Granola Bar Comparison

I was in line getting a coffee recently and the woman in front of me was telling the barista about a granola bar she liked (I didn’t catch what kind it was), and the barista told her that she liked the Special K bars. The woman told her she didn’t need Special K bars, insinuating that the barista was thin and Special K bars are for weight watchers, I suppose. When I went through the check-out later, the Special K Protein bars were right there and I grabbed a box to have in my drawer at work – actually dumb because I know to read ingredients first AND to not fall for things on aisle end displays.

At least for me, who’s now getting accustomed to real food, the Special K bars were OK but kind of plastic-y. The main ingredient is soy protein isolate, which is a genetically modified (these are not organic) processed compound. I’m not going to get off topic to soy today, but it can have undesirable side effects. These bars are full of chemicals, like sorbitan monostearate which is a fake wax that helps things like oil and water play better together (an emulsifier). But what bothered me most was I had to pick all of the little caramel chips off the top because they contain yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, and blue 2 lake. Why does Kellogg’s think they need to color the chips with coal-tar (petroleum derived) colors that are an allergen at a minimum but also were shown to cause brain and kidney tumors? While many of these food supply dyes (17) were banned, the use of the ones still certified has increased 300%.^[1] I’m torn as to whether to put the bars in the kitchen at work for co-workers or throw them away.

The Luna protein bars also have soy protein isolate as their main ingredient, although they are gluten-free and have mostly organic ingredients. Their regular bars, like Nutz over Chocolate taste a lot better than the protein bars. Unfortunately they’re only 70% organic, not including the soy which is the most prevalent ingredient.

Considering some of the other bars available in most markets, the Nature Valley Soft-baked Oatmeal bars are considerably better except they don’t use organic ingredients and could remove the flavored chips and coating. Clif Crunch bars are good (especially the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut) and are mostly organic except for the soy, which is a huge exception. Pamela’s Whenever Bars (gluten-free and non-dairy) are good except for containing xanthum gum. The Cascadian Farms are the best so far (in my opinion especially the Peanut Pretzel) with all organic ingredients and a lower price.

If you know of others, please comment below. If you want me to try others and add to the comparison, just let me know.