Granola bars are nutritious snacks that you can have between meals. It is a good option to fulfill your hunger and prevent cravings. As a result, you can avoid overeating and lose weight. Are granola bars healthy? That is the discussion we are going to have here.
Granola bars are healthy if they are made from natural whole grain ingredients like oats, fruits, nuts, and seeds. You can get various flavors of them.
Let’s get right into the detailed information to know more about it.
Granola Bar Nutrition
Granola bars are a healthy option for your diet plan. It has ingredients like dried fruits, oats, honey, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, and coconut. The nutritional value depends on the ingredients and brand. There are many varieties you can find that include extra sugar and calories. On the other hand, you can also find some healthier options as well.
The Quaker Chewy Dipps Chocolate Chip Bars are lower in calories. It has less protein and fiber. Also, if you see the Larabar Dark Chocolate Almond Nut & Seed Bar, it contains a lot more calories, protein, and other nutritional benefits than the first one. Whereas, the first one has double the amount of sugar as the second one.
Most granola bars contain 100-300 calories, 1-7 grams of fiber, and 1-10 grams of protein per serving. Some of the other bars include B vitamins, micronutrients, magnesium, calcium, iron, and more.
Here, let’s see the nutritional elements of both Larabar Dark Chocolate Almond Nut & Seed Bar and Quaker Chewy Dipps Chocolate Chip Bars and have a comparison of them.
| Nutritional Factors | Quaker Chewy Dipps Chocolate Chip Bars | Larabar Dark Chocolate Almond Nut & Seed Bar |
| Calories | 140 | 200 |
| Carbs | 23 grams | 13 grams |
| Protein | 1 gram | 5 grams |
| Sugar | 13 grams | 7 grams |
| Fat | 5 grams | 15 grams |
| Fiber | 1 gram | 4 grams |
Benefits of Granola Bars
There are tons of benefits of granola bars. It is not only budget-friendly but also portable, nutritional, and properly portioned. It helps you to avoid overeating. It is beneficial for your health if you are into weight management.
If you follow proportioned food, you can have better fat loss than any standard diet plan. Another reason for being granola healthy is the ingredients it contains. It has some amazing healthy nutritional ingredients like oats, nuts, dried fruits, seeds, and more.
Oats are a type of fiber that can minimize the total LDL level or bad cholesterol levels. It is a great source of beta-glucan. So, you can easily reduce two risk factors of heart disease. All the ingredients are a good addition to your diet. They are beneficial for controlling blood sugar levels and securing heart health. These bars can be a good source of energy and weight loss management.
Possible Drawbacks of Granola Bars
Although granola bars are a good source to manage weight, there are some things you should be careful about. Granola bars are a healthy option. However, some are stuffed with extra calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients.
Having a higher amount of excess sugar can higher the risk of several chronic situations including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some granola bars contain artificial sweeteners and alcohol. They can fully break down in your body and cause digestive issues. You can go with some of the bars that have less amount of sugar and artificial content.
The other types of artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharin are used. These are the healthier option as it is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. Some granola bars can interrupt your blood sugar control and affect your beneficial gut bacteria.
Many granola bars are highly processed with vegetable oils, sugars, preservatives, and artificial flavors. High consumption of these bars can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. And this can lead to stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and many more like this.
How to Choose Healthy Granola Bars?
To select the right granola bar, you need to check the ingredients and other information from the label. Choose that product that is mostly made from real ingredients like nuts, fruits, seeds, and grains.
Besides, select the product that includes less than 10 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. It should contain at least 3 grams of fiber to keep you healthy. You should choose a product that has a limited ingredient list. If you want it to reduce and maintain your weight, you should take a look at the number of calories that the bar has. Choose the bar that has less than 250 calories per serving.
You can also make your customized granola bars with a few ingredients. For that, check the healthy granola bars recipe. You just need:
- 2 cups of oats
- 1 cup of packed dates
- 1/4–1/2 cup of nut butter
- 1 cup of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.)
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey (optional)
Mix all the ingredients and cook it in a pan for a minute. Stir it well and put the mixture in a baking dish. Leave it to sit in the freezer for about 20-25 minutes. Slice and serve. That is how you can make your own granola bar at home.
What Are The List of Some Kinds of Healthy Granola Bars?
Choosing the right granola bar for your body is important. It is not that easy. You should be careful about some of the things while buying. Get any granola bar that contains protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. It could be a healthy snack for you to have between meals. It can fulfill your hunger.
They are more like a candy bar than a nutritious snack. The reason is it includes sugar and highly processed ingredients. Here, we are going to share with you 12 types of healthy granola bars that are designed to fit into dietary plans.
Low-Calorie Granola Bars
Low-calorie bars are pre-portioned snacks. It is convenient at the same time. If you are someone who wants to lose weight, you can take these bars that have low-calorie intake. Choose any steer clear of artificially sweetened and highly processed granola bars.
Also, you can go with bars that are made of natural ingredients like grain, nuts, fruits, and seeds. They help you to have your daily nutrients. They are also rich in protein and fiber. So, it becomes a healthy option for you to fill your stomach for a long time.
There are some good options like Health Warrior Chia Bars, Sheffa Savory Bars, Kashi Chewy Granola Bars, and more.
Kid-Friendly Granola Bars
There are some suitable options for kids as well. These kinds of bars should be made from whole ingredients. The elements should be minimally processed. Besides, there should be little sugar added or salt if possible. When you are buying any granola bars for kids, check the label and be sure about the facts.
Talking about kid-friendly granola bars, you can have plenty of options. One of them is Nākd bars. These are made from nuts, fruits, and spices with a little bit of salt. There is no added sugar or syrup in it. These are dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan. You can find 17 different types of flavors like carrot cake, salted caramel, and more.
