Top 7 Nut Free Granola Bars

We all have days when we find ourselves running out the door with no time to prepare meals or snacks.

When chosen carefully, granola bars can be a nutritious grab-and-go option for even the busiest students and working professionals alike. They’re a convenient way to get much needed fuel on rushed mornings and a trusty choice for fending off hunger between meals.

However, nuts and nut butters are a common ingredient in many nutrition bars, which makes finding granola bars extremely tricky for the 6 million people in the U.S. that have a peanut allergy and the 4 million who have a tree nut allergy (1).

Here is a breakdown of how to choose a healthy, nut-free granola bar plus 5 of the best options you can buy.

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How to choose healthy nut free granola bars

While many granola bars contain nuts and nut butters, there are plenty of nut-free options to choose from.

First and foremost, be sure to check product labels when shopping for nut-free granola bars. If nuts or peanuts are used in the product, the manufacturer must list them in the ingredients list.

Regardless of whether peanuts or tree nuts are in the ingredients list, there is also the potential risk of cross-contact. Though they often do, manufacturers aren’t required to disclose whether the product may have come into contact with peanuts or tree nuts during processing. Therefore, your safest option is to choose granola bars made in dedicated nut-free facilities (2).

Besides ensuring your granola bar doesn’t contain nuts, here are some other things to be mindful of:

• Fiber. One reason granola bars are so good at providing energy and keeping you satiated is their high fiber content. Fiber aids digestion, promotes gut health, and helps you maintain stable energy levels throughout the day (3). A granola bar is considered a good source of fiber if it contains more than 10% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) per serving (4).

• Protein. Some granola bars can serve as a good source of protein, providing more than 10% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) (5, 6). Nut-free protein bars are typically made with protein sources like soy protein isolate, brown rice protein, and whey protein.

• Added sugar.  Around 80% of granola bars are packed with added sugars, most commonly cane sugar, brown rice syrup, and honey (7). The American Heart Association recommends no more than around 150 calories per day from added sugar for men and 100 calories per day from added sugar for women (8).

• Level of processing. While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed ingredients such as artificial colors and flavors as safe, they are an indicator that the product is highly processed. More and more research associates high intakes of ultra-processed foods with an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, depression, and other common health conditions (9).

All the products below were selected based on the following:

– Do NOT contain tree nuts (except for coconut)

– Do NOT contain peanuts

– Cross-contamination risk if any is noted under Allergen info

*Always check the label for possible allergens before consuming.

1. Made Good Granola Bars – Chocolate Banana

2. Kind – Granola Bars Oats & Honey

3. Annie’s Homegrown – Double Chocolate Chip Chewy Gluten Free Granola Bars

4. Simply Delicious – Bobo’s Oat Bars Bites Lemon Poppyseed

Notable Mentions

We included other nut-free bars that are good source of fiber, protein or both.

5. Spike’s Baking – Raw Organic Coconut Bar

6. Luna – Organic Nutrition Bar Chocolate Cupcake Gluten Free

7. Gomacro – Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Heartwarming Retreat Macrobar

Key takeaways for choosing nut-free granola bars

Granola bars can be an easy, on-the-go snack. But what’s not so easy is the process of finding products that are suitable for both your allergy needs and your health.

As you shop for nut-free granola bars, the first step is to double check the ingredient list for peanuts and tree nuts if you are allergic. If you’re concerned about cross-contact, be sure to read the allergen statement — the safest choice is always choosing products made on dedicated nut-free equipment or in 100% nut-free facilities.

If you’re stuck trying to decide between a few bars, consider choosing one that is higher in fiber and protein, with good sources containing more than 10% of the DV of each of these nutrients per serving. Additionally, be mindful of highly processed ingredients such as artificial flavors and colors, as well as the amount of added sugar. Try to limit your total daily intake of to less than 100-150 calories from added sugar per day.

There are 1,000s of food products that won’t be right for you

Let GreenChoice find the ones that are

Tell us your dietary needs & values and we’ll show you foods that match!

***

GreenChoice, PBC has evaluated and rated more than 340,000 food & beverage products across hundreds of attributes related to diet, health, and sustainability. Easily find the best products for you, the planet, & your budget. Download the free GreenChoice app for Apple iOS or Android!

The nutrition, ingredient, allergen, and other product information on this site is for reference purposes only.

Sydney W

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Makayla Meixner, MS, RDN

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Merve

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