What to Look for in a Nutrition Bar

Nutrition bars are great for filling the gap between meals or refueling post-workout (but not to replace meals!) In addition, nutrition bars are great snack options for travel, outdoor activities, or any time you need to refuel quickly. With the large variety of options on the market, it is important to pay attention to the nutritional facts and select a bar with the right balance of nutrients to keep you full longer.

What to Look for in a Nutrition Bar

- Protein: Aim to pick a nutrition bar with at least 10 grams of protein, to make you feel full and satisfied.
- Fiber: Like protein, fiber also helps keep us full. Additionally, fiber aids in digestion, and balances our blood sugar. Aim to select a nutrition bar with at least five grams of fiber.
- Added Sugar: Limit the amount of added sugars consumed from nutrition bars. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar consumption to 25 grams/day for women and 36 grams/day for men. Keep these daily limits in mind when choosing a nutrition bar.
- Ingredient Quality: When choosing a nutrition bar, it is important to select bars with nutrient-dense ingredients such as nuts, seeds, or whey protein, and avoid ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

Top Nutrition Bars

Go Macro Organic Vegan Protein Bars

Go Macro bars are vegan and made from ingredients such as rolled oats, nuts, nut butter, coconut sugar, brown rice, and pea protein. Each bar provides 10-15 grams of protein and less than 15 grams of added sugar. They come in a variety of flavors from peanut butter to lemon to coconut and are also available in mini-size.

RxBar Protein Bars

RX Bars are a great option due to their simple ingredient list. These bars feature an average of 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of added sugar. RX Bars are sweetened naturally with dates and fruit, and the protein comes from egg whites. You can find these bars in a variety of flavors from maple sea salt to blueberry.

Barebell Protein Bars

Barebell bars pack in a whopping 20 grams of protein with 3 grams of fiber and no added sugars. These bars are great for when you are craving something sweet, with flavors such as cookie dough and caramel cashew.

Aloha Plant-Based Protein Bars

Aloha protein bars have 14 grams of protein, 6-10 grams of fiber, and only 2-5 grams of added sugar, making them a nutrient-dense and filling snack. These bars are plant-based and come in many great-tasting flavors, such as lemon cashew and chocolate mint. They are also available in mini-size.

Perfect Bar

This nutrition bar is the best tasting of the group, but is higher in fat and added sugar. As a result, these bars are a filling and satisfying snack. Perfect Bars feature 12-17 grams of protein, 2-5 grams of fiber, and 10-13 grams of added sugars. Perfect Bars are refrigerated and are available in mini-size. While they come in many delicious flavors, our favorites include salted caramel and dark chocolate almond.

EPIC Bars

If you are looking for a different type of nutrition bar, look no further than EPIC protein bars. These bars provide protein from various sources of grass-fed meat such as venison, bison, beef, and chicken. On average, these bars deliver 10 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and no added sugar. They come in a variety of flavors from Bison Bacon Cranberry to Beef Apple Bacon.

Kind Protein Bars

Kind Protein Bars provide 12 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber to keep you satisfied with only 6 grams of added sugar. Available flavors include dark chocolate nut and crunchy peanut butter.

Larabar

These bars come out a bit short in terms of protein but deliver in terms of quality ingredients. These bars provide an average of 5 grams of protein, with no added sugars and minimal ingredients (no more than 9 ingredients per bar!). Larabars come in over ten different flavors, from blueberry muffin to almond cookie.

Marinath J

16:54 19 Mar 20

Being active and eating healthy always made me think that I was eating right and I didn't have a need to ever talk to a nutritionist. Just so my insurance had free nutrition counselling, I thought of consulting one purely for the sake of it. Having zero expectations and thinking that might be my first and only visit, I had my first consultation with Shay after having met her and Ha during my gym event. Oh boy, was I wrong about everything! Shay literally transformed the way I looked at food. She taught me a simple yet the most important thing about reading a product's nutrition label. I knew fats comprised of good and bad but I never cared to go in detail. I used to see just the total fat content in a product, but its the bad fat content breakdown that actually matters. Another huge thing she helped with was figuring out the amount of protein I should take per meal. I worked out regularly and ate right, but I was losing muscle. She sorted this out by suggesting to aim for 28g of protein every meal. And voila, my muscle mass increased by 2.5% in under a month. Shay gave me inputs on various fibrous and protein rich products that are available in the market. Figuring out the amount of macros I need every meal actually changed the way I grocery shopped. This also helps me in not overeating or indulge in excessive or under purchase anything. The reason I would vouch for Yummy Body and Shay is because of their genuine care towards clients. Prior to my second visit, I was impacted by this documentary on Netflix about Veganism and I told Shay about how I want to try it (and I LOVE meat lol). Shay, being a non-meat eater herself, didn't preach me into doing that, but rather was rational in making me realize that every "diet" has its benefits and not everything you see might be true. Its important to experiment, analyze and figure out what works for you and your body. I hate the term diet, as eating is a part of our lifestyle and diet makes it sound like something you do temporarily for a short term gain. Consistency is key and I could resonate that philosophy with Yummy Body. Of course there would be a lot of other authentic nutritionists and I really hope there are. All I would say is, you could never go wrong with Yummy Body and I'm happy that I was wrong and ignorant about nutrition before. Remember, eating should be FUN and not a boring chore. LOVE your food and the rest will follow!

Rachel Young

16:59 13 Mar 20

My experience with Yummy Body Nutrition was outstanding. I met with a registered dietitian named Shay who helped me in more ways than I can write in this post. For years I’ve remained the same weight with no real visible progress. Additionally, within the last year I’ve noticed a significant amount of hair loss. My hair stylist mentioned that it seemed like a problem from “within” and could be my diet. As a result, I made an appointment with Shay who helped me understand areas in which my nutrition was lacking. About 4-5 months later and my hair has made tremendous strides. Every time I get my hair done my stylist mentions how much progress I’ve made. Not only has my hair grown back but I am visibly more fit, feel healthier, and have way more energy. With all of that said, I couldn’t be more thankful to have worked with Shay and look forward to working with her in the future to reach my goals!

Alissa Silverman

04:52 27 Feb 20

Yummy Body Nutrition makes food choices and healthy eating fun! Ha has found a creative way to excite her community through her social media content by highlighting her innovative spin on nutrition! She is an extraordinary dietician who goes above and beyond the call of duty for her clients. She is highly resourceful when it comes to making nutritional plans that work with her clients busy lifestyles. Her reputation and commitment to excellence in client care make her a true asset to the field. Overall, Ha and Yummy Body Nutrition are deeply invested in ensuring the health and well-being for those that they serve!

Jacob Brooks

16:29 30 Jan 20

Shay changed my whole relationship to eating for the better. Within a month of first meeting with her i lost a significant amount of fat and gained a pound of muscle and I did not even find my new eating habits stressful. I have a much better diet now and if anything enjoy eating more, while having maintained my body goals for a year now.

Maryam Hallaj

16:06 26 Dec 19

I could not recommend Shay more! She is a supportive guide in any food & health journey and puts the thought and care to learn who you are as a person and how best to support YOU. She helped me address my health concerns, including high blood pressure, and has given me the tools to make informed decisions about my food and exercise. Shay provides a judgement free yet constructive zone to create goals and discuss the journey in meeting those goals.