As a Registered Dietitian, my goal is to inspire people to live the healthiest life possible by fueling their bodies with wholesome foods and finding balance in everything throughout life. I want people to understand that eating healthy can be simple, fun, and delicious!
I totally understand that everyone gets busy and that sometimes you don’t have the time to take a break and eat something during the day. However, making sure that you are eating consistently throughout the day is crucial to make sure you have enough energy and nutrients to keep your body functioning at its highest capacity. Now I’m not saying that you need to take a one-hour break multiple times a day to eat a full-blown meal. If you work or attend classes, that’s probably not realistic. At all. However, even if you don’t have time to take a full lunch break, even taking a few 5-minute breaks every now and again to stretch your legs and grab a snack can make all the difference and make sure you’re fueling your body with the energy it needs to get you through the day.
Bear with me, because this article might get a little lengthy. To summarize, here is what this article contains:
- Snacking 101: Who should snack? What are the best snacks? What to look for in energy bars?
- A run-down on energy bars that I received samples of
- My top picks for energy bars
Snacking 101:
In the hospital, one of the most common questions I got from patients is “which snacks are healthiest for me?” or “how often should I be eating snacks?”. And here are my answers: there is no one snack that is healthier than another, and only you can decide how often you need snacks. Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all; rather, it involves individualizing the plan and finding a routine that works best with your schedule. Some people may have time in the morning to eat a big breakfast before work and may get a decent lunch break. In this case, maybe that person only needs one or two snacks throughout the day because their meals should hold them over. However, on the other hand, someone who doesn’t get a designated lunch break may benefit from eating some healthy snacks every few hours to keep them fueled and energized. Take a look at your schedule and find a plan that works for you. If possible, set aside designated times every day to take a quick break and grab something to eat, even if it means you have to eat at your desk while you’re working.
As far as the question involving which snacks are “healthiest”, I don’t have an answer to that. In my book, foods shouldn’t be labeled as “healthy/good” or “unhealthy/bad”. Instead, food should be looked at as fuel: fuel your body with nutritious options that satisfy your hunger, but every once and a while, make sure you fuel yourself with the foods you really want, but consider to be “unhealthy”. Life is all about balance, and that means eating a balance between nutritious foods and fun foods!
When my patients ask for snack suggestions, I often recommend a small container of mixed nuts, some fruit and nut butter, cheese and hummus, a hard-boiled egg, and sliced veggies, to name a few. Taking just a few minutes each night to prepare your snacks for the next day can make all the difference and will set you up to have a great day.
However, I understand that sometimes we’re too tired after work and don’t feel like preparing any food for the next day. In this case, maybe you want to reach for a pre-packaged snack, such as an energy bar, on your way out the door. Find what works best for you and roll with it.
Energy Bars 101:
I often hesitate to recommend energy bars, because there are about 100 different energy bars in the grocery store, all claiming to be “100% whole-grain”, or “packed with 30 g of protein”. If you look closely, though, you’ll realize that these bars aren’t exactly the best choice for you when it comes to getting nutrients. Many of these bars are loaded with artificial ingredients and as much sugar as some candy bars, however, there are some energy bars are actually very nutritious and make a great pre-pacakged snack.
Here’s my advice to you: when searching for an energy bar or protein bar, ALWAYS read the labels. You want to look for products made from real ingredients (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, oats, etc.) and avoid anything with crazy ingredients that you can’t pronounce.
A Review of Several Protein/Energy Bars:
As a dietitian, I’m so fortunate enough to be sent samples of many different food samples to taste for myself and share with others – I love trying different products and introducing others to these products. To be 100% honest with you, I’m not a big fan of energy bars or protein bars. During my eating disorder days, I relied on those and ate more than I’d care to share, and now they’ve scarred me for good. However, when companies are generous to send me products, I always taste them and give them an honest try so that I can accurately describe them to others (and recommend them, if I feel like they are a good product).
With that being said, here is my honest opinion on several of the bars I have received:
*Note: Links to each company are included in the title!
Primal Kitchen Nut and Seed Collagen Bars:
Flavors: Dark Chocolate Almond, Chocolate Hazelnut, Macadamia Sea Salt, Coconut Cashew
Nutrition: Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free. High in protein (15 g), low in sugar (3 g), good source of fiber (6 g)
Ingredients (Dark Chocolate Almond): Almonds, pumpkin seeds, grass-fed collagen, prebiotic fiber, honey, natural flavors, water, coconut oil, unsweetened chocolate, organic cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, Himalayan pink sea salt, monk fruit extract, tocopherols, halzelnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews.
