16 of the Best Healthy Snack Bars for Traveling
Soothe your cravings with this top 16 of the best healthy bars on the go. Once you try one of these treats, you won't want to stop eating.
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Hunger can strike anywhere. While it isn’t a problem when you are lying comfortably on your couch, it surely is when you are on the road, especially if you are traveling down on a deserted road with no signs of anything closely related to food.
To satisfy such unexpected hunger pangs, it’s best to carry food along with you. And instead of carrying some unhealthy food items, what about a tasty snack bar? Find here 16 of the best healthy snack bars for traveling.
What Is a Healthy Snack Bar Exactly?
A healthy snack bar is a nutrition bar that satisfies your hunger and provides energy and nutritional value. A healthy snack bar can be a protein, energy, or granola bar. These contain healthy, natural ingredients, low carbohydrate, high protein, fat, and fewer added sugars than other snacks you can find to satisfy your cravings.
We know that eating healthy while traveling is challenging, especially when you’re on a plane or driving for long hours. At such times, choosing the right snack will help you keep your diet and give you the boost you need to arrive at your final destination.
What Makes a Snack Bar Healthy?
To determine whether a snack bar is healthy or not, try to look for bars that meet the following five criteria:
- Low Carbohydrates
- High fiber
- High protein
- Moderate fats
- Less natural and added sugars
However, just because you see these items listed on a snack bar doesn’t necessarily make the bar ‘healthy.’ To be considered healthy, a snack bar should meet some minimum nutritional criteria. Find out what the best healthy snack bars should include below.
Nutritional Criteria for the Best Healthy Snack Bars
As discussed above, just having the five items on the list is not enough. You must also ensure that the items meet the minimum requirements of a healthy snack bar.
Carbohydrates
Generally, a good and healthy snack bar should have less than 12 grams of carbohydrates. For this, manufacturers use nuts, as they are low carb and high in protein and vitamins. Make sure to check them if you have any allergies.
Protein
Normally, the ideal protein intake should be about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. The best healthy snack bars usually contain about 7-12 grams of protein, which is perfect, as less than 8 grams isn’t enough for our body.
Fiber
To qualify as a healthy snack bar, it should have a minimum of 3 grams of fiber. However, don’t opt for bars that contain more than 10 grams of fiber as they are likely to have isolated fibers that can cause stomach issues.
Fats
A healthy snack bar has good, unsaturated fats. It should contain 2-4 grams of saturated fats, which you can find in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola, or corn.
Sugars
You should avoid bars with added sugars. However, if you don’t have an option, choose a snack bar that contains less than 24-36 grams of added sugar, as this is the minimum recommended by the AHA.
The Ingredient Criteria for the Best Healthy Snack Bars
A healthy snack bar has quality, natural ingredients. From nuts to chocolate chips, all these ingredients have a specific function in the best healthy snack bars to give your body all it needs to keep going.
Ingredients
Ensure that the snack bar has natural, whole-food ingredients and not artificial ones. If you are allergic to certain food items (such as nuts), make sure they aren’t present in the bar. Nuts, seeds, and fibers are the ones that should be more abundant in the ingredients list.
Protein Sources
A healthy snack bar should have high-quality protein sources. The protein can be high-quality isolates and concentrates or whole food ingredients. Some common protein sources you should look out for include egg whites, nuts, whey protein, and seeds.
Sugars
As mentioned earlier, the snack bar should have zero to minimum added sugars. Similarly, the bars should also be free of sugar alcohol. Opt for snack bars with natural sugar sources like sugarcane or fruits.
Now that you clearly understand what a healthy snack bar should contain (and whatnot), let’s look at 16 of the best healthy snack bars for traveling.
16 of the Best Healthy Snack Bars
RXBAR Real Food Protein Bar
The RXBAR Real Food Protein Bar comes in a variety of options一the Chocolate Sea Salt variant is our favorite. This 52gram bar is made up of natural and easily-recognizable ingredients. You can find them mentioned on the packaging in big, bold letters. The ingredients include egg whites, almonds, cashews, and dates.
The bar is high in protein (12 grams) and contains just 2 grams of saturated fats. That makes the RXBAR is an excellent choice to have on your trips. The best thing about the bar, however, is its taste. It is made of rich chocolate and makes you feel like you’re eating a decadent salted brownie.
Kind, Breakfast Bars
Like the RXBAR, Kind Breakfast Bars, too, come in different flavors. The bars are available in dark chocolate cocoa, honey oat, peanut butter, almond butter, and blueberry almond flavors. We know your mouth is watering already!
They are made with healthy, non-GMO ingredients and provide 6 grams of protein and high fibers to satisfy your hunger needs. The best part is that the products are dairy-free, making them accessible to a large number of people. They also taste more like a candy bar than a protein bar and are a good option for kids too.
ALOHA Organic Plant-Based Protein Bars
Say ‘Hola!’ to a toned, fit body with ALOHA Protein bars. The bars are made from organic plant-based ingredients. They contain 14 grams of protein, 5 grams of natural sugar, and just 2.5 grams of saturated fats.
The bars are packed with power features. They include:
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Soy-free
- Non-GMO
- Vegan
- No artificial ingredients.
ALOHA Protein Bars can be an excellent ready-to-eat option to have on your long travels.
