Muesli Bar Review: Getting the most out of your snack!

Muesli bars are a convenient snack to have in your car, bag or work draw and can satisfy those unexpected ‘hangry’ moments. They can also provide some quick post-exercise nutrition on the run! But how many times have you eaten a muesli bar, only to feel hungry an hour later and reach for something else.

We have all walked down the muesli bar isle bombarded with so many choices, all claiming to be the best snack for you. With so many sitting on the shelf it can be daunting finding a healthy choice.

The following details are some quick tips you can use to help you choose the best muesli bar for you and get the most out of your snack.

Ingredients list – Listed from the greatest to the lowest amount by weight. Look for quality ingredients, including higher percentages of wholegrains, oats, nuts and seeds.

Protein – A higher protein content is beneficial as this will help with keeping you feeling full and contribute to a balanced protein intake throughout the day. If using a bar as apart of a grab and go post-exercise snack, a higher protein content will contribute to muscle repair and maintenance!

Sugar – try and aim for a muesli bar that has less than 15g/100g (If the bar contains dried fruit they will have a greater sugar amount around 20-25g and may still be a good option). You can also look for where the sugar appears in the ingredients list. The closer to the start of the list, the higher the percentage of sugar in the product. A great tip is to try and make sure sugar isn’t appearing in the first 3 ingredients. This can get tricky as food companies use many different words for sugar e.g. brown sugar, raw sugar, golden syrup, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose, dextrose, malt syrup and food concentrate.

Fibre – The more fibre the better! Fibre keeps us regular and feeds our healthy gut bacteria. (Just remember to keep sipping on water to help keep your bowels moving). Anything with 3g or more per serve is a great amount!

*For women we are aiming for 25g of fibre per day and men 30g of fibre per day.

With this in mind, we have chosen some of the top muesli bars available on the market today:

Product

Protein

Fibre

Sugar

Benefits

Barley⁺Seven Seeds Bars

10.2/100g

3.6g/serve

25.6g/100g

9.0g/serve

7.5g/100g

2.6g/serve

High in fibre keeping you fuller for longer and helping you hit your fibre intake for the day.

30% of your recommended daily intake in one snack!

Carmen’s Gourmet Protein Bar – Coconut, Yoghurt & Roasted Nut (Gluten Free)

25.6g/100g

10.3g/serve

3.9g/100g

1.6g/serve

21.2g/100g

8.5g/serve

High protein levels with moderate sugar per serve.

A great post exercise snack with a piece of fruit or yoghurt!

Carmen’s Original Fruit Free Bar

(Low FODMAP Certified)

9.9g/100g

4.5g/serve

7.3g/100g

3.3g/serve

13.6g/100g

6.1g/serve

These fruit free bars are a great option as they have less sugar and they have moderate levels of protein and fibre helping you keep fuller for longer!

Nice & Natural Protein Nut Bars with 3 Super Seeds – Caramel Flavour