Overall, these are all real ingredients – nothing crazy or nothing that shouldn’t be there! (If you were wondering what tocopherols are, it’s just a fancy name for vitamin E!)
Texture: Very dense and chewy – almost too chewy. There are big chunks of nuts and seeds, which I love the taste of, but the texture really hurts your teeth to bite into.
Taste: I think these bars have great taste to them – perfectly flavored and not too sweet. (If I had to pick, dark chocolate almond would be my favorite). However, it’s really hard to enjoy the taste because it’s so hard to chew and hurts your teeth.
Overall: Great flavor, great nutrition, but not great texture. As much as I want to love these, I just can’t get over how hard it is to eat them. Would I eat them again? Yes, if my teeth were feeling really strong. However, if there was another option offered, I would go with that other option.
Final Rating: Might Recommend
Hope Bars:
Flavors: Almond Coconut, Antioxidant PowerBerry, Chocolate Coconut, Dark Chocolate Cherry, Maple Cinnamon, Peanut Butter Chocolate
Nutrition: Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free. Slightly lower in protein (6 g), lower in sugars.
Ingredients (Peanut Butter Chocolate): (All are organic): Quinoa puffs, peanut butter, hemp seeds, brown rice syrup, brown rice crisps, cacao, vanilla, millet puffs, sea salt.
Now these are ingredients that I’m definitely a fan of! The quinoa, brown rice crisps, and millet puffs all provide a hefty dose of whole grains and fiber, and the remainder of the ingredients are all real, whole foods. Nothing processed or artificial here!
Texture: The best way to describe these bars is to say that they’re like a Rice Krispie treat, but ten times better. They are very light and airy, yet the addition of things like peanut butter and hemp seeds gives them a bit of a crunch and makes them very filling. Unlike regular Rice Krispie treats, which can be very thick and hard to bend, these Hope Bars are very lightweight, flexible, and don’t make your jaw hurt from chewing them.
Taste: I’m honestly having a hard time coming up with how to describe these bars, because they’re just so good! They’re very mild, yet still packed with the perfect amount of flavor, and they’re not too sweet, which I’m definitely a big fan of. Plus, the quinoa gives it a slightly nutty flavor, so when paired with the chocolate or the sweetness from the brown rice syrup, it’s the perfect flavor combination!
Overall: I am a huge fan of these bars, and they are most definitely in my top 2, if not tied for the top spot. Even my parents, who aren’t big on granola bars or energy bars, love these and ask if they can take some with them to work! Even though I absolutely love the flavor and texture of these bars, what really impresses me the most is that the owner is dedicated to serving her community and gives 10% of the proceeds made to charities such as St. Jude and Feeding America. Now how cool is that? If you take anything away from this post, it’s this: check out Hope Bars. ASAP! And if you order from their website, I have a discount that will get you 20% off your order! 🙂 Just use the code “Hope20” at checkout!
Final Rating: Highly Recommend
Wella Bars:
Flavors: Awesome Almond, Almond Blueberry, Powerful Peanut, Cranberry Crunch, Almond Sour Cherry, Peanut Cacao, Hazelnut Cacao
Nutrition: Gluten-free. Good source of protein (8 g), high in heart-healthy fats, low in sodium
Ingredients (Awesome Almond): Almonds, cashew butter, sesame seeds, honey, milk protein concentrate, dry egg whites, virgin coconut oil, vanilla.
Overall, I’m a big fan of these ingredients. No crazy sweeteners or stabilizers, and they’re made from real foods, with the exception of the milk protein concentrate. However, this is only added for a little extra boost of protein.
Texture: The only way I can describe these bars is that it’s like eating a stick of peanut butter or almond butter. AKA, it’s absolutely delicious. These protein bars have to be kept refrigerated (to help prevent oils from separating out), and this is what makes these bars stand out to me. They’re so unique in the texture (very smooth), but the flavor isn’t compromised at all. These bars are dense and chewy, not too sticky, and not crumbly at all. Definitely a 10/10 when it comes to texture.
