DEAL OF THE DAY: Get up to 70% off at Walmart's luggage clearance sale!
Don't Waste Your Money is supported by our readers. When you purchase an item through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The Best Nutrition Bar

Last updated on May 13, 2020

We looked at the top 9 Nutrition Bars and dug through the reviews from 64 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Nutrition Bars.

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category.

More and more people are turning to healthy foods and good nutrition to improve health and just feel better. With countless nutrition bars out there, how do you know which ones are the best? That is not an easy answer, but a little bit of research will help to make the process easier.

Kristin Forte/Simplemost Media

Who needs a nutrition bar? Nutrition bars are not just for those looking to lose weight or gain muscle; they offer a solution for heart health, diabetics, allergy-sensitive consumers, athletes and moms-on-the-go, just to mention a few. So, this means nutrition bars need to have all the right stuff in them to support all these different lifestyles. You will need to get the appropriate bar for you and your dietary restrictions so be sure to read the labels before you buy.

There are numerous factors to consider when reading the label of a nutrition bar. Good carbohydrates, healthy fats, the amount of fiber and good proteins are all things you will want to know about your nutrition bar.

Good carbohydrates are one of the most important factors in a good nutrition bar. Carbohydrates give our bodies energy to do our daily functions. They are composed of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. In our bodies, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose which is, in turn, used to produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP which is used in the metabolic process. Carbohydrates are also important for muscles to function and retain their mass, especially during an extended period of exercise. The best nutrition bars will source their carbohydrates from natural foods without added sugar such as certain vegetables.

Kristin Forte/Simplemost Media

Healthy fats are important to our daily diets. Triglycerides and cholesterol not only store our energy but also give us insulation for our organs. Proteins wouldn’t be able to keep us moving without healthy fats. Cholesterol is what our cell walls are comprised of because cholesterol is not water-soluble. The cholesterol only allows fat-soluble molecules in and out of the cell.

The amount of fiber in your nutrition bar is extremely important. Fiber helps to move large molecules through our bodies. Most nutrition bars have proteins and carbohydrates to give energy, but they are difficult for our bodies to digest. Having at least 3 grams of fiber in the bar will enable the larger food molecules to move through our digestive tract with ease. You can find the amount of fiber listed in the nutrition facts section on the packaging.

Proteins are so vital to the function of our bodies. They are massive molecules that are extremely complex and perform most duties within the cell. They support tissues and organs but are also an essential part for the structure of these body parts. We need proteins to keep our blood sugars regulated for long periods of time as well.

When you want a nutrition bar that is dairy-free, soy-free, cholesterol-free and does not contain high fructose corn syrup, Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars are perfect. They are also kosher and vegan for those specific diets.

A nutrition bar that boosts energy and offers an incredible, 14 grams of protein is the Zone Perfect Nutrition Bar in fudge graham flavor. This bar is packed with vitamins and even offers antioxidants for boosting immunity. The flavor is similar to s’mores.

A popular choice among nutrition gurus is the KIND nutrition bars in Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt. This bar has only 5 grams of sugar but 6 grams of protein. Gluten-free and non-GMO in addition to 7 grams of fiber, makes these KIND bars a balanced option for a nutrition bar.

So when you want to find that happy medium between healthy and tasty, turn to these nutrition bars rather than your sugary, carb-filled, pantry snacks. You won’t regret it and they’ll make you feel great!

Our Picks For The Top Nutrition Bars

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
  The Best Overall
  The Best Value

Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Nutrition Bar

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Nature's Bakery

Whole Wheat Fig Bar

Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Bar are affordable and they offer tons of copper, magnesium, potassium and many more vitamins because of the amount of figs in every bar. They are also incredibly soft and chewy. In our testing, we found there was a good balance between the fruit in the middle and the soft outer part of the bar.

Overall Take

Soft and DeliciousThese soft and delicious whole wheat fig bars taste perfectly balanced.

Pros
" Much less expensive than the typical bars or whole grain snacks."
Cons
"I wish there were more than two bars in the package."

