If you’ve ever been in the energy bar aisle of a grocery store, you’ve probably been a little overwhelmed – okay, a lotta overwhelmed! There are so many brands and flavors to chose from, it’s hard to know what’s healthy, tasty and a good value- because there’s a lot of crap out there.

One of my biggest food pet peeves is how many “healthy” products aren’t healthy at all. So many items are loaded with sugar and unpronounceable chemicals. In general, my rule of thumb is when I buy food with labels I try to choose the foods with the fewest ingredients.

Picking up snacks like energy bars can be a huge time saver and a convenient way to get some mid-day fuel. So I’m here to help you sort through the crap and get to the good stuff.

The Long Run’s Guide to Energy Bars

1.) Lara Bars (Regular, ALT & Uber)

Lara bars are my safety, go-to bar for convenient healthy snacking. I love them because there’s usually around 5 ingredients, dates, nuts and some kind of spice or fruit. I know exactly what I’m getting: real whole “clean” foods. Very similar to these (as you’ll see) are Pure Organic and Kit’s Organic bars.

• Pros: Only 2-9 ingredients (all of which you can pronounce) – delicious, lots of variety, satisfying
• Cons: Not too much extra protein, a lot of sugar- however it is all natural and comes from the dates, a bit on the pricey side, but you can usually find them on sale or buy in bulk if you have a favorite flavor
• Perfect for: A quick snack before the gym, as a dessert or a quick breakfast if you’re on the run
• Favorite Regular Flavors: Coconut Creme, Key Lime, Blueberry, PB & J
• Favorite ALT Flavors: Peanut butter cookie

2.) Kind Bars

• Pros: One of the best tasting bars on the market, there’s a ton of variety in flavors, they come in: low sugar, high fiber and high protein varieties in addition to their normal flavors
• Cons: Many have added sugar, they’re on the more expensive side (usually more than $1.50)
• Perfect for: A healthy, satisfying treat between meals
• Favorite Flavors: Cashew Ginger Spice, Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan, Peanut Butter and Strawberry & Almond and Coconut

3.) Quest Bars

• Pros: A ton of protein (20g)! Low sugar, low carb, tasty flavors, low in calories
• Cons: Quite pricey ($2-3 per bar), I think they have a bit of an artificial sugar after taste (stevia-ish) – they’re definitely tastier baked for about 3-4 minutes in the toaster
• Perfect for: After a hard workout I like to treat myself to a quest bar
• Favorite Flavors: White Chocolate Raspberry, Cookie Dough & Chocolate Chunk

4.) Raw Revolution

• Pros: All raw, whole ingredients, vegan, added superfood ingredients like spirulina, texture like larabars, satisfying
• Cons: More expensive than larabars
• Perfect for: a nice addition to an on-the-go lunch or fueling up before a hard workout
• Favorite Flavors: Almond Chocolate Coconut

5.) Kit’s Pure Organics

• Pros: All natural ingredients, usually less than 10, they are very similar in taste and texture to larabars, great flavors, seeds add an extra crunch
• Cons: A little on the pricey side, higher in sugar (because of the dates), not as much protein
• Perfect for: Pre-workout carbs, in between meals and whenever you’re craving some extra crunch in your energy bar
• Favorite Flavors: Sesame Apricot, Coconut

6.) Pure Organics

• Pros: Like Kit’s & Lara bars there are very few ingredients, all vegan, one of the best tasting bars – seriously the cocoa walnut tasted like a brownie minus the guilt and blueberry tasted like a blueberry muffin!
• Cons: A little on the pricey side, higher in sugar (because of the dates), not as much protein (basically the same cons as kit’s and larabars)
• Perfect for: Pre-workout carbs, in between meals & for that sweet dessert craving (mine hits at around 3pm most days, but these leave me energized instead of with a sugar crash)
•  Favorite Flavors: Chocolate Walnut & Blueberry

Honorable Mentions:

• Chia Warrior, 18 Rabbits, ThinkThin

Steer Clear of:

• Luna Bars, Cliff Bars, Nature’s Valley – basically most of the bars you find in the regular cereal aisle are packed with sugar and chemicals that you just don’t want/need.

So there you have it! My rundown on how I like to choose the healthiest, tastiest and most satisfying energy bars.

Your Turn:

• Did I miss any?
• What are your favorite brands and flavors?
• What else do you like to snack on?

 

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