Taste: Hands down, these bars are my absolute favorite. The flavors are totally on-point, and every single bar is amazing. Seriously! When I was eating them for the first time, I thought to myself, “okay this is my favorite flavor”.. that is, until I tried the next flavor and it became my new favorite. I think it’s safe to say they’re all my favorite; I can’t pick just one.
Overall: As far as energy bars go, these ones are my absolute favorite. They’re also my parents’ favorite bars, and they’re often not big fans of energy bars! I love the strong peanut butter (or almond butter, depending on flavor) flavor they have, and I love the texture of them. They’re definitely best when they’re chilled and fresh out of fridge, however if you have a busy day ahead and want to back them with you, then no worries! These bars can be removed from the refrigerator for up to 48 hours, making them the perfect snack bar to take with you to work or in the car for a long drive.
Final Rating: Highly Recommend
Seven Sunday Muesli Squares:
Flavors: Blueberry Lemon & Chia, Banana Toasted Pecan
Nutrition: Gluten-free, no refined sugars. Great source of whole grains, moderate amount of protein (5 g), contains heart-healthy fats.
Ingredients (Banana Toasted Pecan): Gluten-free oats, organic wildflower honey, bananas, coconut oil, sunflower seed butter, dates, toasted pecans, chia seeds, spices, pure vanilla, sea salt.
The ingredients here are absolutely phenomenal! Nothing funky, and made from only real, whole ingredients – just the way that it should be.
Texture: For being made from oats, I thought these bars would be crumbly and fall apart easily. Boy was I wrong, though, because these bars are far from crumbly! They are held together perfectly by the honey and sunflower seed butter, and they have a perfectly soft texture that is very easy to bite into. There’s also a bit of crunch from the toasted pecans and the chia seeds, which is the perfect touch, in my opinion.
Taste: So. Good. Honestly – these bars are seriously delicious. I’m often skeptical of banana-flavored foods because they usually have a fake taste to them, but not these bars! The flavors are 100% real – nothing artificial-tasting. I also love that they’re not overly sweet like some bars can be. If I had to choose a favorite from the two, I’d probably go with the lemon blueberry, but the banana pecan isn’t far behind at all!
Overall: From the bars listed here, these are hands-down in my top 3. Even though there are only two flavors, both are absolutely phenomenal. I don’t think I can come up with one negative thing to say about them! The taste is spot-on, they have a soft and chewy texture that doesn’t crumble, the ingredients are more than acceptable, and they’re very filling as a snack. If I had to come up with one bad thing to say about them, it would be this: the chia seeds can get stuck in your teeth, so make sure you have floss nearby! Other than that, I would 100% recommend these bars.
Final Rating: Highly Recommend
Rowdy Bars:
Flavors: Chocolate Coconut Cashew
Nutrition: Gluten-free, dairy-free. Filled with prebiotics (good for gut health), moderate amount of protein (8 g), higher in added sugars (9 g added)
Ingredients: (All are organic): Cashews, egg white protein, coconut, yacon syrup, tapioca syrup, chocolate, flax meal, coconut oil.
While there are definitely a lot of great ingredients in these bars (cashews, flax meal, coconut oil, coconut), there are also a lot of added sweeteners. However, both are natural, un-processed sweeteners, so that makes it slightly better. Plus, yacon syrup can actually improve your digestion because it’s loaded with gut-friendly pre-biotics (organisms that feed the good bacteria in your gut).
Texture: These bars are very soft and chewy, yet still very thick and dense at the same time (when you bend them, they still offer a little resistance). Personally, I think they nailed the texture of these bars – taking a bite into one is like sinking your teeth into a dense piece of fudge! However, if you hold them for too long, they can get a little sticky and start melting at the tips of your fingers.
Taste: If you’re not a fan of coconut, then you probably wouldn’t like these, seeing as there are very strong hints of coconut flavor. However, this is very nicely complimented by the cashews so that one flavor isn’t completely overpowering. Personally, I think these bars have a bit more sweetness to them than some of the others, but not to the point where it’s overbearing. I can easily tolerate a few bites and up to half of the bar, but if I eat more than that at one time, it’s a bit too much sweetness for my liking. Therefore, I either eat this one really slowly or just eat half and save the rest for later.
Overall: All-in-all, I really enjoy the flavor of this bar. The chunks of coconut and chocolate really add a nice texture, and I love that these bars are so thick and dense. Plus, they offer gut-health prebiotics, which definitely gets a stamp of approval from me!
