Chewy granola bar: nutricious snack or candy bar?

Kristin&Frank · October 2011

Joe loves 'em. Discuss.

RoxBride · October 2011

I dish 'em out as if they were candy bars. I know there are a few healthy ones, but generally, we put 'em in the category of junk.

howleyshell · October 2011

When reading the ingredient list if some form of sugar or "evaporated cane juice" or high fructose corn syrup is one of the first 2-3 ingredients it goes in the "sweet treat" category at our house.

Many many many things these days are marketed as nutritious for kids when they are loaded with sugar.

I don't care what other people feed their kids but I do feel kinda sad that some people really do think they're making healthy choices for their kids simply because they don't even realize what's in something, KWIM? It's sad that marketing and advertising is allowed to go on that deliberately dupes parents when you consider the insane childhood obesity rates in our country.

If you understand what it is and choose to give it to your kids then you're making educated choices and to each their own.

Our go to for a bar type snack is the Larabar. We discovered them because they're gluten free and that's tricky to find in a bar (DH is gluten sensitive). The ingredients are literally dates, almonds, unsweetened fruits and in the case of the peanut butter one salt.

My kids eat them like they're going out of style and I love that they're great to take hiking, to the zoo, etc.

dundasgirl · October 2011

I think it depends on the type of granola bar...brand name, ingredients, etc.

My kids love trail mix now...and I make my own by throwing things together.

In the same vein...nutri grain bars (breakfast bars) are a treat to me too.

Howley....how about those "juice snacks" that are really just gummy candies? We buy the ones that are just fruit nothing else...but they have some that are pretty much sugar sugar and more sugar.

That's not to say my kids don't get treats...but I like to give them homemade treats if I can.

stepgirl21 · October 2011

Well if youre talking quaker chewy granola bars - candy bar.

Like others, larabars are good and healthy - no added sugar and some other brands are good to.

chocolatechip06 · October 2011

most of them= candy bar. But if you can find ones without added sugar etc. they will probably be okay.

We try not to give E sugary snacks. That being said when we are at the grandparents he gets cookies at tea time (and can recognize the cookie box and has started to say 'more cookie'-not that he gets more).

I also do keep a box of Heinz cereal bars in the house-for the mornings we have to be out the door super early and E is not awake in time to eat breakfast. I think he's had 3 in the last 3 or 4 months.

We try and feed him as nutritiously as possible. He loves fruit and veggies so occasional cookies are okay with me-but we don't give any juice and no chocolate or ice cream yet.

Mrs.Reem · October 2011

It's hard to hold a granola bar together if there's no sugar involved. Nutrigrain bars irritate me in that they act like they're healthy but they're so not. I consider them candy bars. I do keep Cliff Blueberry bars in my car for when the girls need a snack and I kind of like the lemon Luna bars, but again they're not my go-to healthy snack. I have a recipe for peanutbutter oatmeal balls that is pretty healthy (low sugar ratio to other good foods, yet it still has sugar as well. It's so hard to get away from in a premade snack in general.

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Chewy granola bar: nutricious snack or candy bar?

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