Snack bars are the ultimate portable fuel. Stow 'em in your gym bag, work desk, or car to squelch hunger and provide your body with the macros it needs to power up after a workout...or the 3 p.m. slump. But be picky. The market for snack bars is crazy right now, with everything from protein-packed options that taste like chalk to glorified candy bars masquerading as health bars.
Companies advertise these bars with buzzwords to make them seem healthy. Phrases like “all-natural” and “gluten-free” make them seem like a good choice, but in reality, they’re just covering up the low-quality ingredients, artificial additives, and unnecessary amounts of sugar. Being more intentional about consuming healthier soda, salad dressing, oatmeal, bread, and sports drinks add up in the end.
Use these tips to help identify a healthy snack bar:
- Keep the added sugar low.
Try to keep added sugars to a minimum per bar and look for sources of natural sugars only (dates, honey, agave, etc.) - Make sure it has some fiber and protein.
Fiber will help keep you full to hold you over to your next meal, while protein will help give your muscles the needed building blocks to grow. - Look for real foods in the ingredient list.
You should be fueling your body with real foods, like dates, oats, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, honey, and nut butter.
The 10 Healthiest Snack Bars
There are hundreds of bars on the market, but here are 10 you can feel good about grabbing whenever hunger strikes.
1. KiZE Peanut Butter Bar
KiZE Peanut Butter Bar
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The KiZE Bar may be the best bar you’ve never heard of. It has only four ingredients: peanut butter, raw honey, gluten-free rolled oats, and grass-fed whey protein isolate. It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, contains no added sugar, and has 10 grams of protein per bar. Their slogan holds true: minimum ingredients, maximum impact.
2. Blueberry Cashew Butter RX Bar
Blueberry Cashew Butter RX Bar
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You wouldn't normally start your day off with a calorie-packed, sugar-laden blueberry muffin (at least we hope not). But if you're craving a sweet treat and want something a little more nutritionally sound, grab a Blueberry Cashew Butter RX Bar. It's made with simple, healthy ingredients like oats, honey, and egg whites. Plus, they're gluten- and dairy-free.
3. Apple + Mango That's it. Fruit Bars
Apple + Mango That's it. Fruit Bars
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That's it. believes in making bars that combine simple ingredients with incredible flavors. The marketing is revealing, not deceiving. These bars contain minimal whole ingredients (in this case, just two) that give an entirely new meaning to fruit snacks.
4. Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar
Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar
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It sounds unhealthy and it tastes indulgent, but Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar is fudgy, salty-sweet, and has filling ingredients like dates, egg whites, almonds, and cashews. Unlike the Blueberry Cashew Butter bars, which are advertised as being perfect for breakfast on-the-go, Chocolate Sea Salt is the ultimate healthy dessert swap or the perfect snack for a sweet craving.
Related: The 7 Best Protein Bars According to Testers and a Registered Dietitian
5. Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
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Calling all peanut butter lovers! What if you could find a snack bar that combines your favorite sweet-and-salty treat with a good chunk of protein? The OG Peanut Butter Perfect Bar gives you the nutrition your body needs with a cookie dough texture to stop your dessert cravings in their tracks. Did we also mention they're organic, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO? These need to be kept in the fridge—a nod to the real-food ingredients.
6. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip GoMacro Bar
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip GoMacro Bar
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Regardless of how long you've spent getting your diet in check, there will still be those moments when you crave something sweet. While we don't suggest eating the whole box of brownies, snack bars like Oatmeal Chocolate Chip GoMacro Bar make curbing your sweet tooth easy. Made with all-organic ingredients like sunflower seed butter, rolled oats, and a vegan protein blend, these bars are delicious and nutritious.
7. Epic Bison Bacon Cranberry Meat Bar
Epic Bison Bacon Cranberry Meat Bar
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Love bacon? Also, love protecting your heart and consuming quality meat products? Opt for Epix Bar's line of snacks. Bison Bacon Cranberry Meat Bar is made with 100% grass-fed bison, uncured bacon, dried cranberries, lactic acid, celery powder, and sea salt.
8. Peanut Butter Cup ALOHA Protein Bar
Peanut Butter Cup ALOHA Protein Bar
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A snack bar that tastes like a peanut butter cup without all the sugar? Sold. Packed with 14 grams of protein, Peanut Butter Cup ALOHA Protein Bar is vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and low-sugar. It might just be the dessert replacement you've been searching for.
9. Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND Bar
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND Bar
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Need a snack that combines savory and sweet without a laundry list of ingredients? Try Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND bar. Thanks to the cashews, peanuts, almonds, and cherries this non-traditional bar has a crunchy texture and the perfect mix of savory, sweet, and tart.
10. LaraBar Lemon Bar
LaraBar Lemon Bar
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If you need snacks that hit your sweet tooth, LaraBar's Lemon Bar is just like the real thing...without all the sugar. There are minimal ingredients: dates, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, and lime juice concentrate.
