Today we’re gonna chat about granola bars, mmkay?

I’ve never really been one to stick with just one brand of bar. I’ve jumped around from Luna bars to Clif bars to Larabars and more. The list goes on. But over the past year or two, as Tim and I have really started paying attention to the ingredients in the food we buy, I’ve been more partial to KIND. I think that they have the best compromise when it comes to what’s in their products versus taste.

I was first exposed to KIND bars while traveling for work. I remember being hungry and rushing through the airport (ok, I was more likely hangry at this point). I remember grabbing the dark chocolate nuts and sea salt bar from one of the newsstand places. Then I remember it was love at first bite. Seriously, delicious. After that first experience, I read up a little more on KIND and liked what I found. Their ingredient lists are simple. I know what each ingredient is, and I can pronounce them. That’s so important.

This year I actually collaborated with KIND for our wellness program at work. My co-worker, Jen, has a contact at KIND that first donated products for our company-wide walking program kick-off and then sent staff to work a table at our first company wide health fair. To say that the table and samples were a huge hit at our fair is an understatement. People are still talking about them!

Last fall, KIND launched a new healthy grains line to expand their product offerings. Luckily for me, KIND recently offered to send me a sampling to try and review for you guys.

Each KIND healthy grains bar is gluten-free, non GMO, and has 18-22 grams of whole grains (amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and gluten-free oats). Each runs in around 150 calories and has about 6 grams of sugar. For more nutrition info, you’ll have to check out each bar individually on their website.

KIND healthy grains bars are available in the following flavors:

• Maple pumpkin seeds with sea salt
• Oats and honey with toasted coconut
• Dark chocolate chunk
• Vanilla blueberry
• Peanut butter dark chocolate

The healthy grains bars are advertised as being “chewy with a crunch,” and this description is spot on. I think a lot of other granola bars out there are either one or the other, but these are a nice blend of both. They remind me of the texture of a Rice Krispie treat. I really like getting a subtle crunch with each bite without having the entire bar crumble all over my lap. That’s the worst, especially because the crumbs usually end up all over my car too . Most of the time I’m snacking on these on the way to the gym!

I also enjoy the subtle flavor tastes in each bar. That might sound weird, but for example, when eating the vanilla blueberry bar, I got just the right amount of blueberry and vanilla with each bite. I hate when a bar has a flavor that’s SO strong you feel like what you’re eating can’t be real.

While I enjoyed all the flavors, I think my favorite was the maple pumpkin with sea salt.

Tim said he really like the maple pumpkin one too because he usually craves salt in the afternoon, so this bar was a nice way for him to curb his salty craving without turning to a not so good for your snack. I have to agree!

Thank you, KIND, for letting me sample your healthy grains line! Loved it.

–Let’s chat–
Are you loyal to any one brand of granola bars? Have you tried KIND bars before? What about KIND’s healthy grains line? Which of the flavors sounds the best to you?

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to write this post, but I was provided free products in exchange for writing this review.  As always, all opinions are my own.