LUNA BAR Gluten Free Bar

LUNA BAR

Gluten Free Bar

Luna Bar Lemonzest is an unbelievably sweet treat, packed with nutrients and a true crowd pleaser. With only 2.5 grams of saturated fat, it is an awesome option for your heart. The sodium is also extremely low and the oats in the bar are non-GMO. Natural sugars and no high fructose corn syrup add to the appeal of this delicious nutrition bar.

Overall Take

Refreshing LemonA refreshing lemon flavor and low sodium set this bar apart.

Pros
" The Lemon Zest vegan Luna Bar has 6 grams of fat with only 2.5 grams of saturated fat making it a heart healthy snack option. There is only 95 milligrams of sodium, which is comparatively low when looking at other..."
Cons
"Can taste the protein flavor."

Pure Protein Bars

Pure Protein

Bars

Overall Take

Pros
" Each one packs in 20 grams of protein with just 200 calories and 2 grams of sugar, making them a great pre-or post-workout snack to keep energy levels up and build muscle. They’re also gluten-free."
Cons
"All proteins bars are sensitive to warmth,as they can melt"

Kind Bars Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

KIND Bars

Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

KIND Bars Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt offer consumers a very low sugar option for a nutrition bar. Gluten-free and tons of protein from the nuts and seeds, you will find it will power you right up and keep you fueled for quite some time. The little bit of sweeteners in the bar are from natural sources and won’t cause your blood sugar to sp...

Overall Take

Nutritious and TastyCrunchy and fulfilling, these bars have a nice hint of sea salt.

Pros
" Top-selling bars with less sugar than most competitors-some varieties have only 5 grams per bar. Made with simple ingredients, gluten free; available in a variety of flavors with ingredients like dark chocolate and nuts."
Cons
"Not chewy, if you are looking for a chewy protein bar."
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
16

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the nutrition bars available to purchase.
9

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

64

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Wiki EZ Vid, The Vegan's Pantry, Top 10 Meal Delivery Services, Health Insane, Sauser Wind.

54,257

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 9 Nutrition Bars and also dug through the reviews from 64 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Nutrition Bars.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval
Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

What to Look For

  • High protein and fiber are two must-haves in your nutrition bars.
  • The lower the sugar the better. Some so-called nutrition bars have more sugar than a candy bar.
  • Make sure the sugar is from a natural source such as fruit, no aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup, or other fake sugars.
  • There are some nutrition bars that are specifically for snacking to hold you over in between meals.
  • You will find bars that are great for weight loss with high fiber contents.
  • Some nutrition bars are just for energy without the energy label, usually containing high protein and lots of healthy carbohydrates.
  • Shop directly on company websites to see if they offer free samples before you commit to buying an entire package.
  • Some health food stores will offer free mini-samples in store for you to try before you buy.
  • These nutrition bars are not meant to replace meals, just offer healthy alternatives for snacks.

Nutrition Bar Rankings

1. Nature’s Bakery Whole Wheat Fig Nutrition Bar

Overall Score: 9.7
Reviews Included: 6

2. LUNA BAR Gluten Free Bar

Overall Score: 9.5
Reviews Included: 12

3. Pure Protein Bars

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 11

4. Kind Bars Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 11

5. LARABAR Gluten Free Bar

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 12

6. CLIF BAR – Energy Bar

Overall Score: 8.9
Reviews Included: 11

7. Caveman Nutrition Bars

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 10

8. GoMacro MacroBar Organic Vegan Protein Bars

Overall Score: 8.4
Reviews Included: 10

9. Quest Nutrition Protein Bar

Overall Score: 8.1
Reviews Included: 9

More to Explore

  • When you eat a high protein nutrition bar, you can increase the metabolic rate in your body.
  • The first nutrition bars were made for space trips.
  • In the 1960s, Pillsbury made the Space Food Sticks with extended shelf life and no refrigerating necessary.
  • Ten years later, Pillsbury put a different label on them and sold them in supermarkets as snack bars.
  • PowerBar, the famous nutrition bar from marathon runner Brian Maxwell, was created in 1986.
  • Nestle bought PowerBar in 2000 for a whopping $375 million.

More to explore