A couple months ago I set on a mission to determine
some of the best energy bars out there. For instance, when you walk into a
Harris Teeter, Food Lion or health stores like Earth Fare or Fresh Market
(stores located around me in North Carolina), there’s shelves and shelves of
bars that claim to be healthy and taste great. After breaking outside my shell
and straying away from my typical Clif bar, I quickly realized not all these
“health” bars are as tasty as they claim to be as I chewed through what tasted
to be a chocolate covered piece of chalk.
I began my mission simply by picking up a handful of bars every time I went to the grocery store. I looked for ones that claimed to be organic, full of protein, all-natural – you name it! I then became a food critic and gave my opinion of each, describing the taste and my overall opinion of it. I also listed the important information, such as the first five ingredients and nutrition stats of each of the bars. At the end, I gave each my overall grade and are listed below in no particular order. So eat up…I mean, read up!
Type: KIND
Flavor: Dark Chocolate Nuts
and Sea Salt
Ingredients: Mixed nuts,
chicory root fiber, honey, palm kernel oil, sugar
Nutrition Info: -All natural,
Non GMO, Gluten Free, No sugar alcohols, Low glycemic, low sodium, No trans
Fat. Calories 200, Calories from fat 140, *Total fat 15 g*, Saturated fat 3.5g, Trans fat
0g, Cholesterol, 0mg, Sodium 125mg, Potassium 210mg, Total Carb 16g, Fiber 7g, *Sugar 5g*,
Protein 6g
Statement: “Finally a bar
with only 5g of sugar made from all natural ingredients you can see and
pronounce! KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt is the all natural way to
reduce sugar with only 5g. Its nutritionally rich, low glycemic, delicious
ingredients – with 7g of fiber and 6g of protein – keep you full longer. A
study by the Yale-Griffen Prevention Research Center indicates that eating 2
KIND bars a day helps prevent weight gain.”
Opinion: The bar has a great
taste with the variety of nuts. The chocolate is not too bitter for being dark
and you also get a hint of spice. Only flaw is the bar is extremely hard. I
think my whole office could hear me take a bite out of it. Should include a warning:
do not eat if you have sensitive or fragile teeth and don’t eat where there a
lot of people around! From a health point, I love the simplicity of the
ingredients and I know what each of them is which is huge!
Grade: A
Type: Raw Organic Revolution
Flavor: Heavenly Hazelnut
Chocolate.
Ingredients: Cashews,
Organic Sunflower Seed Kernels, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic dates, organic
cocoa
Nutrition Info: All Organic,
Gluten-Free, Peanut-Free, Kosher, Vegan
Calories 230, Calories from fat 130, Total
Fat 15g, Saturated Fat, 2.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 0mg, Potassium
0mg, Carbs, 22g, Fiber 4g, Sugar 12g, Protein 7g
Statement: “As a registered
nurse and natural foods chef, I’ve developed a passion for Raw foods. Imagine
an alternative to high-sugar processed snacks that taste simply amazing and
fusion of live, raw and organic ingredients. Imagine a clean snack with a
higher nutrient content that brings us closer to healing ourselves and the
global ecology.” – Alice Benedetto, Founder
Opinion: Very moist bar,
plus the chocolate taste was spot on, but didn’t taste much of the hazelnut. Ingredients
are very simple, which I love. It also tasted a lot like another chocolate bar
called Green SuperFood.
Grade: A
Type: Green SuperFood
Flavor: Chocolate
Ingredients: organic dates,
organic agave nectar, amazing grass green superfood (grass, spinach, broccoli),
organic cashew, organic almond butter
Nutrition Info: Cold
processed, alkaline, gluten free, fair trade and vegan
Calories 230, Calories from fat 80, Fat 9g, Saturated fat, 2.5g, Trans
fat 0, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25mg, Potassium 330mg, Carb 37g, Fiber 4g, Sugar 27g, Protein 5g
Statement: “Amazing Grass
Whole food energy bar is a premium blend of nature’s most nourishing and
delicious superfoods. We’ve taken our alkalizing Green Superfood, with
antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables and combined them in a bar that will
satisfy your hunger and deliver nutrients to your body the way Mother Nature
intended…unprocessed, organic and delicious.
