Why Most Nutrition Bars are Garbage — and What to Pack in Your Purse Instead

I feel like we’ve all done this:

You’re at Costco, or the health food store, reading labels on nutrition bars. You want to stock up because, like most everyone these days, you're running around, trying to keep up with a hectic schedule--and if you have a bar in your purse, you'll stay out of the drive-thru.

So, let’s take a look: are nutrition bars healthy? What bars should you avoid, and which ones are worth keeping on hand?

In this article:

• Conventional "Nutrition" Bars
• GreenSmoothieGirl BlendBars
• Fun Testimonials
• How to Make Nutrition Bars

Conventional "Nutrition" Bars — Are Nutrition Bars Healthy?

If you read the nutrition labels on most bars, some ingredients might make you uncomfortable.

Any of these sound familiar?

Whey Protein

There are many reasons why whey protein isn’t good for you.

Studies show your body doesn’t absorb most of the protein. And it’s usually tainted with the steroids, antibiotics, and hormones fed to the cow.

Artificial Preservatives 

Artificial preservatives, such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and other chemicals, improve the shelf life of bars. But, they’re linked to weight gain, as well as many other issues you don’t want.

Sugar Alcohols

Erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol are common sugar-alcohol sweeteners. These wreck your gut and make you gassy.

I could keep going, but these filler ingredients, isolated from the whole food or created in a lab, are the MAIN ingredients in many bars. You might see some quality ingredients towards the end of the list on the label, but you suspect there’s just the tiniest pinch of carrot or spinach powder, hardly enough to make a difference for your health.

(You’d be right about that. Naked’s green juice is fruit juice with a PINCH of greens.)

Most nutrition bars have little pinches of good stuff. But where’s the bar that’s made from ENTIRELY greens, fruits, veggies, and nuts? USDA certified organic ingredients? Oh, and could it please TASTE GOOD?

GreenSmoothieGirl BlendBars

I’ve spent years trying to come up with the answer, and I am THRILLED to tell you that we've landed on it. We're bringing you three varieties of “green-smoothies-in-a-bar,” each with absolutely no artificial sweeteners, contaminated isolate protein products, whey (dairy), gluten, or the “-ides.”

(That’s pesticide, herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide. All linked to so many health problems.)

We have so many people tell us that they know they feel great when green smoothies are in their diet, daily. I did a 450-city speaking tour for six years, and along the way, I got tens of thousands of North Americans to start the habit!

So many of us have good intentions. We mean to have that green smoothie every single day, but in our busy-ness, we just don’t get to it. It’s hard to put a blender in your pocket, for when you’re out running around. It’s also hard to put a jar of green smoothie in the kids’ school lunches. (Trust me, I tried, in the early days. #fail #sociallyembarrassing)

Luckily, we’ve brought you BlendBars -- high-quality, whole-foods, plant-based, organic ingredients, with serving-size convenience.

The flavors are out-of-this-world, truly. Picky kids (and even pickier adults) love them. Each pack comes with 12 certified organic bars in the following flavors:

Green Smoothie BlendBars
Chocolate Dipped Smoothie BlendBars
Pink Smoothie BlendBars

You can also order our variety pack (use coupon code 5OFFBARS for $5 off!) and get four bars in every flavor to do a little at-home taste-test.

Check out the ingredient lists (you can compare these to ANY bar on the market):

Green Smoothie BlendBars

• Dried Fruit & Veggie Blend (Dates*, Bananas* [with Rice Flour*], Raisins*, Carrot Juice*, Spinach Leaf*, Broccoli Sprouts*, Kale*)
• Protein Blend (Cashews*, Rice Protein*)
• Tapioca Syrup* 
• Vanilla Extract*
• Antioxidant Vitamin Blend (Acerola Juice Powder, Rice Flour*, Vitamin E [as d-Alpha-Tocopherol], Vitamin A [as Beta Carotene-Natural])
• Sea Salt

Pink Smoothie BlendBars

• Superfruit Blend (Dates*, Dried Cranberries* [with Apple Juice Concentrate*, Sunflower Oil*], Dried Raspberries*, Dried Acai*, Dried Goji Berries*)
• Protein Blend (Cashews*, Rice Protein*)
• Tapioca Syrup*
• Natural Flavor*
• Antioxidant Vitamin Blend (Acerola Juice Powder, Rice Flour*, Vitamin E [as d-Alpha-Tocopherol], Vitamin A [as Beta Carotene-Natural])
• Citric Acid.

Chocolate Dipped Smoothie BlendBars

• Dried Fruit & Vegetable Superfood Blend (Raisins*, Bananas* [with Rice Flour*], Dates*, Carrot Juice*, Spinach Leaf*, Broccoli Sprout*, Kale*)
• Vegan Protein Blend (Cashews*, Pumpkin Seed Protein*), Dark Chocolate* (Coconut Palm Sugar*, Cocoa Liquor*, Cocoa Butter*, Cocoa Powder*, Sunflower Lecithin)
• Tapioca Syrup*
• Vanilla Extract*
• Antioxidant Vitamin Blend (Acerola Juice Powder, Rice Flour*, Vitamin E [as d-Alpha-Tocopherol], Vitamin A [as Beta Carotene-Natural])
• Sea Salt

*Organic ingredients

Fun Testimonials

I know what you’re wondering: with all these healthy ingredients, will it taste good?

And you might be thinking, will my kids actually eat this?

Try the Variety Pack and see for yourself. I sent the variety pack to a bunch of families I know before we announced the launch of these amazing products.

Check out what the kids said:

"I like the bar because it gives me energy to climb trees. The pink one is my favorite!" (Reddick, age 5)

 

"I like the green bar because it tastes like a treat!" (Rayna, age 7)

 

"I have to have my own box of green! I feel healthy when I eat these after school." (Kess, age 14)

And this, from a satisfied mom: "I tried to take pictures of Braxton (age 1) eating the bars, and he was eating the little pieces I was breaking off for him so fast that I could barely get a shot before all the bite-size pieces were gone and he was grabbing for the bar wrapper begging for more. He LOVES them! All 3 of my kids LOVE the bars and beg for them. I had to take them away and hide them high in the pantry because I didn't want them to eat all the bars I have in one day. Basically they are a huge hit. Yesterday I asked Brielle if she wanted a GSG BlendBar or chips for her after school snack, and she chose the BlendBar (she didn't even have to think about it)."

How to Make Nutrition Bars?

BlendBars make it so EASY, but if you want to make some bars yourself, here’s a great recipe.

I hope this adds to your tips and tricks to be a sneaky parent who gets whole-foods nutrition in the small humans you’re responsible for. This gives you a great way to put something nutritious in YOUR bag, too, so you have a snack that will keep you far away from the drive-thru.

Check out what our customers have been saying!

And, grab some BlendBars here!

Read next: Need a Healthy Treat? 6 Easy Swaps for Your Favorite Recipes

Robyn Openshaw, MSW, is the bestselling author of The Green Smoothies Diet, 12 Steps to Whole Foods, and 2017’s #1 Amazon Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller, Vibe. Learn more about how to make the journey painless, from the nutrient-scarce Standard American Diet, to a whole-foods diet, in her free video masterclass 12 Steps to Whole Foods.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that help support the GSG mission without costing you extra. I recommend only companies and products that I use myself.