The healthiest granola bars keep added sugar low (about 6 g or less), with at least 3 g of fiber and 5 g of protein. Of 13 popular US bars compared below, KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt (180 calories, 4 g added sugar, 7 g fiber, 6 g protein) is the best all-rounder, with RXBAR, Larabar, Nature Valley Protein and KIND Protein also meeting all three.
Most granola bars land between 100 and 250 calories. The big differences are in added sugar, from 0 g to 16 g, and protein, from 1 g to 12 g.
Key takeaways
- Calories: 100 for small chewy bars, 250 for a Clif Bar or KIND Protein.
- Added sugar is the number to check, not total sugar. Date-based bars have 0 g added but 14-16 g total.
- Most chewy granola bars have 1-3 g protein. For 10 g or more, choose a protein-style bar or a nut bar.
- Watch the serving. A Nature Valley Crunchy pouch holds 2 bars, and the label counts both.
- Labels change. These figures are from manufacturer label data in USDA's database; check the wrapper you buy.
Granola bar comparison table
Per serving as sold, sorted by calories. Values from USDA FoodData Central Branded Foods (manufacturer label data).
| Bar (serving) | Calories | Protein (g) | Fiber (g) | Total sugar (g) | Added sugar (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber One Mini Oats & Chocolate (1 bar, 26 g) | 100 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip (1 bar, 24 g) | 100 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Annie's Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy (1 bar, 25 g) | 100 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Kashi Chewy Trail Mix (1 bar, 35 g) | 130 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Fiber One Oats & Chocolate (1 bar, 40 g) | 150 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Peanut (1 bar, 34 g) | 160 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt (1 bar, 40 g) | 180 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
| Nature Valley Crunchy Oats 'n Honey (2 bars, 42 g) | 190 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 7 |
| Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate (1 bar, 40 g) | 190 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt (1 bar, 52 g) | 200 | 12 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie (1 bar, 48 g) | 230 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 12 |
| Clif Bar Chocolate Chip (1 bar, 68 g) | 250 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 16 | 6 |
| KIND Protein Double Dark Chocolate Nut (1 bar, 50 g) | 250 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 17 |
Flavors within a brand can differ in calories and sugar, so use this as a guide to each line, then read your own label.
How to pick a healthy granola bar
Three numbers do most of the work:
- Added sugar about 6 g or less. The FDA's Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g, so 6 g is about 12% of the day. Five of the 13 bars hit 5 g or less.
- Fiber 3 g or more. Fiber slows digestion and helps a small snack feel bigger.
- Protein 5 g or more if the bar has to hold you until the next meal.
A registered dietitian writing for Healthline suggests similar cutoffs: under 10 g sugar, at least 5 g protein and at least 3 g fiber, and under 250 calories if you're managing weight.
Two details on the label are worth a second look:
- Where the fiber comes from. Fiber One, KIND and Nature Valley Protein get much of their fiber from chicory root (inulin), an added fiber the FDA lets makers count on the label while it considers formally adding inulin to its fiber definition. It counts toward the grams on the wrapper, though large amounts can cause gas in some people.
- Total vs added sugar. RXBAR and Larabar list 14-16 g of sugar, but all of it comes from dates. Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie has three ingredients: dates, peanuts and sea salt.
Best granola bars by goal
Lowest calorie
Fiber One Mini, Quaker Chewy and Annie's Organic chewy bars are 100 calories each. Fiber One Mini stands out with 6 g fiber and 5 g added sugar. All three have only 1-2 g protein, so pair one with a protein food if it's your whole snack. More ideas are in our list of snacks under 100 calories.
Most protein
| Bar | Protein (g) | Calories | Protein per 100 calories (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt | 12 | 200 | 6.0 |
| Nature Valley Protein PB Dark Chocolate | 10 | 190 | 5.3 |
| KIND Protein Double Dark Chocolate Nut | 12 | 250 | 4.8 |
| Clif Bar Chocolate Chip | 10 | 250 | 4.0 |
| KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt | 6 | 180 | 3.3 |
RXBAR gets its protein from egg whites; the others mostly use soy protein isolate and nuts. If you need 15-20 g, a protein bar fits better; see protein bars ranked.
Most fiber
Fiber One Oats & Chocolate leads with 9 g for 150 calories, followed by KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt (7 g) and Fiber One Mini and Nature Valley Protein (6 g each).
No added sugar
RXBAR and Larabar. Both are sweetened only with dates, so they still have 14-16 g of total sugar and 200-230 calories.
For kids' lunchboxes
The 100-calorie chewy bars (Annie's Organic, Quaker Chewy) are the right size for kids, with 6-7 g of added sugar each. Many schools are nut-free, so check before packing KIND or Nature Valley Sweet & Salty.
Are granola bars healthier than candy bars?
Some are, and some are closer than you'd think. A Snickers Fun Size has 80 calories and 8 g added sugar. A Clif Bar Chocolate Chip has 250 calories and 16 g added sugar, the same as two Fun Size Snickers, though it also brings 10 g protein and 5 g fiber from oats and soy.
The gap is much wider for nut-based bars. KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt has 4 g added sugar and 7 g fiber, and the date bars have none added. A granola bar isn't automatically a health food; the label decides.
Are granola bars good for weight loss?
They can fit, as long as you plan for them. A bar is a portable, portion-controlled snack, which helps when the alternative is a vending machine. What matters is whether it keeps you full for its calories:
- A 100-calorie chewy bar with 1 g protein is easy to fit in but won't last long.
- A 180-200 calorie bar with 6-12 g protein and 5-7 g fiber (KIND, RXBAR, Nature Valley Protein) tends to hold you longer.
- A 250-calorie bar is closer to a small meal. Count it as one.
Set your daily target with the calorie deficit calculator, then budget your snacks inside it.
Snacks to eat instead of a granola bar
Whole-food options with similar calories, from USDA data:
| Snack | Calories | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 medium apple (182 g) + 1 tbsp peanut butter (16 g) | 190 | 4 |
| 14 almonds (17 g) | 98 | 4 |
| 6 oz (170 g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt | 100 | 17 |
| 1 large hard-boiled egg (50 g) | 78 | 6 |
For more high-protein picks, see our high-protein snacks for weight loss, and for road trips, healthy gas station snacks.
Nutrify can scan a granola bar's barcode and log the label values for the flavor you bought.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods (manufacturer label data): Fiber One Mini Oats and Chocolate, FDC 2776591; Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip, FDC 2672624; Annie's Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy, FDC 2739083; Kashi Chewy Trail Mix, FDC 2777149; Fiber One Oats and Chocolate, FDC 2770856; Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Nut Peanut, FDC 2741732; KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt, FDC 2666108; Nature Valley Crunchy Oats 'n Honey, FDC 2769659; Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, FDC 2747308; RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt, FDC 2653556; Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie, FDC 2745098; Clif Bar Chocolate Chip, FDC 2659987; KIND Protein Double Dark Chocolate Nut, FDC 2550654; Snickers Fun Size, FDC 2564544.
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: apples, raw, with skin, FDC 171688; peanut butter, smooth, FDC 172470; almonds, FDC 170567; Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat, FDC 170894; egg, hard-boiled, FDC 173424.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (added sugars 50 g).
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Questions and Answers on Dietary Fiber.
- Ajmera R. Are granola bars healthy? Healthline, 2023.
