Quest Nutrition (USA)

Who Is Quest Nutrition?

Founded: 2010 by Tom Bilyeu, Mike Osborn, and Ron Penna.
Headquarters: El Segundo, California, USA.
Parent Company: The Simply Good Foods Company (they acquired Quest in 2019).
Mission / Philosophy: Quest’s aim is to provide “athlete-worthy nutrition” — high in protein, low in junk, and with a minimal but effective ingredient list.

Key Products

Quest is probably best known for its protein bars, but their product range is broader:

Protein Bars: Their flagship product, available in a wide variety of flavors (e.g. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough).
Protein Powder: They make whey / milk-based powders.
Protein Chips & Crackers: Savoury snack options.
High-Protein Cookies & Frozen Foods: Including cookies, “thin crust” pizzas, etc.
Ready-to-Drink Protein Shakes: Recently launched — e.g., a milkshake-style protein drink with 45 g of protein per bottle.

Nutrition Profile

Some characteristic features of Quest products — especially their bars:

High Protein: Bars typically deliver ~20–21g protein per 60 g bar.
Low Sugar: They use sugar alcohols (e.g., erythritol) and other sweeteners instead of a lot of added sugar.
High Fibre / Prebiotic Fibre: Many bars contain soluble corn fiber (or similar) to boost fibre content.
Gluten-Free: Their bars are gluten-free.

Growth & Business

The brand grew very fast early on, largely helped by social media and influencer marketing.
They were bootstrapped for their first several years before taking on private investment.
In 2019, Quest was acquired by The Simply Good Foods Co. for around $1 billion.

Strengths / Why People Like Quest

Convenient Protein: Their bars are a very portable, high-protein snack — good for post-workout or for keeping hunger at bay.
Wide Variety: Lots of flavors, and not just sweet bars — there are savoury snacks, cookies, and more.
Good for Macros: For people tracking macros (protein, carbs, fat), Quest bars can fit in well, especially for low net-carb diets.
Innovative: They keep expanding their range (e.g., high-protein milkshakes) and staying relevant in the “functional snack” space.

My Verdict

Quest Nutrition is a well-established, innovative brand in the high-protein snack market. They’ve managed to combine good nutritional profiles (lots of protein, low sugar) with wide product variety and strong branding. However, like any highly processed nutrition product, they’re not a magic bullet — and they may not suit everyone, especially those sensitive to certain fibres or sweeteners.

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You can see they produce a wide range of flavours in their bars.

Stand-Out Products Available From Quest Nutrition

[1] Quest Nutrition Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Hero Protein Bar

Purchase This Product (USA Only)

Quest Nutrition also have a series of tortilla style protein chips in four flavours – chili lime, Nacho, Ranch and Taco. These are all baked foods so no frying here. They also contain 20g of protein which is mainly whey and milk protein isolates. There is only 3g of carbohydrates of which 1g is dietary fibre and there are certainly no soy ingredients, so no GMO.