaller amounts, and there’s no fortification—what you’re getting comes naturally from seeds and whole-grain rice.
Additives
The ingredient list is short and organic, with no emulsifiers, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners. The most refined elements are the brown rice syrup (for binding/sweetness) and the plant protein isolates (for protein), plus a touch of natural flavor for aroma. Otherwise, it’s built from familiar foods: sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seeds, and brown rice in various crunchy forms.
Ingredient List
Brown rice
Cow’s milk or cream
Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp.)
Brown rice grain
Yellow pea seeds
Dehulled whole grain rice
Sugar maple tree sap
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“GoMacro bars are my absolute favorite. All flavors are really chewy, but I especially like the oatmeal chocolate chip because the oats and chocolate chips give it just a slight texture that pairs well with the chewy. Plus it's got good protein and is all the frees (gluten, etc.) AND they taste good, not too sweet or heavy like some protein bars are.”
“I second the GoMacro bars!! Currently it is the only solid food I tolerate (primarily tube fed). They are delicious! My favorite is the PB chocolate chip but all of their flavors that I’ve tried so far are good.”
“I really love GoMacro bars. I just ordered 5 bags of Huel and 48 GoMacro bars (24 normal and 24 minis). They are dense, so I tend to nibble on them to fulfill food cravings, and they fill me up and taste great.”
Main Praise
Fans keep coming back to this flavor for the texture and restraint: it’s chewy with a little crisp, sweet without the syrupy aftershock, and it tastes like actual maple rather than a dessert perfume.
The ingredient list is straightforward and organic, and there are no sugar alcohols or whey—two things many reviewers credit for feeling better after a bar.
Serious Eats even called GoMacro a top pick for people who enjoy a chewier bite, and The Washington Post included the brand among the healthier options for its recognizable ingredients and balanced macros.
On Amazon, praise clusters around the clean label, the way it sits after a workout, and the fact that it doesn’t melt easily in a gym bag. Several Redditors also note these bars can be easier to tolerate than whey-heavy or sugar‑alcohol‑sweetened options.
Put simply: it’s a gentle, maple‑salt treat that doubles as dependable fuel.
Main Criticism
Not everyone loves the chew; some find it dense, sticky on the teeth, or a little taffy‑like. If your goal is a high-protein meal replacement, 11g won’t scratch that itch, and the carbs skew quick—great for a run, less ideal if you’re aiming for slow, steady fullness.
A handful of buyers have reported occasional wrapper seal issues leading to dried bars, and price comes up frequently as a ding. Taste is subjective, too: while many call it pleasantly mild, some testers elsewhere found certain GoMacro flavors underwhelming or oddly flat.
And though several people with sensitive stomachs do well with these, others on IBS/SIBO/FODMAP threads reported bloating or urgent trips to the bathroom—likely more about individual tolerance to rice syrup than anything nefarious in the recipe.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right—the “best chewy bar” crowd or the “too sticky, too sweet” camp? Probably both.
The texture you feel comes from brown rice syrup binding seeds and puffed rice; that same formula avoids sugar alcohols (a win for many guts) but delivers faster carbs that won’t work for everyone.
One Redditor in r/FODMAPS swore the brand sat well; another in r/ibs said the opposite. Both experiences can be true because tolerance varies wildly, especially with quick‑digesting syrups.
As for flavor, Maple Sea Salt is intentionally simple: real maple sugar, a hint of sea salt, and a little toasted cereal from the rice crisps. If you’re expecting a candy‑bar punch, it may read quiet; if you want a clean, not‑too‑sweet bite, this calmness is the point.
And the protein? It’s a plant‑based assist, not a PR—pair it with a yogurt, extra nuts or seeds, or a shake if you want more staying power.
What's the bottom line?
GoMacro’s Maple Sea Salt MacroBar is the rare organic, vegan bar that feels like real food first and a “protein bar” second. It leans on seed butter and pumpkin seeds for mostly unsaturated fats, a pea/rice blend for 11g of protein, and maple sugar/rice syrup for a sweet‑salty, quick‑fuel profile. It shines as a pre‑workout or between‑meeting bite, especially if you avoid whey and sugar alcohols.
It’s less ideal if you want 20+ grams of protein or ultra‑slow digesting carbs, and a subset of sensitive stomachs may prefer to start with half and see how it sits. Condensed listicle pick: Clean, organic, and subtly maple‑salty, this chewy, seed‑based bar is great quick energy with moderate protein—perfect before a workout or a mid‑afternoon slump, less perfect if you’re chasing 20g protein or strict low‑carb.