What Should I Look for in a Healthy Snack Bar or Protein Bar?

If you have ever stood in the snack aisle staring at a wall of bars and cookies while your kids ask for the brightest, sugariest option on the shelf, you are not alone. Between “high protein,” “low sugar,” “energy boosting,” and “guilt free,” it can feel impossible to know what is actually healthy and what is just clever packaging.

The good news is that choosing a genuinely nutritious snack does not need to be complicated. With a few simple things to look for, you can quickly sort out the snacks that will keep everyone fuelled from the ones that will lead to a crash twenty minutes later.

Here is the simple, mom-friendly guide to picking a great snack bar or protein cookie.

1. Look for real ingredients you actually recognize

If you would never cook with it at home, you probably do not need it in a snack bar.

Good signs include:

• Nuts, seeds, oats, dried fruit

• Nut butter

• Honey or maple syrup

• Ingredients you could picture in your pantry

Red flags include:

• Artificial sweeteners

• Long chemical names

• Sugar alcohols (these can lead to stomach issues, especially for kids)

• A long list of preservatives or fillers

A helpful rule of thumb: if you need to sound out an ingredient, it is worth putting the bar back.

2. Aim for a nice balance, not crazy numbers

Our culture loves extremes. The “more protein the better” trend is a perfect example. But for most people, a snack does not need to be a bodybuilder’s meal.

For a simple, balanced snack, look for something with:

• 10 to 20 grams of protein

• 4 to 10 grams of fibre

• Healthy fats from nuts or seeds

• Carbs from whole ingredients like oats or fruit

A snack like this will keep you full without making you feel weighed down.

3. Check the sugar, but do not panic about it

There is sugar that makes sense, and sugar that is just… sugar.

Totally fine and often nutritious:

• Honey

• Maple syrup

• Fruit-based sweetness

Sugar to keep an eye on:

• Corn syrup

• Artificial sweeteners

• Sugar alcohols

You do not need sugar-free snacks. You just want the sugar to come from real ingredients instead of something that sounds like it was created in a lab.

4. Fibre matters more than you think

Most people focus only on protein, but fibre is what truly keeps you full and steady.

Aim for 6 to 10 grams of fibre in a snack bar or cookie.
This helps:

• Prevent energy crashes

• Support digestion

• Keep hunger away longer

A lot of mainstream protein bars barely have any fibre at all, which is why they do not keep you satisfied for very long.

5. Taste and texture are part of the equation

Let’s be honest. You can buy the “healthiest” bar in the world, but if it tastes like chalk or takes half a bottle of water to swallow, it is going to sit in your cupboard forever.

A healthy snack should:

• Taste good

• Be easy to chew

• Not have that weird “protein dust” mouthfeel

• Be something you actually look forward to eating

A nutritious snack that your family enjoys will always be more useful than a “perfect” snack no one wants.

6. Think about sourcing and how the ingredients were grow

This does not have to be complicated.
Just check for simple signals like:

• Organic ingredients

• Fair trade cocoa if chocolate is involved

• Brands that share where their ingredients come from

• Companies that use local or regional suppliers

If a brand is transparent, it usually means they feel confident in what they are using.

7. Take big promises with a grain of salt

Labels like

• “Zero sugar”

• “Guilt free”

• “Keto friendly”

• “All natural”

can sometimes hide things like artificial sweeteners or over-processed protein isolates.

A quick skim of the ingredient list will tell you more than any marketing claim ever will.

In Conclusion

A healthy snack bar or protein cookie generally has:

• Ingredients you could cook with at home

• Protein, fibre, carbs, and fats in a nice balance

• Natural sweetness from real food

• A meaningful amount of fibre

• A taste and texture that feels like actual food

• Ingredients that come from reputable, transparent sources

Snacks that fit these criteria tend to keep you full longer, support steady energy, and make it easier to avoid the mid-afternoon crash that comes for all of us.

Made with Local’s snacks follow this overall approach with whole ingredients and fibre-rich recipes. That said, these guidelines apply across the entire snack aisle and can help you feel more confident choosing any product.