Final Rating: Recommend
Shanti Bars:
Flavors: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip (Maca), Mango Cashew (Turmeric), Mexican Chocolate (Mulberry), Dark Chocolate Brownie (Cacao), Crunchy Almond (Spirulina), Chocolate Berries (Acai), Cranberry Crunch (Goji), Salted Nutty Caramel (Coconut), White Chocolate (Goldenberry)
Nutrition: Gluten-free, vegan, Kosher, raw, USDA Organic. High in protein (10-17 g per bar), great source of fiber (~5-7 g per bar).
Ingredients (Nut Butter Chocolate Chip): (All are organic): Dates, cashews, brown rice protein, almonds, protein blend (pumpkin protein and sunflower seed protein), cacao liquor, coconut syrup, cacao butter, maca, cinnamon, sea salt, nutmeg, rosemary.
Take a look at those high-quality ingredients, won’t you? These bars have protein added to them for little extra kick, but the protein comes from completely plant-based sources, which don’t cause digestive issues for most people. In addition, I love that each flavor offers a “superfood” (the items listed in parenthesis after the flavors). Each of these ingredients offer several nutritional benefits, and I’m so happy to see that Shanti Bar included them in the bars.
Texture: These bars are very soft and chewy, but not in a bad way. When you bend them, they easily bend and don’t break easily, meaning they’re not dry or crumbly. In addition, they’re not super sticky, but they still require you to sink your teeth into them and really chew them – just the texture I like. Just like the Rowdy Bars, if you leave these out in the heat or if you hold onto them for too long, they can get too sticky, but that’s usually not an issue for me, as I quickly eat them right up 🙂
Taste: When I saw things like turmeric and spirulina added to protein bars, I couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical. After all, I like these ingredients as seasonings…. but in a protein bar? Hmm. Surprisingly, they blended right in with the rest of the flavors, and these bars were pretty darn good! Some of them can be a bit on the sweeter side, but luckily they sell small bite-sized bars, which are the perfect size and provide me with enough sweetness to satisfy my cravings. Even if I eat the full-size bar, it’s still not overpoweringly sweet (only about 9 g sugar), mainly because there are so many other flavors going on. I didn’t think I would be a fan of the mango cashew bar (with turmeric), but I think that’s one of my favorites! Either that or the chocolate berries. Yum!
Overall: These bars surprised me in a very good way. I wasn’t expecting to like them, but I ended up really enjoying them. There are some unique flavor combinations going on, yet they all end up working together perfectly. Plus, the texture is absolutely incredible, making these a bar that I would definitely eat more of.
Final Rating: Highly Recommend
The GFB:
Flavors: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cranberry Toasted Almond, Oatmeal Raisin, Dark Chocolate, Coconut Cashew Crunch.
Nutrition: Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, Kosher. High in protein (12 g), higher in sugars (14 g), higher in saturated fats (we want to limit these), lower in fiber.
Ingredients (Chocolate Peanut Butter): Virginia peanuts, brown rice syrup, dates, protein blend (brown rice protein and pea protein), dark chocolate, agave nectar, crisped brown rice, golden flaxseed, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, sea salt.
Texture: Continuing on the trend, these bars are also very soft and chewy. When you bend them, they bend very easily and hold together very well. However, unlike other bars, I noticed that these ones are not as sticky (that’s a good thing!) If I had to compare it to something, I’d say that these bars are like eating cookie dough – soft, chewy, not sticky or hard to chew, and easily bendable.
Taste: These bars are more on the sweeter side, but it’s definitely not overbearing. I love that they have little bits and pieces of various ingredients, making each bite full of different and delicious flavors. Personally, I’m a peanut butter and chocolate kinda gal, so that flavor is probably my flavor. However, the coconut cashew and the dark chocolate ones were equally as delicious.
Overall: I would definitely eat these ones again. I like the variety of different flavors offered, and I especially love the consistency of them. It’s like eating cookie dough but in a bar form! The best part about these bars is that the company is Michigan-made, and I love supporting local companies whenever possible. Overall, there are pretty high up there on my list.
Final Rating: Recommend
Zing Bars:
Flavors: They offer three different flavor categories: Chocolate-Covered, Soft Cookie, and Nut Butter and Fruit. To name a few, some of the flavors include Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, Dark Chocolate Coconut, Dark Chocolate Mocha, Double Nut Brownie, Maple Pecan, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Almond Blueberry, Lemon Cashew Crunch.
