Having granola bars on hand is always a good idea for college students — they’re a filling, delicious and convenient when you’re tight on time. It’s important to be aware of the fact that not all bars are exceptionally healthy, even if they seem like they are. Many packaged snacks are actually jam-packed with added sugars and tons of other unnecessary ingredients. To keep you feeling full, an ideal bar should have balanced nutrition and contain a good amount of protein, fiber and healthy fats to give you the energy you need. After trying out tons of different bars, I decided to share my favorites that keep me satisfied when I’m on-the-go from class to class.
1. Quest Bars
Quest bars have been my go-to snack for the longest time. With a chewy texture and fun flavors, such as cookie dough and birthday cake, these bars are guaranteed to satisfy your mid-day hunger and sweet tooth. One bar has around 20 grams of protein and tons of fiber to keep you full for a while!
2. RX Bars
RX bars have become really popular recently, and for good reason. They’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients including egg whites, nuts, dates and, as they say, “no B.S.” They’re also always coming out with new, exciting flavors, so you’ll never get sick of them! For example, they recently came out with delicious flavors such as pumpkin spice, maple sea salt, apple cinnamon and coffee chocolate, which is perfect for getting you in the fall spirit.
3. Power Crunch Bars
These bars are my most recent and favorite finding. I especially love these bars because they’re different from most other granola bars. They’re basically a healthy, low-sugar, protein-filled version of a creme-filled wafer cookie. Power Crunch bars are sweet, light and crunchy, and I always have one of these in my backpack because they’re perfect to have on your way to your next class.
4. No Cow Bars
It’s hard to find a good-tasting protein bar when you have dietary restrictions because so many of them are made with dairy, gluten and or soy. No Cow bars are the perfect solution for this issue: They’re plant-based, low sugar, dairy free, gluten free and non-GMO. With great ingredients and a wide variety of flavors, these bars are definitely worth trying out.
5. Kind Bars
There is honestly a Kind bar for any craving at any time of the day. There are breakfast bars, nut-butter filled bars, healthy grain bars, Kind protein bars and so many more. Kind also prides itself on being committed to spreading kindness and fighting hunger by donating to many nonprofits, so when you buy a Kind bar, you not only get a healthy snack, but you also get to contribute to an amazing company.
Pro Tip: Buying in bulk is much more budget-friendly than buying bars individually. I normally purchase mine on Amazon because I find they have reasonable pricing!