Snack bars are perfect for sticking in your purse, bag, or car for on-the-go energy. We’re taking a closer look at one of the most popular bars on the market to determine if KIND bars are healthy!
Granola, protein, and snack bars are some of my favorite on-the-go snack options, and if you look through the supermarket, you’ll most likely find an entire aisle dedicated to just this food. Since 2004, KIND bars have taken the snack bar industry by storm. They've evolved over the years from their original classic nut bar to now offering 11 different varieties of bars and snacks. While there’s no doubt that they’re delicious, are KIND bars healthy?
In 2015 KIND got a warning from the FDA to remove the word “healthy” from its labeling, as it didn’t meet their standard for healthy. The FDA claimed that because the bars had more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving, they couldn't be classified as "healthy."
Shortly afterward, the FDA reversed its stance, allowing KIND to use the word healthy, as the outdated regulated term excluded incredibly healthy whole foods like nuts, seeds, salmon, avocado, and eggs because of their fat content.
It makes sense, as the “healthy” guidelines at that time were created decades ago when the world feared fat. Now we know how beneficial fat can be, especially healthy fats from foods like nuts, avocados, and olive oil.
In this article, we’ll examine KIND bars, their nutrition facts, pros and cons, and how to find the healthiest snack bar for you!
Jump to:
- A Closer Look At Kind Bars Nutrition
- Kind Bars PROS
- Kind Bars CONS
- What I Look For in a Healthy Snack Bar
- The Bottom Line- Are KIND Bars Healthy?
A Closer Look At Kind Bars Nutrition
Kind bars use basic ingredients like nuts, oil, whole grains, and sugar and a variety of add-ins like chocolate, dried fruit, and other flavorings to create a bar that’s often high in fiber and protein.
Here are some of the features and nutrition facts for the various bars that KIND offers. Keep in mind that the nutrition facts will be different for the various flavors.
Kind Nut Bars (The Classics)
With nuts as the number one ingredient, these bars have anywhere from 4 to 7 grams of protein and 3 to 7 grams of fiber per serving.
For the Caramel Almond & Sea Salt Flavor
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Added sugars: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
Zero Added Sugar Bars
Zero-added sugar bars are sweetened with allulose – a naturally occurring sugar found in foods like fits and maple syrup with just 0.4 calories per gram, unlike regular sugar (sucrose), which has 4 calories per gram.
For the Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Bar:
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Added sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 5 g
Mini Bars
Snack-sized kind bars that are just 90 to 100 calories per bar.
For the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter with Almonds & Peanuts Minis:
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Added sugars: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
Thin Bars
A thin layer of nuts coated with chocolate or dried fruit for a bar that’s 100 calories or less.
For Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew:
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Added sugars: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
Breakfast Bars
Bars made with a combination of whole grains, including oats, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and quinoa, with various ingredients like peanut butter, chocolate, honey, caramel, chocolate chips, or dried fruit.
For Caramel Peanut Protein Breakfast Bars:
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Added sugars: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
Protein Bars and Protein Max Bars
Protein bars with 12 grams of plant-based protein and 6 grams of added sugars Protein Max bars have 20 grams of protein along with zero grams of added sugars.
For Dark Chocolate Nut Protein Bar:
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Added sugars: 6 g
- Protein: 12 g
For Sweet & Salty Caramel Peanut Crisp Protein Max bar:
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Added sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 20 g
Energy Bars
Grain bars have oats, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and millet and provide 230 to 250 calories and 10 grams of protein.
For Chocolate Chunk Energy Bars:
- Calories: 230
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Added sugars: 10 g
- Protein:10 g
Soft Baked Squares
The soft baked bars are made with almond flour for a nutrient-dense and fiber-rich snack bar.
For the Chocolate Almond Flour Brownie Bar:
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Added sugars: 7 g
- Protein: 5 g
Kids Bars
Chewy bars made with 100% whole grains.
For Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars:
- Calories: 100
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Added sugars: 5 g
- Protein: 2 g
Nut Butter-Filled Snack Bars
Whole grain snack bars filled with creamy nut butter.
