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Snack bars that look healthy aren’t always actually healthy. And ones that ARE healthy, don’t always taste good!
But we all love the ease of throwing a pre-packaged food into a lunchbox or a backpack, right?
In this post, I’ll review these bars:
Related post: Looking for info on other bars? Check out this post to learn about Z Bar, Nutri-Grain, Clif Bar, Lara Bars, Chewy, and MadeGood bars.
This post is part two — in my first post about snack bar nutrition I reviewed:
Click here to read part 1 to see which of those bars I recommend
First of all, not every bar I’m about to review will be a 5-star product in my book.
Does that mean you need to dump them all in the trash can and never buy them again? No, of course not.
This post is to help you make decisions with the facts in mind!
Some bars are more of a snack food, and some bars are more in the realm of a cookie. This is based on their added sugar content, lack of fiber and protein, etc.
Cookies are ok to have, of course. It just shocked me personally when I started comparing bars and cookies. I thought bars would always come out on top, nutritionally. But unfortunately it’s not the case!
Just something to keep in mind when you’re stocking up on snacks at the grocery store.
Secondly, one of the products I’m going to review in this post is a new bar made by Happy Wolf. It’s a totally new brand. And, I had the privilege of working with Happy Wolf as an advisor during the development of their bars. So, spoiler alert, they pass all the tests in my book!
I will always disclose when I partner with a brand, and I only partner with ones I really believe in!
On that note: this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Okay, back to the good stuff…
Lots of people ask me what makes a good snack bar.
There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to that question! But there are a few important things I like to see when I’m choosing foods for my kiddos.
First and foremost, when I give my kids a snack, I actually want it to contribute to their overall nutrition. That means I want it to pack a nutrient-dense punch. Ingredients are important.
I’m not really interested in giving them snacks that leave them hungry again 15 minutes later. With some snacks, it’s truly like they are eating air. Not filling at all.
So, what else do I look for when I’m choosing a snack bar?
For toddlers, I usually look for a snack that contains at least 90-100 calories. For an older kid, a snack should have about 150+ calories.
I do also want to mention that it’s totally ok for them to be hungrier than that. You don’t need to limit your snack offering to a certain calorie range.
Sometimes, you may need to give them 2 bars or pair the bar with something else to make it more filling. Especially if you have a child with a larger appetite or who is especially active, you may find yourself needing more than just a small snack bar!
In addition to them getting full (or, rather, being satisfied until the next meal time), I also want to avoid the sugar spike and subsequent sugar crash.
That’s why I like to keep an eye on added sugar in the snacks I offer, so that I’m not giving my kids something that will inevitably lead to the quick spike in energy and the crash that follows.
More nutrient dense snacks are often more expensive. It’s hard to get around that because it’s often a reflection of the ingredient prices. But you can’t just compare the price of a box of one bars to the price of another, without considering the nutrition. Bars that are more filling mean that your kid doesn’t need another snack again in 15 minutes. So you’re getting more out of that higher priced, more filling snack.
In a perfect world, I would like snacks to provide a mix of the macronutrients and some fiber. Ideally, I look for either 2 grams of fiber or 2 grams of protein- ideally both, and ideally more- per snack!
Healthy fats: these help keep your kids from asking you for another snack 5 minutes later.
Sugar: I aim for 6 grams or less of added sugar in a snack. This isn’t always possible, so don’t freak out if your kids’ favorite bar has 7 grams. Especially for older kids, I’m a little less strict on this number. But for ages 1-3, I like to keep it on the lower end.
Remember: added sugar is different from total sugar. Lots of bars have ingredients like dates in them, which have a good deal of naturally occurring sugar. So the sugar content may look high, but none of that is added sugar.
Dried fruit is naturally high in sugar and that’s okay. What I don’t like to see is a ton of sugar added in snack bars on top of what’s naturally occurring in the ingredients themselves.
Finally, I like to see some vitamins and minerals in there! Even if a snack doesn’t check all my nutritional boxes, it still may have some important vitamins and minerals. That should not be undervalued, especially for picky eaters!
If you’re buying RXBARs for your kids, I’m assuming you’ve found the minis. They are a great little handheld size for kids! I will say, they are pretty chewy, which could make them tough for toddlers. They also have larger pieces of nuts in them, so I’d reserve these for older kids.
(Sometimes I microwave them for a few seconds to soften them up a little bit!)
I love the protein content here! 6 grams is great for a snack and will contribute significantly toward your child’s protein needs for the day. I also like seeing a bit of fiber and no added sugar. Don’t be worried about the 9 naturally occurring grams- those come from the fruit used to make the bar.
