Granola bars have a reputation for being a great healthy snack, but that is unfortunately not always the case. Some are so high in sugar, fat and calories that they are as bad as candy bars!

Follow these three steps to make sure you are choosing a healthy granola bar you can feel good about.

1. Check the sugar content.

Granola bars can come packed with added sugars. Look for sugar in the ingredient list and make sure it is not in the first 3 ingredients listed. Ingredients are ordered by weight, so the first three ingredients are what the bars are primarily made from.

Sugar may be listed under a variety of different names such as cane syrup, cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, corn syrup, crystalline fructose, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, sucrose, or raw sugar.

Some granola bars are flavored with natural sugar from dates, raisins, honey, and pure maple syrup. No matter the source, make sure the bar contains 9 grams of sugar or less.

2. Check the fiber.

It is recommended for good health to consume 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Fiber keeps you feeling full and promotes healthy digestion. Look for granola bars that have at least 3 grams (ideally 5 grams) of fiber.

3. Check the ingredient list.

Check the ingredient list to see what the bar actually contains. You want your granola bar to be full of nutrient dense, whole food ingredients. Great ingredients to see are oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, brown rice or brown rice flour, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and coconut.

Make your own!

A great option is to make your own granola bars. When your bars are homemade, you control the quality of ingredients. Stick with simple, wholesome ingredients like rolled oats, peanut butter, almond butter, cocoa powder, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, almonds, seeds (such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds), applesauce, honey, and dates. 

Need a recipe for your homemade granola bars? Try my 6-ingredient No-Bake Granola Bar recipe!