Another option is Phyter Plant-based Bars. These are suitable for kids because they are made from mostly whole-grain ingredients including oats, fruits, nuts, and seeds. It has little amount of sugar or salt.
It will be a healthy choice for kids. You can get 6 types of different flavors coconut, sweet potato, berries, peanut butter, and more. They are gluten-free, eggless, soy-free, and dairy-free. So, it becomes suitable for those who have allergies to these elements.
Nut or Grain-Free Granola Bars
For kids, nuts and grain-free granola bars are also amazing. It comes in handy. If your kid has food allergies or intolerances, you can have some of the good grain-free granola bars. Caveman Grain-Free Granola Bars are one of them.
These are mostly made from seeds, nuts, and dried fruits with a small amount of sugar, maple syrup, or tapioca. They come in flavors like cinnamon resin, blueberry almond, and coconut cashew. Another one is Purely Elizabeth Bars that contain coconut flakes, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds. All of them are vegan and gluten-free.
The other one is Enjoy Life Chewy Bars. These are free from the top eight allergens like wheat and nuts. If you want a halal product, this one’s for you. They are non-GMO and come in seven different flavors.
They are made from a blend of millet flours, rice, and buckwheat. It also contains sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried fruits, dates, and spices. They are sweetened with sugar and tapioca syrup. Go Raw Sprouted Bars are also a great option as they are made from whole ingredients like sprouted seeds, fruits, and spices.
Protein-Rich Granola Bars
Protein-rich granola bars are also good. It helps you to limit hunger between meals. This can be a great recovery snack when you have cravings. Also, it is good to have after-workouts.
There are some good options for protein-rich bars out there. Like, RXBAR, Lärabar Protein, Kashi Go Protein Bars, and more. RXBAR is a high-protein bar that contains nuts, egg whites, and spices. It is also gluten-free with around 200 calories and 12 grams of protein per bar.
Another is Lärabar Protein that is a gluten-free granola bar with nuts, fruits, and prices. It is enriched with pea protein and has no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, or flavors. It includes 210-230 calories, 11 grams of protein, 7-10 grams of cat, 24-26 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber. There are only 2 grams of added sugar included and the rest are from natural sweeteners like apples, dates, and blueberries.
There is another that is called Kashi Go Protein Bars. It comes in three flavors such as crunchy peanut and peanut butter, dark chocolate and almonds, and dark chocolate and peanut butter. All the ingredients are plant-based like nuts, oats, pea protein powder, and more. These are good as it contains 12 grams of protein in each bar.
Homemade Granola Bars
There are some homemade granola bars you can make to maintain your diet. It can be a great alternative to the ones that you buy from the stores. Homemade ones are healthy as they has less processed ingredients along with a little bit of sugar or salt.
Besides, they are easy to make as well. To do that, all you need is to arrange the ingredients first. You will need oats, chopped nuts, diced dates, butter, coconut flakes, dried fruits, chocolate chips and things you want to add to it, and honey or maple syrup.
Mix all the ingredients and spread the mixture onto a loaf pan. Bake it for around 25-30 minutes at 176℃ or 350℉. After that, leave it to cool down before you slice it. Freeze it for 20-30 minutes and you can now serve your homemade granola bar. You can customize the ingredients according to your taste. Enjoy your bar and keep healthy.
FAQs
1. Are chewy granola bars healthy?
The chewy granola bars contain a low amount of calories. But the sugar content is certainly worse. Also, the bar is small. It doesn’t have much protein and fiber. It cannot satisfy your hunger. Hence, it doesn’t work well for weight loss projects.
2. Are granola bars good for weight loss?
Yes, granola bars are healthy if they’re made from natural grains like dry fruits and nuts. It is good for providing a lot of energy to your body. But these kinds of bars cannot help you with weight loss. It can even help you to gain weight because of the ingredients.
3. How many granola bars should I eat a day?
Make sure you eat 2 granola bars per day, not more than that. Otherwise, it will be unhealthy for your body. Bars are to provide energy and prevent cravings between meals. But it should not be the meal. Make sure of that.
4. What are the best granola bars for muscle gain?
Granola bars are healthy because they can reduce hunger and provide a lot of energy. You can have it before working out. They have a lot of muscle-building protein as well. Some of the good granola bars are Kate’s Real Food Lemon Coconut Bivy Bars, Larabar Protein Apple Cobbler Bars, Carrot Cake Phyter Bars, Chocolate Coconut Primal Kitchen Protein Bars, Lemon Poppy Seed Core Bars, Fruit + Nut + Seed Patterbars, Health Warrior Apple Cinnamon Chia Bars, and lots more.
5. What are the unhealthy granola bars?
There are some of the worst granola bars that are available. Such as Clif Bar Chocolate Brownie, Nutri-Grain Bar, Strawberry, Kashi Honey Almond Flax, Quaker Chewy Dipps Peanut Butter, Fiber One Chewy Bar, Chocolate Caramel & Pretzel, Atkins Chocolate Chip Crisp Bar, and Extend Nutrition, Peanut Butter.
6. Are kind bars healthy?
Kind bars contain a high amount of healthy fat and fiber. It helps to provide a sweet flavor. These are healthy grain bars with high nutrient content. It has a little amount of added sugar. Overall, it is healthy.
Wrap Up
Now that you know about granola bars, you can get the idea and decide if you want the bars in your diet or not. Granola bars are a handy and good choice if you want to fulfill your cravings between meals.
This could be a healthy snack as well. So, are granola bars healthy? The answer is yes. Get the information and choose a good granola bar for your body.
