15 Healthy Granola Bars For A Perfect Pick-Me-Up Snack
Yes, something so sweet and delicious is actually a healthy option.
getty Granola bars made their way into our school lunches, our gym bags, and even our fancy sachels for a quick pick-me-up. But did we ever think about our favorite brands or ingredients we prefer?
Now is the time to take a deep dive and see which healthy granola bars are right for us. Whether it's the preference of grain or nuts, or wanting to avoid grains altogether, there's bound to be a granola bar for you.
Luckily, we've broken down 15 of the best granola bars and all their delicious flavors. Plus, they're good for you! Read on to decide which is your new favorite.
1. Luna Bars
Girl power in a bar! Luna Bar was actually founded by Clif Bar Company from their female employees. Each bar flavor and feature is meant to suit women's nutritional needs. Some of our favorite flavors include lemon zest, caramel walnut brownie, and chocolate covered coconut.
(Clif Bar, $1.79)
2. OLLY Bars
Imagine combining your vitamins, minerals... and chocolate. Yes, your sweets can actually be healthy for you, thanks to OLLY. Coming from plant-based protein, you're getting 12 grams of protein without any animal byproducts (like whey), which can upset sensitive tummies.
(Target, $7.99/4-count)
3. This [Bar] Saves Lives
Whether meal replacing or snacking inbetween meals, imagine a bar that not only satisfies you, but saves others. This Saves Lives Bar aims to end childhood malnutrition by giving a child food for each bar sold. Plus, from a nutritional standpoint this granola bar is not only gluten-free, but completely rid of genetically modified ingredients.
(This Saves Lives, $23.99/12-count)
4. MinusCal Bars
Believe it or not, there's a granola bar out there that can stop the storage of fat. Sounds almost too good to be true. The ingredient choleve, which is made from fermented tea, can actually stop the food we're eating from turning into unwanted fat in our body. Did we mention they're delicious?
(Minus Bars, $29.95/12-count)
5. RX Bars
The granola bar hitting every grocery store, blog, and gym bag — the RX Bar. What's not to love about a product that's completely transparent and direct about what they put into our bodies? The most-popular (and the one likely sold out in store) is the chocolate sea salt, so when you see it, grab it!
(RX Bars, $25.99/12-count)
6. Quest Nutrition Bars
Thanks to Quest Bar, which contain nuts, low-carb fiber and proteins, the total net carbs come in under five grams each. Have a chocolate sprinkled doughnut flavor bar or vanilla almond crunch without running the extra mile. These bars are also great options for those on Keto, since they use erythritol instead of refined sugar.
(Quest Nutirion, $24.99/12-count)
7. Kind Bars
What's nice about Kind (other than their name) is the huge variety of flavors and options to choose from, whether buying online or in store. With their addition of their healthy grains granola bar line, it's a safe bet knowing your body is getting nutirious and non-GMO grains. Some of the grains included are oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.
(Jet.com, $3.69/4-count)
8. Effi Bars
For those who love chickpeas (hummus, anyone?) and are sensitive to most grains, there may actually be a granola out there for you. EffiFoods uses chickpea’s insoluble fiber (instead of popular granola grains), nuts (for omega 3 fatty acids), and no sugar! Say goodbye to mood spikes and unwanted cravings.
(Effi Foods, prices vary)
9. Square Organics
If there was ever a way to eat a candy bar and actually be feeding your body vital nutrition, that'd be magical, right? Thanks to Square Organics, there's now a healthy chocolate and peanut butter bar, or chocolate and coconut bar. Along with taste, each bar contains healthy fats like MCT oil and 11 grams of organic protein.
(Square Organics, $29.99/12-count)
10. Simply Protein Bars
Remember the delicious oatmeal cookies from your childhood? Now, repackage them into a granola bar and pack in some protein and healthy fats, and that's Simply Protein. Best of all, the ingredients are free from GMO, gluten-free, and include 13 grams of fiber.
(Simply Protein, $5.99/4-count)
11. GeeDunk Bars
Imagine a way to contribute to sustainable protein by eating creepy crawlers. Would you do it? What if we told you that you were supporting Army wives that went into business to employ more females while adding nutirion on granola bar at a time? Pretty hard to say no. Don't worry, with flavors like PB&J, it's impossible to tell you're eating crickets.
(Get GeeDunk, prices vary)
12. LÄRA Bars
Thanks to LARA, we're able to have all the delicious flavors of a pie and other baked goods in a granola bar. Some flavors include pecan pie, blueberry muffins, and even carrot cake. These bars have about the same nutirional value as a quarter cup of fruit and serve as a great source of fiber.
(Jet.com, $16.38/16-count)
13. OWYN Bars
It's almost impossible for vegans to find themselves a healthy option when it comes to either granola or protein bars. Between the introduction of whey protein or milk in chocolate chips, there's limited options. Luckily, OWYN provided the perfect bar for those plant lovers. Each bar is completely vegan friendly and has 10 grams of plant protein and is certified gluten-free.
(OWYN, $19.95/12-count)
14. Cliff Bars
It seems fitting to mention the OG of granola bar and founding brand of LUNA, ClifBar. Some of the ingredients include organic rolled outs and (pending on the bars) organic nut butter.
(Jet.com, $11.59/12-count)
15. Health Warrior Chia Bars
When thinking of a granola bar, the first grain that comes to mind is probably not chia seeds, but they should be! Packed with rich omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds are a great source of fiber and healthy fats. Plus, the strawberry shortbread flavor is something to write home about and tastes just like dessert.
(Target, $4.99/5-count)
Elizabeth Blasi is a New Yorker. A lifestyle and travel writer, who is often seen with a suitcase in hand, jetsetting to her next location. But as a true Digital Nomad, her love of writing and romance novels means her laptop is always beside her.
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