Guide to Snack Bars

Snack bars are ready-to-eat baked goods composed of granola, oats, chocolate, dried fruits, almonds, coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, and other ingredients.

Snack bars are distinguished by their portability and nutritional content. When looking for nutrient-dense and satisfying snacks, consumers view them as a perfect alternative to high-calorie baked goods.

Granola bars in a ceramic plate.

Available Variety of Snack Bars

1. Whole-grain cereals, nuts, and fruit

Snack bars with a greater proportion of whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit will be richer in nutrients and fiber and provide more sustained energy and improved health. Prioritize these items on your list.

2. Less healthy options

In general, bars wrapped in or topped with yoghurt or chocolate have more saturated fat, sugar, and total calories.

3. Baked biscuit/cake-style bars

Typically, heavy in fat, sugar, or both, and in total calories. Frequently, the portion size is too small to be truly gratifying.

4. Fruit bars and fruit-filled bars 

Due to their high sugar content (part of which is derived from fruit) and tendency to adhere to teeth, these snacks should not be consumed between meals. Some are also deficient in fiber making them unsatisfying.

5. Rice-based snack bars

Although they are low in calories, they contain little protein and almost no fiber, making them an unsatisfying snack.

6. High-energy bars

Some snack bars are much more than a snack for the majority of individuals. Bumper bars contain 1450kJ per bar, but One Square Meal is designed to give the energy equivalent of a meal, not a snack.

If you are looking for a healthy snack to keep you going between meals, we recommend selecting a bar that has at least 50 percent whole grains, seeds, nuts, and fruits. These will provide fiber and healthy fats, while the fruit will bring sweetness. If you desire a sweet treat, go for a low-kilojoule bar and limit yourself to occasional indulgences.

Brown vegan bars in a plate

Considerations in Choosing a Snack Bar

1. Protein

Any meal or snack that contains protein helps to keep you satisfied. Have you ever consumed an apple as a snack, only to be ravenous twenty minutes later? In theory, a delicious snack in practice, though, you lack this essential protein.

Choose bars that have at least 5 grams of protein per serving. This is not a strict number — some delicious bars have roughly 4 grams of protein – but it is a reasonable rule of thumb to follow.

You need little more than that as well. In reality, the protein in any snack bar containing between 15 and 20 grams of protein is likely derived from a protein powder or supplement. Not necessarily negative, but also not absolutely required.

2. Fiber

Like protein, fiber is vital to help keep you full. Just as an apple by itself will not keep you full, so will a small amount of peanut butter –  you need fiber. Additionally, fiber has numerous health benefits: it helps manage blood sugar, is extremely heart-healthy, and keeps you regular (you know, prevent constipation). 

In addition to protein, seek for bars with at least 5 grams of fiber. Again, this is merely a suggestion and not a strict number. Approximately 5 to 10 grams of fiber per bar is optimal. It is not recommended to consume more than 10 grams of fiber in a snack bar. Not only is it unlikely that this level of fiber is derived from actual food (it’s more likely derived from superfluous powders), but consuming more than this amount of fiber in such a little amount of food is a sure fire way to develop a severe stomach ache.

3. Added Sugar

Regarding sugar, there is no standard number. Instead, I suggest comparing the quantity of added sugar to the amount of fiber in the bar. Keep in mind that many bars contain natural sugars from dates and other fruits. This is absolutely proper! This number is not included in the total because, once again, this sugar occurs naturally in fruit. Instead, consider the extra sugar content of the bar. This will come from sources such as chocolate, honey, or sugar for a very crucial reason – to make the bar tasty. No one desires to consume a food that appears nutritionally superior but tastes awful. If a bar contains around 6 grams of fiber, it should have no more than 6 grams of added sugar.

How to Select Healthy Snack Bars

1. Find your aim

You can complete the initial stage of selecting a snack bar before to entering a store. Why are you including a snack in your diet? Are you taking dietary supplements? Looking for energy in between meals? Promoting a more nutritious diet? These concerns are essential because you must decide the appropriate remedy. Many bars are loaded with protein, which can serve as both brain fuel and muscular fuel. Others added antioxidants to boost their immune systems. And some manufacturers include fiber to aid in digestion. Once you have determined the cause for your consumption, you may determine how much of each vitamin to seek out.

Dessert bars with nuts and granola, milk bottle, apple, banana on wooden desk.

2. Protein and fat to fill the stomach

If you’re eating snack bars as a meal replacement, whether for a long trek or a long day at the office, you need to discover items with a high amount of protein and fat per bar.

Protein and fat will assist maintain energy levels for longer durations. Fat gets a terrible rap. The digestion of protein takes longer than that of carbohydrates, while fat takes the longest. When substituting a meal with a snack, fat is essential because it is the most natural appetite control. Fat keeps stomachs full, so reducing hunger pangs and mood swings.

This explains why an apple, which consists primarily of complex sugars, only keeps you full for about an hour, whereas an apple with peanut butter (protein and fat) could keep you satisfied for two to three hours. To substitute snack bars for meals, look for bars containing nuts or seeds that give natural fats as the primary ingredients.

3. Smart protein for muscles and the brain

Be cautious while consuming “power” and “performance-enhancing” bars as a meal supplement or to improve physical performance. Protein in large quantities is beneficial, but the body can only digest so much. Any bar containing more than 20 grams per bar will likely be discarded and not finished if consumed in one sitting.

If you are replacing a meal with a snack bar, 10 grams of protein is sufficient. If you’re promoting heavy lifting or feeding brains under stress, you just need 5 to 10 grams of protein each bar. More appears to be better, but not if the body cannot utilize it. Do not waste additional funds on super boosters.

4. Look for whole-foods and fiber

Last on the list, but perhaps the simplest: seek out bars that contain whole ingredients. Organic meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts. That is all the body need. In addition to providing essential nutrients, whole foods also include the 2 to 3 grams of dietary fiber required for digestive health.

Naturally, this counsel should be taken with caution. High-fiber bars may be painful. Because the body is unable to break down the woody material, it is expelled along with the rest of the waste in the digestive tract. To consume too much, however, is to invite a stomach ache and/or a swollen abdomen, which is unpleasant for everyone.

To summarize

Snack bars are more than simply convenient, tasty, and offered in a range of flavours. They also have a variety of additional advantages. You can almost never go wrong with this selection, regardless of your age, snack preferences, or desire to incorporate protein bars into your diet.

In addition to providing a burst of energy and serving as a meal replacement when you’re on the go, there are additional benefits to incorporating snack bars into your diet. You need not worry about not finding a gluten-free or vegan alternative because they are available in a range of varieties.