Health

Top 11 Natural Energy Bars

Updated March 24, 2013

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I'm not the granola type, but when the ingredient list looks like a chemistry lab experiment, you begin to wonder. These natural energy bars have simple ingredient lists you can understand -- fruits, nuts and seeds. This results in bars without weird off-tastes from the additives and attempts to make palm oil taste like chocolate. These snacks will all provide you energy during a long walk. For endurance events such as a half marathon or marathon, try them on training walks first to be sure you tolerate the ingredients.

1. CLIF Kit's Organic Fruit and Nut Bar

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These bars taste great but have a short ingredient list. You can understand everything that goes into them -- pretty much just USDA Certified Organic fruit and nuts and a little sea salt. They come in a good snack size that varies from 170 to 200 calories per bar depending on the flavor. They won't crumble or melt in your pack and make a great walking snack. And for those who depend on them not having stuff in them, they are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, have no artificial flavors or colors or preservatives, and they are vegan-friendly.

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2. Larabar

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Larabar has good things going for it in both what it has (a short ingredient list of raw whole foods) and what it doesn't have (gluten, dairy, soy.) It also doesn't have a coating that will melt when you carry it in your pack. I like the texture because it doesn't crumble yet it is easy to break into chunks and to chew. As for the taste, I find it excellent. And I love to try their different varieties which come named after pies.

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3. CLIF MOJO Bars

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The CLIF MOJO is a trail mix bar. They come in several flavors, but each combines sweet and salty like you find in trail mix. They have nuts, chocolate, pretzel pieces, raisins and other understandable ingredients shaped into a bar for convenience. They are 70% organic ingredients. Each of the varieties has 8-9 grams of protein, but also 9-11 grams of fat. But they still come in at 200 calories or less. That can help with portion control if you find yourself eating a whole bag of trail mix rather than stopping at 200 calories. However, I do find these bars to be dangerous because they just taste so darned good. If I have more than 1 available, it's hard to stop, even though they are very satisfying. There are versions that are dipped in chocolate or other tasty coatings. I wouldn't recommend those for taking along walking as the coatings are liable to melt on warmer days.

4. SoLo Low Glycemic Nutrition Bar

SoLo is a great-tasting sports energy bar with slow-burning carbs, protein, natural ingredients, and essential vitamins and minerals. Rather than sending you on a sugar high and crash, or replacing natural sugars with gut-wrenching sugar alcohols, this bar promises sustained energy.

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5. The GFB Gluten Free Bar

These bars are certified gluten-free and are also dairy-free and casein-free. They have a low glycemic index and a generous amount of protein per bar. They also taste great and have an excellent consistency for carrying along on your walks. They aren't crumbly and don't have any coating that can melt.

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6. barre Real Food Bars

These "real food" bars use agave nectar and dates for sweetness, hemp seed, hemp protein, walnuts, pecans and sea salt for for protein and electrolyte balance. All great natural ingredients, vegan and high in Omega-3 with no refined sugar. They have a very good taste, with flavors such as Black Swan chocolate berry and Pirouette cinnamon pecan. I liked the bar consistency for taking on a walk. It didn't have a coating that might melt in my pack, and the bar was both easy to take a bite from and it didn't crumble. Each bar is a friendly 200 to 210 calories.

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7. Skout Trailbar

I found these bars on my way through Portland International Airport when I needed a snack bar to take along on a short trip. They are made with organic ingredients and contain a full serving of fruit in each bar. They are dairy-free and soy-free and vegan. For example, the chocolate + peanut butter bar contains only organic dates, oats, peanuts, fair trade unsweetened dark chocolate and sea salt, and weighs in at only 160 calories. That's great for a trail snack, especially because they are uncoated and don't crumble. Everything I want in a trailbar.

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8. ProBar

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The ProBar is a tasty energy bar whose ingredient list makes you feel pure and wholesome. It uses natural nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to make a tasty bar much higher in fiber than most energy bars, with 6 grams per bar. At 380 calories, they recommend eating only half at a time for better calorie control. The consistency of the bar is excellent - no coatings to melt, easy to break in half, but it doesn't crumble, easy to chew. Really perfect for munching while walking.

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9. Gorge Delights JustFruit Bar

Gorge Delights JustFruit Bars are just fruit - apple puree and apple or other fruit concentrates depending on which flavor. They are basically a thick fruit leather. These can be a good substitute for an energy gel, a source of natural sugar energy for endurance. They are relatively easy to chew, or you can just let them melt away in your mouth.

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10. BG Bar

A whole-food nutrition snack bar with natural ingredients, no chemical additives, dairy or gluten. Quite tasty, with a balance of protein, carbohydrate, 7 grams of fiber, and fats. For a convenience snack bar for longer walks, it very much fits the nutrition guidelines for most diet programs.

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11. SOYJOY Nutrition Bars

SOYJOY nutrition bars are a good quick snack before or during walking. The all-natural ingredients are easy to understand - fruits, whole soybeans rather than processed soy protein concentrate, sugar, butter and eggs like you'd bake yourself. I liked the texture, easy to bite into and chew but not crumbly. They don't have any coatings that will melt in your pack. For those who need a small snack, the controlled portion of 130-140 calories is good.

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