Opinion: This bar has a very
moist chocolate taste, a lot like the Organic Revolution bar. One huge flaw
that could be a turn-off to many is the inside of the bar looks like mold but
it’s actually just organic wheat grass, organic barley grass and alfalfa, but
the only reason I had to give it a minus as opposed to an A. If you can get
past the whole bar being made out of grass and it looking like mold I highly
recommend. The simplicity of the ingredients plus the taste is spot on.
Grade: A-
Type: Pure Organic
Flavor: Chocolate Brownie
Ingredients: Organic dates,
organic agave nectar, organic rice protein concentrate, Organic Cashew Butter
(Organic Cashews, Organic Sunflower Oil), Organic Almonds, Organic Walnuts,
Organic Cocoa – All the ingredients
Nutrition Info: Gluten-Free,
Organic, and Vegan
Calories 190, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 7g, Sat Fat 1g, Trans Fat
0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 5mg, Potassium 250mg, Total Carb 27g, Fiber 4g,
Sugars 16g, Protein 6.
Statement: “Dark organic
cocoa and walnuts with omega-3s and antioxidants. But we know, we had you at
brownie.”
Opinion: Actually taste a
lot like a brownie. Not chalky. Ingredients are very simple. Just right!
Grade: A
Type: All Natural Greek
Yogurt Bar
Flavor: Apple and Honey +
Honey roasted granola
Ingredients: Honey roasted granola
(oats, honey, canola oil), Greek yogurt coating (sugar, non hydrated
palm
kernel, palm and shea oils; Greek yogurt, skimmed milk powder, soy lecithin,
natural flavors, citric
acid),
almonds, soy crisp nuggets (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt), diced
apples, honey
Nutrition Info: Excellent
source of Fiber (5g) Good source of protein (7g) Contains Probiotics
Calories 160, Calories from fat 60,
Total Fat 6g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 50mg, Potassium 0mg, Carb 22g, Fiber 5g, Sugar 12g,
Protein 7
Statement: N/A
Opinion: The yogurt is a good
touch. Really light and fresh, which makes for a great taste. As for the
ingredients, they are not bad by any means but much more complicated than some
of the other ones. It contains some soy, so if you are trying to avoid that
then this bar may not be for you.
Grade: A
Type: Clif Bar
Flavor: White Chocolate Macadamia
Nut
Ingredients: Organic brown
rice syrup, CliffPro (soy protein isolate, rice flour, barley malt extract),
Organic roasted soybeans, organic soy flour, organic rolled oats
Nutrition Info: Calories 250, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 7,
Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 240mg, Potassium 160mg,
Total Carb 41g, Fiber 4g, Insoluble
Fiber 2g, Sugar 21g, Other Carb. 16g,
Protein 9g
Statement: Clif Bar’s
journey resembles alpine climbing. We try to travel light and are committed to
keeping our company, products, people, community, and the earth healthy.”
Opinion: If you like oats,
you’ll love this. Super moist oats and even though I’m not a huge macadamia nut
fan this is probably one of my favorite flavors out of their line – although I
haven’t found a bad Clif Bar flavor yet. Still love the taste and was my go-to
bar for some time now but after looking at the ingredients compared to some of
the other bars I’m starting to re-evaluate, therefore I had to give this
delicious bar of oats a minus. Also, similar to the Greek Yogurt bar, this one
contains lots of soy, so avoid if you are watching your soy intake.
Grade: A-
Type: Kashi Go Lean Crisp
Flavor: Chocolate Peanut
Ingredients: Brown rice
syrup, Soy protein isolate, evaporated cane juice crystals, fructose, oat fiber
Nutrition Info: Calories
180, Calories from fat 45, Total fat 5g, Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsat fat 2g, Monounsat fat .5g,
Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 250mg, Potassium 0mg,
Carb 30g, Fiber 6g, Soluble fiber 1g, Insoluble fiber 5g, Sugar 13g, Protein 9g
Statement: Kashi Go Lean
bars are designed with a combination of protein and fiber to help you stay
satisfied. Protein helps give you a lasting feeling of satisfaction and is
essential for muscle development. Fiber helps you feel full longer, keeps your
digestive system running smoothly and helps balance blood sugar.
Opinion: Great peanut butter
and chocolate mix and kind of reminds me of a rice cripsie treat but only
better! Highly recommend. Loved every bite and it’s a big size which makes you
feel like you’re eating more then you actually are. Would be at the top of my
list if wasn’t for the ingredients, partly because their sixth ingredient is
their Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame blend, which should be in their top
two of ingredients. Instead the top ingredients include soy, evaporated sugar
and more sugar.
