Are Kashi Bars Healthy? 7 Things You Should Know

Are Kashi Bars a healthy snack option?

Granola bars are so tricky from a nutrition perspective. Many brands have whole grains… but then, they also have a ton of sugar! It can be hard to find the truly healthy brands. So today, let’s take a look at Kashi Bars. Are they healthy?

Kashi Bars have healthy ingredients like whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit. However, they also have processed ingredients like sugar and vegetable oil. Most Kashi Bars have about 3g of fiber, 3g of protein, and 7g of sugar per bar, which are all pretty average. Overall, Kashi Bars are moderately healthy.

Below, we’ll look at Kashi Bar nutrition in detail. We’ll analyze the sugar, protein, fiber, sodium, ingredient quality, and more. We’ll see how Kashi Bars compare to Clif Bars, Nature Valley Bars, and other popular brands. And I’ll suggest a few of my favorite alternatives!

Are Kashi Bars Good for You?

Below are 7 questions I’ve answered about Kashi Bar nutrition. Click to skip to any section, or keep reading for the full analysis:

1. What Are Kashi Bars Made Of?
2. Are Kashi Bars High in Sugar?
3. Are Kashi Bars High in Protein?
4. Are Kashi Bars High in Fiber?
5. Are Kashi Bars High in Sodium?
6. Are Kashi Bars Good For Weight Loss?
7. Are Kashi Bars Vegan?

1. What Are Kashi Bars Made Of?

Let’s start by looking at the ingredients. There are many flavors of Kashi Bars, but we’ll look at five products to get a sample.

Here is a table of Kashi bar ingredients for 5 popular flavors. I’ll share my takeaways below the table:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Ingredients
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bars)	Strawberry filling (pear juice concentrate, tapioca syrup, cane sugar, apple powder, strawberry puree concentrate, cornstarch, glycerin, natural flavors, elderberry juice concentrate for color), Kashi Seven Whole Grain flour (oats, hard red wheat, brown rice, rye, triticale, barley, buckwheat), whole wheat flour, whole grain oats, invert cane syrup, expeller pressed canola oil, honey, chicory root fiber, vegetable glycerin, tapioca syrup, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda), soy lecithin, xanthan gum, natural flavors.
Chocolate Chip Chia	Whole grain oats, whole grain blend (barley, buckwheat, hard red wheat, rye, triticale, quinoa), cane sugar, semisweet chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla bean), expeller pressed canola oil, invert cane syrup, cornstarch, chia seeds, brown rice flour, coconut, whole oat flour, sea salt, molasses, baking soda, natural flavor, soy lecithin, rosemary extract for freshness.
Dark Chocolate Coconut	Rolled whole grain blend (hard red wheat, oats, rye, triticale, barley), soy protein crisps (soy flour, tapioca starch, soy fiber), date paste, cane sugar, vegetable glycerin, brown rice syrup, inulin, coconut, chocolate, expeller pressed canola oil, walnuts, cornstarch, invert cane syrup, cocoa, honey, acacia gum, natural flavors, soy lecithin, salt, xanthan gum, peanut flour, almonds, organic skim milk.
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	Whole grain oats, brown rice syrup, almonds, cane sugar, semisweet chocolate (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), brown rice flour, chocolate, expeller pressed sunflower oil, vegetable glycerin, chia seeds, oat fiber, dried brown rice syrup, sea salt, cocoa, natural flavor, rosemary extract for freshness.
Trail Mix	Whole grain oats, brown rice syrup, almonds, dried brown rice syrup, cane sugar, brown rice flour, raisins, sunflower seeds, oat fiber, sunflower oil, glycerin, cranberries, cane syrup, sea salt, natural flavor, rosemary extract for freshness, peanut flour.

Here’s what I notice about these ingredients:

• Kashi Bars have whole grains. Many Kashi bars have whole grain oats. Other flavors have whole wheat, barley, brown rice flour, and other healthy whole grains. That said, most brands of granola bars have whole grains of some kind—so, this is not too special.

• Kashi Bars often have fruits, nuts, and seeds. Depending on the flavor, some Kashi bars have strawberries, cranberries, almonds, chia seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, coconut, or other healthy plant-based ingredients.

• Kashi Bars have added sugar and syrup sweeteners. These include cane sugar, invert cane syrup, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, honey, and molasses. Some flavors also have concentrated fruit sugar from date paste, raisins, or fruit juice concentrates. These all likely add to the glycemic load and potentially cause blood-sugar spikes.

