My Top 7 Favorite Healthy Bars -

In a perfect world, we would all eat a well-balanced meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner all seven days of the week. They would be vibrant, perfectly plated meals filled with colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins & healthy fats. Unfortunately, that is not realistic for most of us, even myself. As a dietitian I will always encourage whole foods first, as there is absolutely no magic pill, shake or supplement that can provide the same health benefits as whole, nutritious foods. On the other hand, I understand that we are busy, so a lot of the time that means eating our meals/snacks on-the-go and the easiest way to get some nutrition is in the form of a portable food, such as a bar. If you follow me on social media, you know I am all about that bar life. And no, I’m not talking about the kind where there is drinking and dancing. Although I do like that kind too, on occasion.

Over the years, granola bars have been deemed as a good-for-you snack option. This is probably because granola itself has always been thought of as “healthy”. I guess that is just because there are oats in it? Sadly, there are a lot of granola bars (and types of granola) out there that are not much different than a candy bar nutritionally. Many of them are full of added sugars, refined carbs and just a bunch of crap, for lack of a better word. Those bars are not what I would consider a healthy, on-the-go snack. However, I have recently discovered several brands of bars that I absolutely love and feel completely comfortable recommending to both clients and friends.

The main things I look for in a bar:

Minimal ingredients
Natural ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables and nuts
No or few added sugars
Amazing taste and texture

These are not necessarily listed in order of preference, because I love them all so much and when I choose to eat them depends on the timing and my mood. 🙂 If you haven’t tried one or any of them, I think you will rush to the store to buy them immediately after you hear all the delicious details.

Number 1: Kind Pressed Bars

Why I love them:

The only ingredients are fruits, vegetables, and chia seeds!
No added sugars or preservatives
Good source of fiber
Gluten-free (not that this is a concern for me, but for those who cannot consume gluten, this is a nice bonus!)
The flavors that include chia are a good source of omega-3s
Soft, chewy texture
Oh yeah — did I mention they are delicious?

My favorite flavors:

Strawberry Apple Chia
Mango Apple Chia
Apricot Pear Carrot Beet
But honestly, I’ve never had a flavor I didn’t like ?

If I am going to have a long day at work, I make sure to bring plenty of healthy foods for lunch + lots of snacks! It never hurts to be over-prepared to prevent yourself from visiting the vending machine or driving through fast food on the way home! Kind Pressed bars are one of my favorite snack options to bring with me. They are perfect to get you through the mid-morning or afternoon slump! Oh, and they provide 2 servings of fruit!

Where to find them:

Target
Price Chopper
Hy-Vee
Amazon

Click here to go to the Kind website and see all of the flavors & nutrition facts!

Number 2: All Larabars

Including the new-ish Larabar Fruit + Greens bars

Why I love them:

Minimal ingredients
Whole food ingredients, such as nuts, dates, fruit and sea salt. Oh & chocolate. 😉
They are so soft and so delicious, and I absolutely love them smothered in crunchy peanut butter or dipped in almond butter!

Fav flavors of the Original Larabars:

Any flavor with chocolate chips in it, because duh… chocolate. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (pictured below) or Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Peanut Butter Cookie flavor
Lemon Bar (shockingly good)

This is a very common work breakfast for me. Either scrambled eggs or a veggie omelet, along with a Larabar dipped in almond butter! Perfect post-workout fuel: healthy carbs, healthy fats and quality protein!

Fav Fruit + Greens Flavors:

Strawberry Spinach Cashew
Mango Spinach Cashew

I like to show pictures of the bars that contain ingredients like spinach, so you can see that no, there are not spinach leaves sticking out of the bar. It is hidden in there very nicely and the fruit flavors totally cover it up! So don’t be scared. 😉

Where to find them:

I can usually find the original Larabars just about anywhere — Hy-Vee, Price Chopper, Whole Foods, etc.
The Fruit + Greens bars I have only found at Hy-Vee (however, they probably have them at other stores that I don’t shop at as often)

Click here to go to the Larabar website and see all of the products they have to offer!

Number 3: RX Bars

Why I love them:

Just like the package says: No B.S.!!!
The ingredients are listed right on the front; most of them contain egg whites, a variety of nuts including either: almonds, cashews, peanuts, and/or pecans, and dates plus other ingredients that make that specific flavor its own. For the Blueberry flavor, they also include blueberries! The Mixed Berry flavor contains cranberries, strawberries and raspberries + natural flavors. But still, no B.S.
These bars are also gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free. Again, these are not of concern to me, but nice for people who have these specific dietary restrictions.
Free of added sugars
Amazing flavor, chewy texture. Some of them have chunks, like the blueberry and mixed berry, and some are soft and smooth, like the peanut butter (which is one of my favs– no surprise there)

Fav RX Bar Flavors:

Peanut Butter
Pumpkin! I have always been (and will always be) a huge pumpkin lover, and this RX Bar is no exception. It pretty much tastes like fall in your mouth and it is the bomb at all times of the year. Team #pumpkinallyearround ??
Blueberry
Mixed Berry
But I also love Maple Sea Salt, and Chocolate Sea Salt heated up tastes like a brownie…. DO IT.

fullsizerender-9 — His and hers breakfast! On the weekends, Ethan and I always wake up with 2 scrambled eggs (each) with spinach in them, and when we are out of whole wheat bread for PB+banana / J toast, these delicious bars come in clutch. He had an Apple Cinnamon RX Bar and I had a PB Chocolate Chip Larabar! Along with some fresh strawberries and fruit dip. 🙂 Yum!

