Snack bars are the ultimate portable fuel. Stuff them in your gym bag, at your desk, or in your car to satisfy your hunger and give your body the macronutrients it needs to power through a workout… or after a 3 p.m. slump. But be selective. The snack bar market is crazy right now, with everything from chalky protein-packed options to glorified candy disguised as health bars.
Companies promote 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 low-quality ingredients, artificial additives, and unnecessary sugar. Being more intentional about consuming healthier sodas, salad dressings, oatmeal, breads, and sports drinks is finally paying off.
Use these tips to help you identify a healthy snack bar:
- Keep added sugar low.
Try to keep the amount of added sugar in each bar to a minimum and only go for natural sugar sources (dates, honey, agave, etc.) - Make sure it has some fiber and protein in it.
Fiber helps keep you full until your next meal, while protein provides the building blocks your muscles need to grow. - Look for real foods in the ingredient list.
You must nourish your body with real foods like dates, oats, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, honey, and nut butters.
Top 10 Healthiest Snack Bars
There are hundreds of bars on the market, but we have compiled 10 of them for you that you can easily buy when you feel hungry.
1. KiZE Peanut Butter Bar
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The KiZE Bar might be the best bar you’ve never heard of. It has just four ingredients: peanut butter, raw honey, gluten-free oatmeal, and grass-fed whey protein isolate. It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, has no added sugar, and has 10 grams of protein per bar. Their motto is true: minimal ingredients, maximum effect.
2. Blueberry Cashew Butter RX Bar
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You wouldn’t normally start your day with a calorie-filled, sugar-laden blueberry muffin (at least, we hope not). But if you’re craving something sweet and want something a little more nutritious, grab a Blueberry Cashew Butter RX Bar. It’s made with simple, wholesome ingredients like oats, honey, and egg whites. It’s also gluten- and dairy-free.
3. Apple + Mango That's it. Fruit Bars
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That's it. He believes in creating bars that combine simple ingredients with incredible flavor. The marketing isn't deceptive, it's revealing. These bars contain minimal whole ingredients (in this case, just two) that give fruit snacks a whole new meaning.
4. Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar
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It sounds unhealthy and tastes good, but the Chocolate Sea Salt RX Bar is smooth, salty-sweet, and contains filling ingredients like dates, egg whites, almonds, and cashews. Unlike Blueberry Cashew Butter bars, which are said to be perfect for breakfast on the go, Chocolate Sea Salt is the perfect snack for the healthiest dessert swap or sweet tooth.
Related: The 7 best protein bars, according to testers and a registered dietitian
5. Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
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Calling all peanut butter lovers! What if you could find a snack bar that combined all your favorite sweet and salty snacks with a good helping of protein? The OG Peanut Butter Perfect Bar delivers the nutrients your body needs with a cookie dough texture that will instantly curb your sugar cravings. Oh, and did we mention they’re organic, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO? These are meant to be refrigerated—a nod to their real-food ingredients.
6. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip GoMacro Bar
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No matter how much time you spend getting your diet under control, you’ll still have moments when you crave something sweet. While we don’t recommend eating the entire box of brownies, snack bars like Oatmeal Chocolate Chip GoMacro Bars can help you satisfy your sweet tooth easily. Made with all-organic ingredients like sunflower seed butter, oatmeal, and vegan protein blend, these bars are delicious and nutritious.
7. Epic Bison Bacon Cranberry Meat Bar
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Love bacon? Also love to protect your heart and consume quality meat products? Choose Epix Bar's snack line. 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
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A snack bar that tastes like a sugar-free peanut butter cup? Sold out. Packed with 14 grams of protein, the Peanut Butter Cup ALOHA Protein Bar is vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and low-sugar. It could be the sweet alternative you're looking for.
9. Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND Bar
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Need a snack that combines salty and sweet without an ingredient list? Try the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew KIND bar. Thanks to cashews, peanuts, almonds, and cherries, this nontraditional bar has a crunchy texture and the perfect mix of salty, sweet, and sour.
10. LaraBar Lemon Bar
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If you need a snack to satisfy your sweet tooth, LaraBar's Lemon Bar is just like the real thing…without the sugar. It has the bare minimum of ingredients: dates, cashews, almonds, unsweetened coconut, and lemon juice concentrate.