• Kashi Bars contain vegetable oil. Most Kashi bars contain sunflower oil or canola oil. In many cases, these oils are expeller-pressed, so they’re made without the chemicals often used to make vegetable oil. But still, these oils are high in calories and relatively low in nutrients.

Overall, Kashi bars are a mixed bag. They have healthy whole grains, and often some fruits and nuts—but they also have processed sugars and oil. So, they are not totally good or totally bad.

After reading the ingredients, I feel most concerned about the sugar. So let’s look at that next.

2. Are Kashi Bars High in Sugar?

Most Kashi bars have around 7g of sugar per bar, which is low to moderate for granola bars. Kashi Breakfast Bars have more sugar, with 9 to 11g per bar. For the lowest-sugar Kashi bar, choose a grain-free flavor, which only have 5 to 6g of sugar per bar.

Here is a table showing the “total sugar” in several Kashi bar flavors:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Total Sugar (Per Bar)
Mixed Berry (Breakfast Bar)	11g
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bar)	10g
Chocolate (Breakfast Bar)	9g
Chocolate Chip Chia	9g
Dark Chocolate Coconut	7g
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	7g
Dark Mocha Almond	7g
Honey Almond Flax	7g
Trail Mix	7g
Peanut Butter Chocolate (Grain Free)	6g
Coconut Almond (Grain Free)	5g

Take note: Most of the sugar in Kashi Bars is added sugar—not from fruit or whole foods. However, this varies by flavor. The Dark Chocolate Coconut flavor only has 4g of “added sugar,” as it also has date paste, which adds natural sugar.

So, how does this sugar content compare to other popular bars? It depends on the specific flavors you compare, but most flavors of Kashi Bars contain:

• Less total sugar than Clif Bars (17 to 21g per bar)
• Less total sugar than Larabars (13 to 20g per bar)
• Less total sugar than RXBARs (13 to 18g per bar)
• Less total sugar than GoMacro Bars (10 to 15g per bar)
• Similar sugar as Nature Valley Bars (6 to 12g per serving)
• More total sugar than Quaker Chewy Bars (5 to 7g per bar)
• More total sugar than Kind Bars (5g in many bars)

Disclaimer: These numbers may vary depending on the specific products. Also, the source of sugar may differ (fruit vs processed sugar). Do your own research to confirm the sugar content you’re happy with.

Overall, I consider Kashi Bars to have low to moderate sugar. But what about protein?

3. Are Kashi Bars High in Protein?

Most Kashi bars only have 2 or 3 grams of protein per bar. Kashi’s Grain-Free bars have more protein, with 5 or 6 grams per bar. But that is still low compared to actual protein bars, which often have 10 to 20 grams per bar.

With the exception of the Grain-Free bars, most of the calories in Kashi Bars come from carbs, with the second-most calories coming from fat. (Meanwhile, fat is #1 in the Grain-Free bars.) Protein is a relatively minor component.

Here is a table showing the protein in various Kashi bar flavors:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Protein (Per Bar)
Mixed Berry (Breakfast Bar)	2g
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bar)	2g
Chocolate (Breakfast Bar)	2g
Chocolate Chip Chia	3g
Dark Chocolate Coconut	3g
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	3g
Dark Mocha Almond	3g
Honey Almond Flax	3g
Trail Mix	3g
Peanut Butter Chocolate (Grain Free)	6g
Coconut Almond (Grain Free)	5g

Kashi Grain-Free bars have the most protein, with around double of the other bars. But it’s still not much overall.

If you’re trying to eat a high-protein diet, you’ll find other bars with far more protein. Here are two vegan options I like with 20 grams of protein in each bar:

• Clif Builder’s Bars
• No Cow Bars (low-carb vegan)

4. Are Kashi Bars High in Fiber?

Most Kashi bars have 3 to 4 grams of fiber per bar. This is moderate fiber content for granola bars. Kashi Bars have more fiber than Quaker Chewy Bars.

Fiber is really one of the key nutrients that many people today don’t get enough of. Granola bars usually have at least a few grams of fiber, due to the whole grains used—but it can really differ by brand.