Grade: A-
Type: Luna
Flavor: Nutz Over Chocolate
Ingredients: LunaPro (Soy
rice crisp, organic rice flour), organic toasted oats, organic soy flour,
organic flaxmeal, organic brown rice syrup
Nutrition Info: Calories
180, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 6g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g,
Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 190mg, Potassium 150mg, Carb 25g, Fiber 4g, Insoluble
fiber 1g, Sugar 10g, Other Carb 11g,
Protein 9g
Statement: “The delightfully
delicious, 70% organic snack that multitasks! With the Core 4, vitamins and
minerals essential to women’s health – calcium, iron, folic acid and vitamin D
– plus 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber Luna does it all, beautifully.
Feel the power of positive snacking.
Opinion: Similar to the
Kashi, the lightness of the oats reminds me of a rice crispie treat. Great
women’s bar, due to its low caloric intake but many studies show where soy can
be bad for older women and it’s listed in two of their top five ingredients.
Would recommend for a snack but not for older women looking to avoid soy
intake.
Grade: A
Type: Life Choice
Flavor: Peanut Butter
Extreme
Ingredients: Protein blend
(soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, whey
protein hydrolysate, calcium caseinate, milk protein isolate), coating (sugar,
palm kernel oil, partially defatted peanut flour, nonfat dry milk solids,
peanut oil, salt and soy lecithin), glycerin, hydrated collagen, water
Nutrition Info: Calories
210, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsaturated fat 1g, Monounsatured fat
2.5g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium
125mg, Potassium 55mg, Carb 14g, Fiber 1g,
Sugar 7, Protein 21g
Statement: 21g Protein.
Supports muscle recovery. 18 vitamins and minerals.
Opinion: Great rich peanut
taste. Looks and taste like a peanut butter candy bar. If you workout a lot and
are looking for a more protein rich food to build muscle and keep your energy
up this is a great choice. Their protein blend has a wonderful mix of whey
protein, and even though their top five ingredients are a little detailed for
my liking, they’re good overall.
Grade: A
Type: Power Crunch
Flavor: French vanilla creme
Ingredients: Proto Whey
protein blend (Proto whey, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), palm
oil, enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin reduced iron,
thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, palm kernel oil
Nutrition Info: Calories
205, Calories from fat 105, Total fat 12g, Saturated
fat 5g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 80mg, Potassium 115mg, Carb 10g, *Fiber 1g*,
Sugar 5g, Protein 14g
Statement: N/A
Opinion: Nice creamy vanilla
taste. Almost spot on to a vanilla wafer, except 4 times bigger and better! The
ingredients are good for the most part, great mix of whey and a nice healthy
flour mixture, however, the nutrition info is hit and miss. It has the highest
saturated fat out of all the bars on this list and tied for lowest fiber, but
in contrast has the lowest amount of carbs and sugar. The inconsistency in nutritional
stats is why it received a minus.
Grade: A-
Type: Balance Bar
Flavor: Cookie Dough
Ingredients: Protein Blend
(soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, partially hydrolyzed milk protein
isolate, casen, calcium caseniate), fructose, glucose syrup, cookies (wheat
flour, sugar, canola oil, cocoa, salt, sodium bicarbonate), sugar
Nutrition Info: Calories
210, Calories from fat 60, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 200 mg,
Potassium 120mg, Total Carb 22g, *Fiber 1g*,
Sugar 17g, Protein 15g
Statement: Nutrition bar for
lasting energy. 15g protein, 23 vitamins and minerals, glycemic index (24),
excellent source of antioxidants (Vit A, C & E)
Opinion: Delicious, moist
chocolate bar. Tasted like a straight up cookie dough candy bar. Highly
recommend taste wise. Ingredients wise I’ve seen better as they have sugar,
followed by sugar and more sugar. But ironically the bar doesn’t have the
highest level of sugar content as some of the other bars, but it is still
relatively high. The other stats though are very level so it still earns an A
in my book.