Nature’s Bakery fig bars are a favorite among kids, and I think I know why.
Well, they’re basically cookies.
While I don’t dislike the protein and fiber they contribute, they also add too much sugar for me to consider them a snack. They’re definitely more of a treat than an every day snack bar, and that’s okay!
Okay, I have to be honest with you (always): I did not love the taste of these. I love that they are allergy-friendly, and the nutrition label looks great. But you’ll have to try for yourself and see if you/your kids will like these.
I love the fiber in these and I love that there’s no added sugar. It’s not exactly the same as a serving of veggies, but hey, there’s some in there and that’s fine by me! But it’s gotta taste good for kids to be on board, and I’m not sure these will cut it in that category.
I’m looking at the GoMacro kids bars here! These ones have a bit of a sticky, chewy texture that can make them more difficult for toddlers. I’d reserve these for older kids.
So these have a decent amount of protein, but I wish there was a bit more fiber.
The added sugar isn’t crazy high, but it also represents about 1/4 of the calories in the bar. These aren’t bad at all, they just aren’t the best of the best nutrition-wise.
Bobo’s Oat bars are a little bit deceiving, because the nutrition label says that 1 bar is actually 2 servings.
So if you’re throwing one in the backpack for your kid to eat as a snack, you need to take into account that the nutrition facts are actually double if they eat the whole thing, and this may change what it looks like at first glance.
The sugar is already a bit high for one serving, especially considering all of it is added sugar. And if your child were to eat the whole bar, that would be 20 grams of added sugar. (That’s more than they’d get from an Entenmann’s chocolate donut!)
The bar does have a decent amount of protein and fiber, but the added sugar content is too high for me to recommend these as an everyday option!
Once Upon a Farm bars are a newer product that have quickly become one of my favorites. My kids love them too- especially the strawberry flavor!
Normally I like to see snacks around 6 or 7 grams of sugar, but all of the sugar in these bars comes from the fruit itself- which is great! The inclusion of apples, strawberries, and banana are what give this bar 11 grams of sugar, but its all natural sugar that comes along with other benefits like 4 grams of fiber! They also have 4 grams of protein and are 180 calories, which is going to make them a more substantial and filling snack for older kids as well!
Skout bars are a newer product on the market, and they’re always coming out with new and seasonal flavors to change up what you can offer your kids. They also have a handful of bars that are nut-free and safe for school environments, which is a big perk.
I love Skout bars- particularly for toddlers. With some fiber and protein, no added sugar, and an easy texture to eat, they really fit the bill for a toddler snack. An older kid may want something in addition to just the bar, but they’re a fan favorite in our house.
Skout Organic coupon code: use code MAMAKNOWS for 20% off at skoutorganic.com (affiliate link)
Dino bars are nutritious bars made with great ingredients! They’re different from others on the market with an edible paper wrapping which sounds much weirder than it is! It’s just a smooth coating on the bar so that it’s not too sticky to handle.
This is the bare minimum I really want to see in a bar as far as protein and fiber go, but I’m happy it’s there. It will still help keep kids full, even if your child may need something else to go with it.
I’m not worried about the sugar content here because these bars are made primarily of fruit and have very little added sugar.
A bonus here is that Dino bars are a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, and iron!
Dino Bars coupon code: use code MAMKNOWS10 for 10% off at dinobars.com (affiliate link)
Happy Wolf, the brand I got to work with as an advisor while they developed their new bars, are some of my favorites!
These obviously meet my toddler snack-time criteria, and they are also made with pumpkin seed butter for some healthy fat- which I love to see! They are refrigerated and allergen-free, so they’re fresh, made with real ingredients, and safe for schools!
Happy Wolf Bars promo code: use code KACIE20 for 20% off at happywolf.com (affiliate link)
Cerebelly Smart Bars are a top nutrition pick for toddlers! The fiber content is strong. This is an excellent choice for a kid who might not always get enough fruits and veggies.
I love that Cerebelly is very intentional with the ingredients they choose for toddlers. I have nothing bad to say about these!
The good news is that there are several great healthy snack bars for kids out there!
If your kid’s favorite bar wasn’t mentioned in this post, check out part 1 of this series, where I covered a different batch of popular kids bars.
Grab a free shopping list of all my favorite healthy toddler snacks here
If you have a kid that’s over 4, get THIS shopping list with healthy kids snacks
If you want to access to my product recommendations for every category from snacks to breads to cereals and more, check out my Meal and Snack Survival Guide! It’s also loaded with meal ideas to simplify your time in the kitchen and help take some of the guesswork out of feeding kiddos!
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