The Best Paleo Friendly Granola Bar

Buying Guide

The paleo diet is meant to resemble the meal plans of our hunter-gatherer ancestors from thousands of years ago. While we cannot be sure of exactly what they ate, the idea is to emulate eating similar things to our ancestors in order to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Our ancestors ate what was available to them, so their diets varied greatly depending on the region they were in and what the season was.

Some hunter-gatherers ate a lot of animal protein and fat and fewer carbohydrates, while others ate a largely plant-based diet that was high in carbs and low in animal fat. In the paleo diet, it’s important to avoid processed foods, sugar and most dairy, as those foods were not usually available to our ancestors. People who follow the paleo diet also avoid legumes, grains, vegetable oil, trans fat and artificial sweeteners.

In the paleo diet, it’s important to focus on eating whole foods, such as meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts and herbs are vital, as are healthy fats and oils. Granola bars are a staple of today, but many of the ingredients in granola bars are not supposed to be eaten in the paleo diet. For example, it’s best to avoid grains, processed sugar and artificial sweeteners, which are often common in granola bars.

If you’re looking for a paleo-friendly granola bar, carefully read the ingredients to make sure they include whole foods that are unprocessed and healthy. Make sure there are plenty of nuts, seeds, healthy fats and natural sugar such as maple syrup included in your paleo-friendly granola bars. Dried fruit such as cranberries adds a lovely flavor to granola bars, as do cacao nibs.

• The most important element to research when you’re looking for paleo-friendly granola bars is the ingredients. Carefully read the ingredient list and the nutritional information to see whether the granola bar adheres to the basics of the paleo diet. For example, you’ll find many paleo-friendly granola bars that include nuts like cashews, almonds and peanuts, and seeds like flax, pumpkin and chia. Collagen protein from grass-fed cows is another popular ingredient in paleo-friendly granola bars. Tapioca and coconut are also used. Make sure that the packaging states no artificial sweeteners have been used.
• The flavor of the paleo-friendly granola bars is key because you don’t want to be stuck with something you won’t like. Many granola bars have chocolate as the main flavor, which is popular with most consumers. Fruit and nut combinations are also common. If you’re a fan of cookie dough, you’re in luck as that’s a main flavor of paleo-friendly granola bars as well.
• If you’re counting calories, carbs, sugar and protein, you’ll want to review the nutritional information in detail. Keep in mind that the caloric value of paleo-friendly granola bars is usually fairly high because they contain a lot of healthy fats such as nuts and seeds. Keep an eye on the carbs, sugar and protein to ensure you’re not going over your daily quota by enjoying one of these snacks.
• Consider the quantity you get in each paleo-friendly granola bar package. Most commonly, these bars are sold in boxes of 12, though you can also find smaller or larger packaging in some cases.