GoMacro MacroBar Organic Vegan Protein Bars
The GoMacro Vegan Protein Bars, too, are made from organic ingredients like brown rice, almonds, sunflower seed butter, and cocoa. The 65-gram protein bar provides 10 grams of proteins per serving. They come in a variety of flavor options like dark chocolate plus almonds, Maple sea salt, Oatmeal chocolate chip, peanut butter, and Mocha Chocolate Chip, to name a few.
GoMacro bars are certified by multiple institutes and organizations. Their certifications include:
- USDA certified organic
- Vegan certified
- Gluten-free
- Kosher certified
- Non-GMO project verified
- Certified CLEAN
- Certified R.A.W
- Soy-free
They are one of the tastiest snack bars out in the market and have a chewy texture.
Health Warrior Chia Bars
Health Warrior Chia Bars, as the name suggests, are made from real ingredients like chia that help keep you full. The 25-gram bars pack a punch with 100 calories per bar.
The protein content, however, is less compared to other bars on this list. They provide only 3 grams of protein.
The bars are Plant-based, Kosher Certified, no gluten, no soy, no dairy, and non-GMO.
Think Thin Super
Think Thin Super Protein Bars come in 40-gram variants. Each bar packs a whopping 20 grams of protein. They are available in a variety of flavors like a chocolate almond brownie, salted caramel, cookie and creme, and white chocolate, among others.
The bars are Gluten Free and Non-GMO.
EPIC Bison Bacon Cranberry Bars
The EPIC Bison Bacon Cranberry Bars are paleo-friendly and made from 100% grass-fed bison and hormone-free pork. The 43-gram bar provides 8 grams of protein. They are Certified Gluten-Free and contain no artificial ingredients. There’s nothing more to talk about these bars.
CLIF Nut Butter Bar
These organic chocolate snack bars provide 7 grams of protein per serving. The CLIF Nut Butter Bars are made with wholesome oats and have fillings made with real peanut butter, hazelnut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. They are available in flavors like Chocolate & Peanut Butter, Maple & Almond Butter, and many more.
The bars are non-GMO, and USDA Organic certified.
Go Raw Pumpkin Seed Bars
The Go Raw Pumpkin Seed Bars are made with only five simple, easy-to-understand organic ingredients. The ingredients are sprouted and dried and not baked. The 52-gram bars provide 13 grams of protein per serving. They are made in a 100% nut-free and gluten-free facility and sweetened with dates.
The bars have received various certifications. The certifications of Go Raw Pumpkin Seed Bars include:
- Organic
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Kosher
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
- Non-GMO
Epic Beef Apple Bacon Bars
Like the earlier product from EPIC, the Beef Apple Bacon Bars are paleo-friendly and are made from beef and hormone-free pork. They provide 8 grams of protein per serving. They, too, are Certified Gluten-Free and contain no artificial ingredients.
Bulletproof Coconut Chocolate Dipped Collagen Bars
The Bulletproof Coconut Chocolate Dipped Collagen Bars have protein derived from grass-fed cows. They are gluten-free, non-GMO, and keto-friendly. The bars have no added sugar and provide 7 grams of protein per serving.
The bars also contain MCT oil that can satisfy your hunger and can prevent long-term weight gain. Bulletproof collagen bars are available in three delicious flavors – double chocolate, vanilla cookie, and coconut.
KetoBrownie Bars
The KetoBrownie Bars are catered especially towards people who follow a keto diet. That being said, everyone can enjoy the deliciously baked, soft, and chewy brownie bars.
The bars provide 12 grams of protein and have just 1 gram of sugar. They are also packed with collagen that provides health benefits.
NUGO, Bar Box Dark Mint Chocolate Chip
The NGO Dark Mint Chocolate Chip Bar is a vegan, gluten-free energy bar that contains 13 grams of protein. The bar is made from soy protein and contains non-GMO products.
Safety information: Manufactured equipment that also processes products containing peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and egg.
The Dark Mint Chocolate Chip taste is delicious. However, some people may not like it.
FIT CRUNCH Snack Size Protein Bars
The FITCRUNCH Snack Size Protein Bars were created by co-founder and celebrity chef Robert Irvine. They are the world’s only 6-layered baked bar, having a soft cake core. The 46-gram bar contains 16 grams of protein and just 3 grams of sugar. They are made from whey protein and are gluten-free.
The bars come in delicious flavor combinations like lemon, milk and cookies, peanut butter, and mint chocolate chip, to name a few.
No Cow Protein Bars
No Cow Protein Bars, as the name suggests, is completely dairy-free. They are made from a blend of brown rice and pea protein to provide 21 grams of pure plant-based protein and are completely vegan. Moreover, the bars have only 1 gram of sugar, are low on carbs, high on fiber, and contain natural sweeteners. All that a good, healthy snack bar should be.
The snack bars are also keto-friendly, gluten-free, non-GMO, and Kosher. They are available in flavors such as chocolate fudge brownie, peanut butter chocolate chip, mint cacao chip, and lemon meringue pie.
Power Crunch Whey Protein Bars
The Power Crunch Whey Protein Bar is literally a powerhouse as it packs 13 grams of protein and 220 calories per serving. They are made from Whey protein and other natural ingredients.
However, the bars also contain milk, wheat, and soy. If you are allergic to any of these, switch to any of the products we mentioned before.
Staying healthy while traveling isn’t as complicated as it seemed before, right? Next time you hit the road, you have plenty of options to choose from and give your body tasty, healthy, and fun snacks. If you constantly have cravings while traveling, check out our take on non-refrigerated healthy road trip snacks to complement these flavorful nutrition bars.