Where to find them:

I usually stock up on my RX Bars at Eat Fit Go — they have almost all the flavors!
Also found at Trader Joe’s and Sprouts
Whole Foods
Online! Sometimes they have bitchin’ deals where you can save a ton of money compared to buying in stores

Click this link to go to the RX Bar website and see all of their products!

Number 4: Health Warrior Bars

Why I love them:

At the risk of repeating myself, the ingredients are bomb, and the list is short
The tiny little chia bars are PACKED with nutrition! Only 110 calories, but 4 g of protein, 4 g of fiber and 1000 mg of Omega-3s!!!
You can buy them in Target stores everywhere. How convenient is that? Most of us are at Target like 5 times a week anyway right? Oh wait, is that just me? Oops.
I HAVE A COUPON CODE. Use it! It’s WellnessForTheWin30 and you can use it on their website for 30% off anything!

Fav Health Warrior bar flavors:

All of the chia bars that I have tried are delish, including the Vanilla Almond Chia Bar, Peanut Butter Chia Bar and Banana Nut Chia Bar (they have so many other flavors I am still dying to try!)
Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Bar. What. A. Combo.

Where to find them:

Target, as I mentioned above
Several other grocery stores – Hen House, Hy-Vee, Whole Foods, etc.

Here is the link to their site — again, use my code WellnessForTheWin30 for 30% off anything!

Number 5: Perfect Bar

Why I love them:

Any bar that is refrigerated, I am absolutely obsessed with. There is just something about a chilled bar that tastes THAT much better. Cold beer > room temperature beer. Same concept here I suppose.
The first ingredient of pretty much all of these bars is some type of organic nut butter. Need I say more?
Gluten-free
Most of them are high in protein, so they are a good post-workout option to have for breakfast when I’m leaving straight from the gym and have a long commute to work!
Lastly, they are literally just so damn delicious I can’t even stand it. They taste like cookie dough. Try them now.

Fav Perfect Bar flavors:

Fruit and Nut
Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
I am DYING to try the new Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter flavor but haven’t found it in stores yet, so I am just impatiently waiting to try it!

Where To Find Them:

Whole Foods
Sprouts
Natural Grocers
Other health food stores

Click this link to see all of their products and the store locator to find them near you!

Number 6: Quest Nutrition Cereal Bars

Why I love them:

12 g of protein / 7 g of fiber
Perfect for post-workout if you’re not going to have a meal right away, or as an afternoon/bedtime snack
Freaking soft and delicious
Oh yeah, they are covered in frosting. #drool

Fav flavors:

Cinnamon Roll for sure
Waffle takes a close second

Where you can find them:

Complete Nutrition
Hy-Vee stores
Probably other health food stores, but I always stock up at those stores!

Click here to go to the Quest Nutrition website and check out all of the products they have to offer!

Number 7: “The Best Bar Ever” Bars

Why I love them:

Again, they are refrigerated. In other words, I love them dearly. You must eat them cold. There is no other way.
High in protein / no added preservatives / no artificial flavors or sweeteners
Healthy ingredients! Such as: protein powder blend, almonds, cashews, dried cranberries, dried cherries, oats, pistachios, walnuts, honey, brazil nuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc.!!! Amazing and so delish.

Fav Best Bar Ever flavors:

Original flavor is the best BY FAR, but my Complete Nutrition store stopped carrying them for some reason. *crying* ?
Cookie dough — also insanely delish. Peep those delicious chunks below.

Where to find them:

I have only been able to find these bars at the Complete Nutrition store in Overland Park (Kansas), but you can also order them online.
If anyone knows of other stores where you can find them, let me know!

Here is the link to their website if you want to check out all of the flavors! There is also a store locator so you can see where you can find them close to you.

Again, I would never recommend that someone should choose bars over balanced meals consisting of whole food nutrition. Eating itself is meant to be a pleasurable experience. The act of sitting down to eat a meal with loved ones, smelling and tasting your food, enjoying the different colors, textures and flavors on your plate. These are all things that usually can’t be experienced just by eating a bar on your drive into work or taking your kids to soccer practice.

In addition, whole fruits and veggies will typically provide much more fiber and water, helping to keep you fuller longer. So as you can see, I’m not saying you should eat like 6 bars a day and say buh-bye to real, quality meals. But if you’re in a pinch and need something quick, healthy and portable, I highly recommend any of the aforementioned bars because they are all THE BOMB and I eat them all on the reg, as well as healthy, balanced meals. What can I say? I’m a hungry gal. ??

If you try any new bars or flavors mentioned in this post, let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all ?

PS: I apologize for the very delayed blog post; life has been extremely crazy busy lately in the best way. Wedding planning and festivities are in FULL FORCE as it is now only two and a half months away!!! ? 78 days to be exact.

Let me know what you want to hear about next and I’ll try to work it into a post in the near future! Doesn’t have to be food-related ?

Have a safe and fun 4th of July Weekend! ❤️???

XO,

Shanna Stewart, RD LD

#wellnessforthewin