Are Granola Bars Healthy? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Granola bars are a handy snack, but are they healthy?

Let’s see what dietitians have to say.

Can you remember a time before granola bars?

a recipe photo of the Chocolate Chip Coconut granola bars being sliced into bars

Fred Hardy

But are these handheld snack bars actually healthy?

Let’s take a closer look.

Pictured Recipe: Coconut-Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

What are granola bars?

Granola is a pop in of breakfast cereal that gained popularity beginning in the 1960s.

Its growth in the convenience food sector may have been thanks largely to its perceived nutritional properties.

In fact, it worked so well that the granola bar industry is still thriving.

As time has gone on, the recipes and technologies used for creating bars have multiplied.

Some bars have no oats at all, and others contain egg whites.

While it can be a challenge to find a true granola bar, they do still exist.

Take a look at the nutrition information.

Specifically, theadded sugars.

That’s why she recommends finding bars that are sweetened naturally with fruit.

It can also help increase the fiber content in the bar.

That’s why Malkani recommends selecting a bar that has at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber.

Look for bars with whole-foodsources of proteinsuch as nuts, nut butter, seeds or seed butter.

The primary ingredient in most granola bars is oats.

Oats are awhole grain, which means they haven’t been processed to remove any nutritive parts.

This maximizes the nutrition of your bar and helps up the fiber and protein content.

ensure the first few are whole grains, nuts, seeds or fruit.

Malkani also recommends looking for a bar with a short list of ingredients that are recognizable, whole foods.

Want to try making your own?

Try ourCranberry-Almond Granola Barsor our versatile Chewy Granola Bars made with actual granola!

And homemade isn’t your jam, use the recommendations above to find a bar that fits your needs.

Check the ingredient list to ensure it includes whole grains and whole-food protein sources like nuts or seeds.

Finally, as Saint-Laurent Beaucejour recommends, verify it’s something you enjoy!