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Added sugars: 8 g
- Protein: 4 g
Simple Crunch Bars
Crunchy oat bars made with just a handful of ingredients.
For Dark Chocolate & Oats Bars:
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Added sugars: 9 g
- Protein: 4 g
Kind Bars PROS
They’re High in Fiber
Almonds, whole grains, and chicory root fiber add 2 to 10 grams of fiber to KIND bars. Some bars, like the thins or minis, have less fiber (because of their smaller size), while some varieties of classics and protein bars have 7 to 10 grams each.
Most Americans don’t get the recommended 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories, so bars high in fiber like KIND bars can help you hit your daily goals.
For more easy ways to eat more fiber, look for high fiber bread, high fiber cereals, prebiotic drinks and smoothie recipes!
They’re Gluten Free
While being gluten-free isn’t a health claim in itself, it is helpful for anyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities who needs to be cautious of gluten. Gluten-free diets are sometimes low in whole grains, but KIND bars use gluten-free whole grains like oats, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and quinoa.
They’re a Good Source of Protein (some varieties)
Not all KIND bars are high in protein, but you can find some varieties with 8 to 20 grams of protein, which can help you stay full and satisfied between meals while meeting your daily protein goals. The Protein, Protein MAX, and Energy bars all have over 10 grams of protein in each bar.
Kind Bars CONS
They Use Palm Kernel Oil
Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil are the three tropical oils that are higher in saturated fats than unsaturated fats (like most plant oils). While there is some controversy on the actual risks of eating saturated fats, the dietary guidelines recommend limiting it to 10% of daily calories. Research has found that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat sources, like olive, avocado, and high oleic sunflower and safflower oils, results in a lower risk of heart disease by up to 30%.
They’re Not a High Protein Snack (most of them)
While most KIND bars will give you an energy and fiber boost, they’re too low in protein to make a satisfying and filling snack. Most varieties of bars have just 4 to 8 grams of protein.
Some Have A Lot of Added Sugars
If you look at many of the top pages talking about the KIND bars, you’ll see a lot of them call these bars out for having too much sugar. Many varieties actually do ok when it comes to added sugars, having 5 or fewer grams per bar. But some KIND bars can have up to 10 grams of added sugar per bar, giving you 20% of the recommended amount in just one snack bar.
Too many added sugars can have a negative effect on your health, impacting your heart, brain, mood, liver function, and weight. Current recommendations are to limit added sugars to less than 50 grams per day (on a 2,000-calorie diet) or less than 10% of your total calories. When choosing your KIND bars, be mindful of how much added sugar is in them.
What I Look For in a Healthy Snack Bar
KIND bars can be a healthy snack bar, and it’s likely you’ll be able to find a variety that fits into your unique health goals, while others may not fit the bill. When choosing a healthy snack bar, these are the things I look for:
- Enough Calories: If I’m counting on a bar to stave off hunger and provide energy between meals, I want at least 200 calories in that bar. Bars that have less than that won’t likely keep you full for more than an hour if that.
- Higher protein: To get enough protein throughout the day, it can be important to incorporate it into your snacks, especially if you eat a more plant-forward diet. If I enjoy only a bar as a snack, I want to see at least 8 to 10 grams of protein.
- Fiber: Fiber is another nutrient that can be tough to get enough of but has incredible health benefits. Grains, nuts, seeds, and other ingredients commonly found in bars can be great sources of fiber, so I like to see at least 3 grams of fiber in a snack bar.
- Lower added sugars: Eating sweet treats is fine, but I like to reserve the added sugars for actual treats and not get them through things like bars, condiments, and drinks. I look for snack bars with less than 5 grams of added sugar per bar.
The Bottom Line- Are KIND Bars Healthy?
With so many varieties of KIND bars on the market, you can find one that fits your health and nutrition goals. With ingredients like nuts, whole grains, and fruit, many KIND bars have nutrition benefits like fiber, protein, and enough calories to keep you full between meals. However, some are higher in added sugars or lower in protein and fiber than I like to see in a regular snack bar, but they can still be a nutrient-dense treat to eat on occasion.
What KIND bar is your favorite?
