Howdy y’all!

These days, the health and natural foods sections of our grocery stores are chock-full of snack and meal replacement bars claiming to be healthy.   But are they really?  I recently bought and sampled 6 popular bars: here’s a breakdown of what you should know about each bar, and a “Is It Actually Healthy?” score of 1 (totally unhealthy!) – 5 (super healthy!).

Bear in mind, my ratings are largely based on my knowledge about the dangers of consuming too much soy and/or sugar.

You can read more about the dangers of eating too much processed, unfermented soy here, here, and here.

You can read more about the dangers of eating too much sugar here and here.

Cherry Pie Larabar

1.  LARABAR (Cherry Pie Flavor):

Made from: Almost totally raw ingredients (this bar’s ingredient list reads “dates, almonds, unsweeteneed cherries”).

Pros: Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Non-GMO, very few ingredients, minimally processed.

Cons:  If you have a nut allergy, Larabars are not the bars for you! They also contain a fair amount of (fruit) sugar, so if you are suffering from candida or diabetes, also watch out.

Sugar: 23g per bar

Is It Actually Healthy Score: 4

Chocolate Chip Clif Bar

2. Clif Bar (Chocolate Chip Flavor)

Made from: the first ingredient on the list is “brown rice syrup”- sugar!  The crispy base of all Clif Bars is “ClifPro®”, which is mostly soy.

Pros: High in protein, no trans fats, 70% organic ingredients, non-GMO.

Cons: Although some flavors of Clif Bars don’t contain nuts, they are all processed in a facility that handles peanuts and tree nuts.  There may also be traces of dairy and wheat in the bars.  Not to mention that the sugar in these bars is not coming from fruit; most of it comes from straight-up rice syrup.

Sugar: 23g per bar

Is It Actually Healthy Score: 2

Vanilla Almond LUNA Bar

3. LUNA Bar (Vanilla Almond Flavor)

Made From: LUNA Bars are made by the Clif Bar company, so the 2 are essentially the same thing!  The first 2 ingredients in this bar are:  “LunaPro®” which is eerily similar to ClifPro®, and brown rice syrup!  Again, this bar is mostly soy and sugar.

Pros: Much less sugar than other bars (see below), low glycemic (won’t spike your blood sugar), 70% organic ingredients, non-GMO.

Cons:  Again, these bars are based on soy and rice syrup.  This bar contains almonds (not a con unless you are allergic). Although some flavors of LUNA Bars don’t contain nuts, they are all processed in a facility that handles peanuts and tree nuts.  There may also be traces of dairy and wheat in the bars.

Sugar: 11g per bar

Is It Actually Healthy Score: 2

Blueberry Pecan + Fiber KIND PLUS Bar

4.  KIND PLUS Bar (Blueberry Pecan + Fiber Flavor)

Made From: Whole almonds and blueberry pieces are the top 2 ingredients in this bar.  All of the KIND bars are based on whole nuts and fruit pieces.

Pros: This bar is based on whole nuts and real fruit, there’s extra fiber added, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Non-GMO, No Trans Fats, Dairy Free, Cholesterol Free, Low Sodium.

Cons:  Even though the bar is based on whole nuts and fruit, it still contains added sugars and trace amounts of soy.  Obviously, if you have nut allergies, all flavors of KIND bars will not be kind to you!

Sugars: 12g per bar

Is It Actually Healthy Score: 3

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Think Thin Bar

5. thinkThin Bar (Chocolate Covered Strawberries Flavor)

Made From: These bars are based on a “protein blend”, which is basically processed soy and whey protein isolates.  The “chocolate” coating on this particular flavor is mostly maltitol, a sugar alcohol that can be used in place of sugar so the company can claim that the bar is “sugar free.”

Pros: Gluten-Free, 15g of protein in this bar (although it’s debatable whether or not your body can actually use it).

Cons: Pretty much everything.  This bar contains no fruit, only a trace amount of nuts (almonds), and other than that, it is basically soy and fake sugar.  You can read more about the dangers of maltitol here.  Plus, this bar was the worst tasting of the bunch!

Sugars: 0g per bar

Is It Actually Healthy Score: 1

Raspberry & Chocolate RAW REVOLUTION Bar

6. RAW REVOLUTION Bar (Raspberry & Chocolate Flavor)

Made From: cashews, sunflower seeds, agave, dates, cocoa, sprouted flax seeds,  and raspberry powder are the bulk of this bar.

Pros: This bar is mostly (see below) raw, which retains more of the nutrient content of its ingredients.  No artificial ingredients, no preservatives, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Organic, Vegan, Kosher, No Refined Sugars, Non-GMO, Soy Free.

Cons:  Contains nuts (again, only a con if you are allergic!), fairly high in (fruit) sugar (a concern for diabetics or people suffering from Candida).   Also, contrary to the claim on the wrapper, this bar is not totally raw!  The cocoa has been processed.

Sugar: 18g

Is It Actually Healthy Score:  4

To sum up:  the least healthy bars are the ones based on processed soy and added sugars.  The healthiest bars are the ones that are minimally processed, contain the highest nut and fruit content, and have the most nutrients.  That said, the healthier bars also tend to be high in (mostly natural fruit) sugars, so in the end, I’d say all of them fall under the category of “dessert.” 

If you have questions about my reviews, or want me to review any other bars, I’d love for you to leave a comment below- and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Peace, love, and I-Think-I’m-Going-To-Start-Making-My-Own-Bars,

Jac