Grade: A
Type: Classic Zone Perfect
Flavor: Chocolate Caramel
Cluster
Ingredients: Carmel (corn
syrup, nonfat milk, fractionated palm kernel oil, glycerine, milk protein
concentrate, cream, natural flavor, salt soy lecithin, disodium phosphate ),
Soy protein nuggets (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt), Milk chocolate
flavored coating (Sugar, palm kernel oil, nonfat dry milk solids, cocoa powder,
soy lechithin, salt, natural flavor), Corn syrup, Gum arabic
Nutrition Info: Calories
200, Calories from fat 50, Total Fat 6g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 290mg, Potassium 100mg, Carb 25g, Fiber 3g,
Sugar 16g, Protein 14g
Statement: N/A
Opinion: Had a nice crunchy
texture from the cluster. The chocolate also had a good taste. Not too chalky
if at all. Almost like the healthy brother of a snickers bar. It would have
received an A- when it comes to taste but I’m not a fan of the ingredients. Has
the highest amount of sodium out of all the bars in this analysis and is one of
the handful that I taste tested with cholesterol.
Grade: B
Type: No Gii
Flavor: Peanut Butter and Chocolate
Ingredients: Soy protein
crisps (non-GMO soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, salt), organic tapioca
syrup, unsalted peanut butter, milk chocolate flavored coating (sugar, palm
kernel oil, nonfat dry milk solids, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, salt, natural
flavor ), Milk protein isolate
Nutrition Info: Calories
230, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 2.5g, Trans fat 0g,
Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 230mg, Potassium 0mg,
Carb 20g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 10g, Protein 20g
Statement: “No Gluten, High
Protein bar, all natural, 20g protein, gluten-free solutions for healthy
families!
Opinion: Great taste with
the chocolate layer on bottom. Is also another bar that reminds me of a rice
crispie treat with the lightness and may be my favorite of the three that taste
like crispie treats. The ingredients are are good overall but another you’ll
have to avoid if you are watching your soy intake as it’s the first ingredient.
Grade: A
Type: Oh Yeah!
Flavor: Chocolate Caramel
Candies
Ingredients: Protein Blend
(oh yeah blend consisting of whey protein isolates, soy protein isolate, milk
protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed
gelatin), chocolate coating (maltitol, palm kernel oil, whey protein concentrate,
sugar, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, vanillin), Carmel, Peanuts, Milk chocolate
candy pieces
Nutrition Info: Calories
180, Calories from fat 80, Total fat 9g, Saturated fat 4g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 65mg, Potassium
70mg, Car 19g, *Fiber 1g*, Sugar 8g, Sugar Alcohol 7g, Protein 14g
Statement: 14g Protein – Sustained Energy – Naturally &
Artificially flavored
Opinion: When I stated that
some previous bars tasted like a candy bar, this one beat them all out of the
water! The chocolate, caramel, and m&ms are a heavenly taste at anytime of
the day. Only flaw, slightly messy, I got chocolate all over my hands, but that’s
definitely fixable. This bar would make a great afternoon or evening snack for
anyone with a sweet tooth. The ingredients are more detailed then some but good
overall, actually surprised it doesn’t have more sugar (is relatively low
compared to some of the others) considering there’s chocolate, caramel and
m&m’s in it.
Grade: A
Type: Supreme Protein
Flavor: Cookies and Cream
Ingredients: Chocolate
coating (whey protein concentrate, palm kernel oil, maltitol, cocoa powder,
sugar, soy lecithin, vanillin), Supreme Protein Blend (Whey, protein isolate,
whey concentrate, milk protein isolate), Vanilla Cream (high fructose corn
syrup, corn syrup, milk protein isolate, fractionated palm oil, soy lecithin,
natural flavors), Maltitol syrup, Glycerine
Nutrition Info: Calories
180, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 4.5g, Trans fat 0g,
Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 70mg, Potassium 55mg, Carb 15g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 4g,
Protein 15g
Statement: Carb Conscious
Opinion: Not a bad taste, it
has a nice chocolate coating but the texture is very hard. As for the
nutritional stats, it also contains cholesterol and still has a lot of carb
percentage for being “carb conscious.” The ingredients are also not ideal, as
it’s full of sugar and corn syrup, aka more sugar. Overall, not a bad choice in
a bar if you are active and looking for protein/ whey rich bar choices.
Grade: B
Type: thinkThin
Flavor: Brownie Crunch
Ingredients: Protein blend
(Whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, soy protein isolate, casein),
Glycerin, Maltitol, Coating (Maltitol, Cocoa butter, chocolate, sodium
caseinate, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural flavors, salt), Alkalized cocoa
Nutrition Info: Calories
230, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Sat fat 3g, Trans fat0g,
cholesterol5mg, Sodium 170mg, Total carb 24g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 0g, Sugar Alcohol
12g, other carb 9g, Protein 20g
Statement: “Deliciously
natural nutrition. High Protein, 0g sugar, 20g protein, gluten free.”