The bars I received in my sample package were Dark Chocolate Mint, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip.
They also offer two different sizes: full-sized bars and mini bars (100 calorie bars).
Nutrition: Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free. Decent amount of protein (10 g), slightly higher in sodium, high in fiber (however, it’s important to note that the fiber is a synthetic source, which had been known to cause digestive issues for some people).
Ingredients (Dark Chocolate Mint): Sunflower Seeds, dark chocolate, protein blend (rice protein concentrate and pea protein crisps), tapioca syrup, prebiotic tapioca fiber, cocoa powder, brown rice crisps, brown rice syrup, agave syrup, rice bran, natural flavor, sea salt, peppermint oil, mixed tocopherols.
When compared to the other bars on this list, these Zing Bars have a ton more ingredients. Some of them are absolutely fantastic (like sunflower seeds), but then again, there are a lot of added ingredients – tapioca syrup, prebiotic tapioca fiber, etc. And what exactly is “natural flavor?” Overall, I’m not completely thrilled with these ingredients. Not bad, but not great, either.
Texture: When I first tried the Dark Chocolate Mint flavor, I didn’t love it. To me, it tasted too chalky and had a strange consistency to it. Plus, the outer chocolate coating was slightly crumbly, and when I was done eating it, there was a big pile of crumbs left on the counter. When I had my parents tried them, they agreed, and since then, they haven’t tried anymore. However, I wanted to give it a second chance, so I tried another flavor the next day. This one was the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, which didn’t have an outer coating like the first one. It wasn’t as bad, and it definitely had a better consistency – slightly chewy but also a bit crispy. Overall, this one had a much better texture and held up much better than the first one I tried.
Taste: With the Dark Chocolate Mint, I thought it had a bit of an odd taste – almost like a chalky, protein taste. However, there were hints of mint, but I didn’t taste them until after I was done chewing each bite. Once I tried the second flavor, I liked it a little more, but still didn’t love it. Now don’t get me wrong, the taste isn’t all that bad – it’s just the texture in combination with the taste that just doesn’t work for me.
Overall: I wanted to like these, especially since they were developed by dietitians. However, I didn’t love them. Would I eat them if they were in front of me? Yes, if I had to. However, I’d much rather prefer another bar from this list.
Final Rating: Would Not Recommend
Amsety Bars:
Flavors: Peanut Butter Superstar, Dark Chocolate Champion
Nutrition: Gluten-free, no sodium, no refined sugars.
Ingredients (Peanut Butter Superstar): Peanuts, honey, oats, brown rice protein concentrate, agave inulin syrup, brown rice flour, vitamin and mineral blend (calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, niacinamide, zinc oxide, selenomethionine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, vitamin A palmitate, folic acid, biotin, phytonadione, ergocalciferol, cyanocobalamin), vanilla extract, peanut oil.
That may look like a very long ingredients, but most of them are actually added vitamins and minerals. However, I’m still not a big fan of adding vitamins and minerals to foods, because there are so many foods that contain these nutrients naturally. Besides that, the ingredients here don’t look too bad.
Texture: I personally did not like the texture of these bars – I found them to be very dry and hard to bite into. The bottom had a chocolate coating to it, which was okay, but the top part was very dry and just had a strange texture to me. I’m not sure if I got a bad batch or if that’s just the way they are, but either way, I didn’t like the texture of these.
Taste: The peanut butter flavored bars had a bit of a funny, chalky taste to them, however it wasn’t as bad in the chocolate flavor. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely peanut butter-flavored, but it just had a bit of a fake peanut butter taste to it.
Overall: Overall? I’m not a huge fan of these. First, the texture was a bit off. Second, the taste didn’t seem right to me. I can’t quite place what was off, but something was off. However, I was impressed with the fact that there was no sodium and that there were very few sugars in these bars.
Final Rating: Would Not Recommend
Go Macro Bars:
Flavors: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Coconut + Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Sunflower Butter + Chocolate, Cherries and Berries, Almond Butter + Carob, Cashew Caramel, Banana + Almond Butter, Apples + Walnuts, Granola + Coconut Blueberry + Cashew Butter, Mocha Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate + Almonds.
