Product Review: Nutrition Bars

Updated September 1, 2020

Eating on the go, whether you are on a gluten free diet or not, is a resort many of us make even when we try to eat healthy and whole foods on a daily basis.  Furthermore, if you are trying to eat every few hours, a snack bar can help when the urge to eat kicks in and when you are trying to resist processed foods, the nutrition bar seems like a healthy option.

Today, the shelves of grocery and health food stores are lined with energy bars, protein bars, nutrition bars and snack bars for your convenience.  But the nutrition bar jungle makes selecting the best one hard to do.  They all offer some kind of supplement in an easy to eat bar loaded with proteins, fiber, fruits, etc. Some nutrition bars contain too much sugars or gluten, for those watching wheat consumption, but the main point is to eat a bar full of nutrition.

Below is an analysis of nutrition bars to see how they stock up and assist you in making a powerful punch with your purchase. Nutrition bars come in a variety of flavors and with a variety of names:

• Protein bars
• Energy bars
• Meal-replacement bars
• Fruit & nut bars
• High protein cookies

However, those categorized as nutrition bars differ from snack bars (granola) or candy or chocolate bars by the following characteristics:

• Larger by Weight
• Higher protein (between 10-30 grams/bar)
• Fiber content

Within the broad category of nutrition bars, there is a huge difference in nutrition value.

• Fiber – To promote natural elimination and reduce cholesterol
• Saturated Fat – “Bad” fat, should only 1/3 of total dietary fat
• Total Fat – Whole foods such as nuts are naturally high in fat
• Sugar Alcohols – Too much sugar causes bloating, gas and laxative effect
• Added Vitamins

Here are nutrition bars by category, including a brief description of flavor and notes on each bar’s strength or weakness.  Note which bars are safe for gluten free consumption.

Energy Bars

• Clif Bar® Dark Chocolate Almond with Sea Salt. A nutritionally-rounded energy bar with added vitamins and minerals and a little fiber. High in sugar but no artificial sweeteners. Good source of magnesium and iron. Mildly sweet, chocolate flavor. Soft, slightly grainy.
• PowerBar® Performance Energy Bar – Peanut Butter. Has more carbs and sugar than the bars, but less fat. It is also gluten free. Nice peanut butter flavor, mildly sweet. Slightly grainy and sticky.

Fiber Bars

(These two pack 12-14 grams of fiber into modest sized bars. 20 grams/fiber a day is recommended for adults. While these bars will surely provide fiber, they tend to have relatively little protein and should not be considered as meal replacements.  They may also have a laxative effect.)

• Fiber One™ Chew Bars – Oats and Chocolate. Great value bar. High in fiber from chicory root. Slightly crunchy, stick sweet with bits of rolled oats.
• NuGo® Fiber Bar d’Lish® Chocolate Brownie. Sweet tasting with small bits of oats, though slightly bitter. Has 3 more grams of fiber than Fiber One, but more expensive. High in fiber from wheat, psyllium and chicory root.

High Protein Bars

• TOP PICK: Pure Protein®, 20 g Protein, Chewy Chocolate Chip. Has a high concentration of protein, is reasonably price and decent taste (chew, chocolatey and slightly crunchy). High protein from whey and milk. This bar is also gluten free.
• Pure Protein®, 20 g Protein, Chocolate Peanut Butter. Chewy and slightly dry.  Mildly sweet. Some sugar alcohols. Peanut butter with slight chocolate flavor. Chewy, mildly sweet. Also gluten free.
• RxBar®, 23 g  Protein – Mixed Berry. High in protein from egg whites and in sugar from whole berries. Little sautéed fat. All natural.  Berry flavor with nuts. Dense, sticky and chewy. Gluten free, as well.
• Vega® Plant-Based Protein Bar, 20 g Protein – Chocolate Peanut Butter. High in protein from pea and brown rice, high in sugar. May chocolate flavor. Mildly sweet. Dense dry and chewy. Gluten free.

These protein bars did not meet their nutrient claims in testing.

• Built Bar™ – Double Chocolate Mousse. Listed as having 14 grams of carbs, but 22 grams or 156.9% are reported. This protein bar is not recommended.
• Kirkland Signature™ Protein Bar – Chocolate Brownie. Only 9.4 grams of dietary fiber per serving were found in this bar, or 62.4% of sited amount. This bar is not recommended.
• One® – Birthday Cake. Multiple inconsistencies were found with this protein bar: 121.6% more total fat, 123% more saturated fat and 217.3% more cholesterol. This bar is not recommended.

Meal Replacement Bars

• TOP PICK: ProBar® Superfood Slam. High in protein from oats, rice and seeds with moderate fiber from oats and other whole ingredients, low in sugar and very low in sodium. Sweet and sticky. Can taste bits of real seeds, fruit sand nuts. Gluten free, as well.
• GNC Total Lean® Lean Bar – Salted Toffee. High in protein from soy isolate, some fiber with many added B vitamins. Sweet, toffee flavor, hard and crunchy. This bar is gluten free.

Snack Bars

• Odwalla® bar® Strawberry Pomegranate Organic Food Bar™ Original. Slightly chewy and grainy. Fruity aroma. Low in fat (so relatively low calories per gram of bar). Label suggests use as snack or meal-on-the-go‚ but little protein, so more like a snack.
• Slim-Fast Optima® Peanut Butter Crunch, Snack Bar. Chocolate covered with crispy peanut brittle-like center. Small bar. Fair amount of sugar alcohols.

Fruit and Nut Bars

• Kind® Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt. High in fats from nuts and cocoa butter, moderate amount of fiber, modest amount of protein. Whole almond and peanuts mixed with chocolate in a sweet sticky base. Slightly salty. Gluten free.
• TOP PICK. Larabar™ Cherry Pie. High in sugar from dates, cherries and moderate amount of fats from almonds. Little protein. Nice cherry flavor, sweet, chewy with bits of almonds.  Gluten free.

High Protein Cookies

• Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie® – Chocolate Chip. High in protein from wheat gluten, pea rice, Very high in sugar. Taste like a round protein “bar” full of chemicals.
• Quest® Protein Cookie – Oatmeal Raisin.  High in protein from milk and whey. High in fiber from corn, sweetened with erythritol and stevia.
• Better to stick with a protein bar!

Next time you grab a nutrition bar from the grocery check-out lane for the convenience, consider the demand for health more than simply time savings.