Oh, Nature Valley bars–they get little crumbs everywhere; however, they’re delicious! Their title “Nature Valley” sounds pretty innocent as well. However, today we’ll take into the nutritional information of the bars. Are Nature Valley bars healthy? Read some amazing Nature Valley Granola Bars Nutrition Facts here!
Nature Valley bars are packed with whole grain oatmeal and other healthy ingredients, such as dried fruits and nuts. However, many of their bars contain at least 10 grams of sugar for each portion. Also, they contain processed ingredients such as rice flour and canola oil. This means they are not the most healthy choice.
Below, I’ll examine the sugar levels in two of Nature Valley’s top line of products. We’ll also look at the amount of protein, fiber and overall quality of the ingredient, and so much more!
Can Nature Valley Bars Good for You?
Below are seven of the questions I’ve answered regarding Nature Valley nutrition. Click to skip to the next section, or continue reading:
- What are Nature Valley Bars Made of?
Let’s begin with a look at the ingredients. Nature Valley has many different bars, but we’ll take a look at the two most well-known types: the Crunchy Granola Bars along with the Nut and Nut Bars.
Below are the essential ingredients to the Crunch bars they sell:
A Peanut Butter Crunchy Granola bars The ingredients are Whole Grain Oats sugar, Canola Oil (peanuts, salt), Peanut Butter (peanuts and salt), and Rice Flour the Brown Sugar Syrup Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin.
Here are the main ingredients needed to make the flavor of Fruit & Nut flavor:
Dark Chocolate and Nut Fruit Nut Bars are made of Whole Grain Oats, Corn Syrup, Semisweet Chocolate Chunks (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin, and natural flavor) Roasted Peanuts. Raisins, Rice Flour sugar and vegetables Glycerin, Canola Oil, Fructose Corn Starch, and Soy Lecithin and salt Barley Malt Extract Baking Soda, Natural Flavor and Vitamin E (mixed added to Retain Freshness.
What I’ve noticed concerning the ingredients:
They are made from whole grain oatmeal. Oats are a good source of soluble fiber and can reduce cholesterol. Granola bars typically contain Oats, which isn’t anything special.
They are packed with peanuts. Both bars contain peanuts, or peanut butter. Technically speaking, peanuts are legumes and not nuts. They do have the same benefits for health as peanuts (as they’re safe for you if you’re not allergic).
They have a variety of sugar ingredients. In both bars, you’ll find numerous sugar-based sweeteners. This includes sugar, corn syrup brown sugar syrup and fructose. (The grains of rice, the corn starch, and barley malt extract could also increase the glycemic load.)
Also, read Froot Loops Nutrition Facts!
They are made with refined oil. Both of these bars contain canola oil. It’s not the most hygienic oil, but it’s not the most prestigious either. It’s usually processed to a high degree by using hexane and extreme temperatures.
Overall Nature Valley bars are made up of whole foods that are healthy and nutritious, along with refined fat and oils. Therefore, they’re not only good or bad.
After having read these ingredients I’m worried about the sugar amount. So let’s examine that next.
- Do Nature Valley bars contain sugar? Rich in Sugar?
Nature Valley’s Crunchy Granola Bars are a good source of 10 to 12 grams of sugar for each portion (two bars). Their Nut and Fruit Bars contain 6-8 grams of sugar in a portion (one Bar). Nature Valley Bars contain lower sugar levels than Clif Bars but they contain more sugar than the majority of Kind Bars.
Below, I’ve created tables that show the sugar content total of each flavor of Nature Valley Bars.
To make the crunchy Granola Bars each bar contains two small Granola bars. The sugar quantity is enough for two smaller bars and not one. Be aware that nearly all the sugar found in Crunchies is sugar added:
- Crunchy Granola Bar Flavor Sugar
- Apple Crisp 10g
- Cinnamon 11g
- Maple Brown Sugar 12g
- Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate 12g
- Oats ‘n Honey 11g
- Peanut Butter 11g
- Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate 12g
- Pecan 11g
- Roasted Almond 11g
Natural Valley Granola Crunchy Bars’ Sugar Content. (Source: naturevalley.com)
These sugar levels are like GoMacro bars but a little lower than Larabars. They’re also nearly twice the amount of sugar that Kind Bars usually have.