As you can see, there are lots of delicious flavors offered! There are also two sizes of the bars: regular and mini.
Nutrition: Gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, Kosher. Good source of protein (10 g), low in fiber, higher in sugar.
Ingredients (Sunflower Butter + Chocolate): (All organic): Brown rice syrup, sunflower seed butter, sprouted brown rice protein, crispy brown rice, fair-trade chocolate, puffed brown rice, coconut sugar, sprouted flax, vanilla, cinnamon.
Texture: From my experience, different flavors of Go Macro Bars have different textures. For example, the Sunflower Butter flavor is slightly harder, but the Coconut Butter + Almond Butter flavor is very chewy and flexible. But despite the variety in consistencies, I’ve found that I like the consistency of all of them. They are all very flexible and when you bend them, they together and don’t crumble or break apart. Plus they don’t get super sticky like some of the others, which I was a big fan of.
Taste: I used to really enjoy eating these bars, but the more I ate them, the more I started to detect a bit of an artificial taste to them. Don’t get me wrong – I still love them, but just not every day. With every bite you take, you get a hint of different flavors (coconut, chocolate chunks, etc.), and I love that there are so many different flavors going on. Personally, I love the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor the most!
Overall: Not bad at all. The consistency of these bars is perfect and doesn’t get too sticky or hard to chew. However, the taste isn’t as great as some of the other bars on this list. I’d definitely still eat these if they were offered, but I’d prefer another bar over them.
Final Rating: Recommend
Pamela’s Product: Big Fig:
Flavors: Raspberry and Fig, Mission Fig, Blueberry and Fig
Nutrition: Gluten-free, Kosher. Low in protein, low in fiber, high in added sugars.
Ingredients (Raspberry and Fig): Cake flour blend (brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, evaporated cane sugar, non-hydrogenated palm oil, invert sugar, grape juice & whole rice syrup, sweet whey powder, glycerin, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt, lemon oil, raspberry paste (cane syrup, brown rice syrup, apple powder, rice starch, dried cane syrup, glycerin, water, raspberry juice concentrate, pectin, natural flavor, citric acid, red cabbage extract, fig paste, citric acid.
Wow.. that is a LOT of ingredients, and most of them aren’t all that great for you. First of all, look at all of those sugars and sweeteners! Also… glycerin?! In food preparation, glycerin can be used as an emulsifier (to help hold things together), but it’s also a chemical very frequently found in soaps, car polishes, dish detergent, laundry detergent, face washes, and other household products. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to be eating chemicals – I want to be eating real foods. Which, by the way, I noticed that there aren’t very may real foods in this product.
Texture: These bars are soft and cakey, yet they crumble apart very easily when they’re bent. Plus, I found that they were very dry and got stuck in my mouth and teeth after eating them. Overall? Not a fan of the texture.
Taste: To me, the outer “cake” part of these bars tasted rather bland and dry. The filling was decent – not too fruity and not too sweet, however there really wasn’t much filling compared to the outer cake layer.
Overall: I don’t think I would ever go out and purchase these on my own. First of all, there are way too many ingredients for my liking. Second of all, I didn’t even like the flavor or it, and the texture was way off. I’m going to have to give these ones a big thumbs-down 🙁
Final Rating: Would Not Recommend
Final Thoughts:
So there we have it – the run-down of each product. As you can see, there are a lot that I would recommend. However, I’m still a big advocate of choosing real foods (fruits, vegetables, cheese, etc.) as a snack, rather than a processed snack bar. But I totally understand that life gets hectic every once and a while, so don’t feel bad about reaching for an energy bar every once and a while. Just do your best to find one with real ingredients and nothing funky!
Here is a final rating of all the energy bars I received (from favorite to least favorite):
- Wella Bar
- Hope Bar
- Seven Sunday
- Shanti Bar
- Rowdy Bar
- GoMacro Bar
- The GFB
- Primal Kitchen
- Zing Bar
- Amsety Bar
- Pamela’s Product Big Fig
Also, I just thought I should note that I’m also a huge fan of Lara Bars. They are made with only real ingredients (like fruit and nuts), and they are absolutely delicious! There are so many different flavors, and I’m personally a big fan of them. Luckily, these bars are a bit easier to find in stores and are sold at most grocery stores or drug stores. If you haven’t tried them before, definitely give them a try!
I love your article, Cheers.