Opinion: Very moist brownie
taste, would definitely fix any chocolate craving. Not fan of the complicated
ingredients, although they are not bad ingredients by any means.
Grade: A
Type: Perfectly Simple (by
Zone Perfect)
Flavor: Peanut Crunch
Ingredients: Peanut Butter
(Peanuts) Invert Evaporated Cane syrup, soy protein isolate, Date Paste, Rolled
oats and coconut (all the ingredients)
Nutrition Info: Calories
190, Calories from fat 70, Total fat 8g, Saturated fat 2g, Trans fat 0g,
Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 100mg, Potassium 140mg, Total Carb 20g, Fiber 3g, Sugar
14g, Protein 10g
Statement: N/A
Opinion: Love the simplicity
of the ingredients. Great peanut butter taste, and even get a hint of the
coconut texture. Would highly recommend, not only because of the taste and
simple ingredients, but also because of the potassium, fiber, and no
cholesterol. Big improvement from its
brother bar – Classic Zone bar, which had the highest sodium level and a list
of complicated ingredients.
Grade: A
Type: LARA BAR
Flavor: Cashew Cookie
Ingredients: Cashews and
dates
Nutrition Info: Calories
230, calories from fat 110, Total fat 13g, Saturated fat 1.5g, Trans fat 0g, Polyunsaturated fat 2.5g, Monusaturated fat 8g, Cholesterol 0mg,
Sodium 5mg, Potassium 340mg, Total Carb 23g,
Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugar 18g, Protein 6g
Statement: “The original fruit and nut food bar.”
Opinion: Absolutely love the
simple ingredients. I would’ve given it an A+ if it had more fun flavors. Don’t
let the cookie part in the title fool you, there’s no cookie about it, but it
still had a very nice, moist taste. Love the low sodium and cholesterol, and
high potassium. Definitely recommend.
Grade: A
After completing my bar analysis mission, I realized
there can’t be one winner overall partly because everyone has their own needs
on what they are trying to gain, or lose in some cases. For instance if you are
looking for a low calorie bar my used-to-be go-to Clif Bar would not be ideal
as it ranked in as the highest on the calorie scale with 260. Out of the 18
bars that I tried, the average on the calorie scale tended to be about 200
which are ideal for a snack. However, if you are using the bar as a replacement
for a meal then the Clif Bar would be perfectly fine, plus they taste great! The
bar that came in with the lowest caloric intake was the All Natural Greek Yogurt
Bar at 160, which I highly recommend for a morning, mid-day or night snack.
Sodium is also a significant component in many people’s diet and if you fall in that category then avoid the Classic Zone bar, which had the highest sodium intake with 290mg. But don’t worry there is a great alternative with the Organic Revolution bar with 0 Sodium, and no, that’s not a typo.
While all the nutritional stats are important protein and sugar are probably the remaining two that you need to keep an eye on if your intentions are to stay fuller longer, build muscle, and/ or lose weight. On the protein side the Life Choice peanut extreme ranked in at number one with 21g making for a great choice to keep up your energy. Falling in the lowest protein category was the Green SuperFood bar with only 5g. In fact, the Green Superfood also made the negative list again with the highest amount of sugar at 27g. Although, there was a tie for the lowest amount of sugar between the Kind bar and PowerCrunch bar with just 5g of sugar.
I could go on and on when it comes to analyzing each bar but as you can see from the brief analysis I did each bar can have its own benefits depending on your need and desired outcome, and of course preference in taste! With that said I won’t leave you completely hanging, I’ll give you my top favorites and top non-favorites. Drum roll please….coming in on the non-favorite category is the Supreme Protein bar for its texture and ingredients, and the Classic Zone bar for its high sodium percentage, as well as its overall detailed ingredients. As for my favorites the All Natural Greek Yogurt Bar and Kashi Go Lean Crisp tied for taste and a balance in nutritional stats. However Pure Organic and LARA win for overall ingredients and the taste were darn good as well! There you have it, whether you are trying to build muscle, lose weight, or just want a healthy snack take a look at here for some helpful tips – because lets face it, I’ll try just about anything when it comes to health!
Bold=Not
common nutritional stats in all the bars
Green
= Highest in nutrition stats/ Lowest for Potassium, Fiber and Protein
Blue
= Lowest in nutrition stats/ Lowest for Potassium, Fiber and Protein
*
= tied
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