The next step is to look at the Fruit and Nut Bars. These are packaged individually and the serving size is one bar. Therefore, the sugar is only one bar
Fruit & Nut Bar Flavor Sugar
Cranberry & Pomegranate 6g
Dark Chocolate & Nut 8g
Dark Chocolate Cherry 8g
Trail Mix 8g
Sugar content of Nature Valley’s fruit and Nut Bars. (Source: naturevalley.com)
Be aware that some of the sugar found in Fruit & Nut bars comes naturally from fruit. But, in the majority flavors, there’s just a couple of grams of sugar that comes from fruit. The rest comes due to added sugar.
Overall, I think the Nature Valley bars moderate in sugar content. The Nut and Fruit Bars contain less sugar than Crunchy Granola bars… however, it’s mostly because their serving sizes are less.
- How Much Protein Do Nature Valley Bars Have?
Most Nature Valley bars contain only 2 to 4 grams of protein per bar. But, Nature Valley Protein bars contain 10-grams of protein in each bar. Additionally, Nature Valley “XL Protein” bars contain fifteen grams of protein in each bar.
Nature Valley’s Crunchy Granola Bars contain 3-4 grams of protein per 2-bar serving. However the Fruit & Nut bars have much less, with only 2-3 grams of protein for each bar. Therefore, unless you’re buying “Protein” bars specifically, you’re not getting a lot of protein.
In reality, Nature Valley’s non-protein bars contain less protein than the Larabars. It’s a bit low, considering Larabars are mostly dates and nuts.
If you look at Nature Valley’s Protein bars, they’ll see that they’re not vegan. The protein they add is mostly Whey protein. The flavor I tested also contained different milk ingredients.
Nature Valley has two distinct “levels” of protein bars however. The majority contain the equivalent of 10g protein in each bar. This is the case for Chewy or Crunch bar with protein. But they also have “XL Protein” bars have 15 grams of protein in each bar.
If you’re trying to obtain the highest amount of protein in a bar, you can find bars that have more protein, but not yet. Here are two options for vegans I love that contain the equivalent of 20g of protein per bar:
- Are Nature Valley Bars Good For Weight Loss?
Nature Valley bars aren’t the best choice for weight loss because they are large in calories. They’re loaded with calories, such as sugar and canola oil, along with dried fruit, nuts or chocolate. To shed weight using Nature Valley bars, you’d likely have to reduce portions or track calories.
Rememberthat the most important aspect of weight loss is balance in calories. If you’re trying to help you lose weight and more enjoyable, the most nutritious foods to eat are those that have an extremely low calorie content.
Low-calorie foods are usually filled with water and fiber. They can fill your stomach and allow you to feel fuller with lower calories.
Unfortunately, most Nature Valley bars don’t contain enough water or fiber. For instance, the Crunchy Granola Bars have only just 2g of fiber in each serving. It’s just half the fiber contained in the 1/2 cup of roll-up oatmeal.
The reality is, Nature Valley bars are composed predominantly of calorically rich ingredients. They contain sugar and other sweeteners, oil like canola, and sometimes dried fruit, peanut butter and chocolate.
Around 200 calories are contained in the 2 bar Crunchy Granola bar pack. This is pretty typical for bars made of granola, but they aren’t as healthy when compared with whole plants. To get the same number of calories can consume roughly two medium-sized bananas.
It is possible to lose weight by taking in Nature Valley bar. There’s nothing inherently unhealthy about Nature Valley bars. They don’t cause you to gain weight. They’re also not helping you shed weight.
Related to the following question:
Can Nature Valley Bars Good For Weight Gain? Nature Valley Bars can be beneficial for weight loss since they’re large in calories. However, your overall balance is the most important thing. If you want to gain weight, attempt to increase the size of your portions and overall calorie intake.
- Can Nature Valley Bars be considered Full Grain?
Nature Valley bars are made of whole grain Oats. But, they are also laden with processed components, such as brown sugar syrup, sugar as well as canola oil and rice flour. So, Nature Valley bars would not be considered “whole foods” overall.
This is a very common occurrence. A lot of processed foods have the whole grain, which makes them appear healthier… But then you discover that there’s lots of oil and sugar within it, too.
The majority of granolas and bars are made this way. Yes, they are healthy Oats rolled in a roll. But they also have lots of sugar.
If you are looking for healthy Granola bars that are healthy, the best choice is usually to make your own. Fruit can be used to give it the sweetness. Search for healthy recipes for granola bars online.
