Snacks-To-Go: Healthy or Not?

5 grab & go snacks, the good, the bad, the delicious. 

KIND bar had this to say...

So, Yay or Nay?

Nature Valley Oats & Honey

Granola bars have been getting a bad rap the past few years. It's not the granola to blame, but usually the added sweeteners that go hand in hand with the granola ingredients. Next to oats, sugar is the very next ingredient listed. Unless I'm having a dessert as my cheat meal for the week, sugar should never be #2 on an ingredient list - especially something trying to pass itself off as healthy. - Nay.

KIND Bar

With ingredients like dark chocolate, caramel almond, and sea salt, you'd think KIND bars might get pushed off to the side too. Not so fast. Sweetened with non-processed molasses and honey, you get benefits along with your indulgence. With less than half the sugar of Nature Valley (5 grams), 6 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, this chunky bar will satisfy your sweet tooth without jolting your blood sugar up. - Yay!

Quaker Breakfast Flats

I received these cranberry almond Quaker Breakfast Flats free from Influenster in exchange for my honest review. While they definitely are very delicious and healthier than most on-the-go snacks people reach for, I wouldn't recommend them as being a healthy snack. Like the Nature Valley bars, the added sugar ruins it. 12 grams of sugar? No thank you. That's about 1/3rd of my sugar limit for the entire day, & I'm not going to waste that or the 180 calories on a thin bar that doesn't even attempt to fill me up with just 3 grams each of protein & fiber. - Nay.

Fiber One Fiber Bars

These used to be my favorite. I was always looking to get my fiber up when I started trying to eat healthier and goal myself to get at least 30 grams of fiber per day. With 9 grams of fiber in a bar, it was an easy way. Unfortunately, it had 10 grams of sugar too. Sadly, I had to put these back on the shelf the more I learned about sugar and how it affected my body personally as well. - Nay. :(

 

Quest Cookies & Cream Protein Bar

You have arrived at the mother-load. I am addicted to these things. Over the past couple of years, I've tried to limit my use to Quest bar to no more than 1 per day.  Cookies and cream is my favorite flavor, but with a double-digit variety, you can try a bunch to see what your personal favorite may be. They changed their recipe this past year to get rid of sucralose (yay! Boo sucralose) and switched to xylitol - a sugar alcohol which is actually a sugar alternative - which does not alter blood sugar or contain calories and is safe for diabetics. Each bar contains around 20 grams of protein and 17 grams of fiber so they will definitely fill you up, and around 180 calories each, they won't put a dent into your diet either. Yay!