Here’s a table showing the fiber content of many popular Kashi bars:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Fiber (Per Bar)
Mixed Berry (Breakfast Bar)	3g
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bar)	3g
Chocolate (Breakfast Bar)	3g
Chocolate Chip Chia	3g
Dark Chocolate Coconut	3g
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	4g
Dark Mocha Almond	4g
Honey Almond Flax	3g
Trail Mix	3g
Peanut Butter Chocolate (Grain Free)	3g
Coconut Almond (Grain Free)	3g

5. Are Kashi Bars High in Sodium?

Kashi Bars have between 25mg and 125mg of sodium per bar, depending on the flavor. This is relatively low sodium for granola bars. The Dark Chocolate Coconut flavor is a great choice for low-sodium diets, with only 25mg of sodium per bar.

Here is a table showing the specific sodium content for many Kashi Bar flavors:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Sodium (Per Bar)
Mixed Berry (Breakfast Bar)	85mg
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bar)	85mg
Chocolate (Breakfast Bar)	105mg
Chocolate Chip Chia	100mg
Dark Chocolate Coconut	25mg
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	125mg
Dark Mocha Almond	60mg
Honey Almond Flax	95mg
Trail Mix	105mg
Peanut Butter Chocolate (Grain Free)	40mg
Coconut Almond (Grain Free)	45mg

As you can see, the sodium content of the highest-sodium Kashi Bar is about five times as high as the lowest-sodium flavor. So choosing the right flavor is important if you care about sodium content.

For reference: The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 2,300mg per day. But they are “moving toward an ideal limit” of only 1,500mg per day. That would still be over 10 Kashi bars of any flavor. So, Kashi Bars are not horrible when it comes to sodium.

If you want another good bar that is low in sodium, be sure to look at Larabars. Even the highest-sodium flavor only has 90mg of sodium per bar, and many flavors are completely salt-free.

6. Are Kashi Bars Good For Weight Loss?

Kashi Bars are not the perfect snack for weight loss, as they contain high-calorie ingredients like sugar, soybean oil, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. However, Kashi Bars are not necessarily fattening. They can be eaten in moderation on a weight-loss diet.

Remember: The most important thing for weight loss is your total calorie balance. And if you want to make weight loss easier, the best things to eat are foods with a low calorie density.

Low-calorie-density foods are typically high in fiber and water. Think vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. They fill up your stomach and help you feel full on fewer calories.

Most Kashi Bars have around 3 grams of fiber per bar, which is moderate. Most Kashi Bars have around 120 to 130 calories, which is pretty low for granola bars. So if you want to have a Kashi Bar from time to time, it’s not going to ruin your diet.

However, Grain-Free Kashi Bar flavors are higher in fat, and they have 190 to 200 calories per bar. So be careful of overeating with multiple bars of those higher-calorie flavors.

In general, one food will not make or break your diet. Portion sizes and total calorie balance may be the most important factors when trying to lose weight.

Related Question:

• Are Kashi Bars good for weight gain? Kashi Bars can be used for weight gain if they are eaten as part of an overall calorie surplus. For the easiest weight gain with Kashi Bars, choose the “Grain-Free” flavors, which are higher in nuts, fat, and total calories per bar.

7. Are Kashi Bars Vegan?

Vegan Kashi bar flavors include Chocolate Chip Chia, Chocolate Almond Sea Salt, Dark Mocha Almond, and Trail Mix. Most other flavors of Kashi Bars are not strictly vegan, as they contain honey. The Dark Chocolate Coconut flavor also contains milk.

Here is a table showing the results from when I checked 11 Kashi Bar flavors for animal-derived ingredients:

Kashi Bar Flavor	Is It Vegan?
Chocolate Chip Chia	Vegan
Chocolate Almond Sea Salt	Vegan
Dark Mocha Almond	Vegan
Trail Mix	Vegan
Mixed Berry (Breakfast Bar)	Not Vegan (honey)
Ripe Strawberry (Breakfast Bar)	Not Vegan (honey)
Chocolate (Breakfast Bar)	Not Vegan (honey)
Dark Chocolate Coconut	Not Vegan (milk, honey)
Honey Almond Flax	Not Vegan (honey)
Peanut Butter Chocolate (Grain Free)	Not Vegan (honey)
Coconut Almond (Grain Free)	Not Vegan (honey)

As a vegan of 14 years, I’ve tried many granola bars, energy bars, and protein bars. While Kashi bars have been part of that mix, they are not my personal favorite. Here are some of the most interesting ones I’ve found:

• Larabars – Mostly fruit and nuts, very simple ingredients and whole food based.
• Clif Builder’s Bars – High protein and very delicious, but it is high in sugar.
• No Cow Bars – Low-carb and high-protein.

Two More Recommendations for Your Plant-Based Journey

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