Sunbelt granola bars are popular snack bars known for their fresh bakery taste and wholesome ingredients.
These granola bars are produced by Sunbelt Bakery from a combination of oats, grains, nuts, and dried fruits, providing a nutritious snack option.
In addition, they come in a variety of flavors, such as chocolate chip, oats & honey, peanut butter chip, Banana oat and more.
However, are Sunbelt granola bars truly a healthy option?
Short answer: Sunbelt granola bars are not very health as they are high in sugar, low in protein and fiber and contain various processed ingredients. However, they are low in sodium and free from artificial additives. Therefore, can be consumed in moderation.
Read on to find out more about Sunbelt granola bars, including their ingredients, sugar, protein, fiber content and more.
I’ll also compare Sunbelt granola bars to other granola bars to see how they stack against them.
So let’s start.
Read also: Are Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars Healthy? Here Is The Answer
What are Sunbelt granola bars made up of?
Sunbelt granola bars come in more than 10 flavors.
So the exact ingredients can vary depending on the flavor.
In general, Sunbelt granola bars have a long list of ingredients.
They are made from granola which consists of whole grain rolled oats, sugar, palm and soybean oil, corn syrup, coconut, honey molasses, soy lecithin, salt, corn starch, peanuts, almonds, soy flour and egg whites.
Other common ingredients that you may find across most flavors include:
- Corn syrup
- Crisp rice (made from Rice Flour, Sugar, Whey, Salt, Barley Malt, Wheat Flour and Dextrose)
- Palm and soybean oil
- Water
- Nonfat dry milk
- Sorbitol
- Soy lecithin
- Salt
- Sugar
- Carrageenan
While the base ingredient of Sunbelt granola bars is whole-grain rolled oats, they cannot be considered very healthy in terms of ingredients.
That’s because they contain plenty of processed ingredients such as vegetable oils, corn syrup, corn starch, soy lecithin and sugar.
In addition, Sunbelt granola bars contain Carrageenan, which research suggests can cause inflammation, digestive problems, and colon cancer[1].
However, Sunbelt granola bars are free from artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, which is good.
Overall, the ingredients in Sunbelt granola bars are not very good, but you can still consume them in moderation.
How much sugar is in Sunbelt granola bars?
Sunbelt granola bars are high in sugar providing 7 to 11g per bar, depending on the flavor.
Banana oat is the flavor with the least sugar(7g), while the fudged dip chocolate chip has the most sugar (11g).
As per the American Heart Association, men should limit their daily sugar intake to 36g while women to 24g.
A single bar of Sunbelt granola bars provides 19 to 30% of the daily sugar limit for men and 29 to 45% for women.
That’s a significant amount of daily sugar.
The primary source of sugar in Sunbelt granola bars is added sugar. They also contain another type of sugar, such as corn syrup, and natural sweeteners, such as Dextrose and Sorbitol.
Here is the table comparing the Sunbelt granola bars sugar content to other popular granola bars.
| Granola bar brand | Sugar(g) |
|---|---|
| Sunbelt granola bars | 7-11 |
| Nature valley crunchy | 10-12 |
| Quaker chewy | 7-8 |
| Made good | 6 |
How much protein is in Sunbelt granola bars?
Sunbelt granola bars are low in protein providing 1 to 3g per bar, depending on the flavor.
In fact, only one flavor (Peanut sweet & salty) has 3g of protein.
If you are seeking protein-packed granola bars, Sunbelt is not a good choice.
Are Sunbelt granola bars good for muscle building? Sunbelt granola bars are not good for muscle building due to their low protein.
However, they can be included as your post-workout snacks as they are an average source of carbs and fats, which can help fuel you with energy.
Here is the table comparing the Sunbelt granola bars protein content to other popular granola bars.
| Granola bar brand | Protein(g) |
|---|---|
| Sunbelt granola bars | 1-3 |
| Nature valley crunchy | 3-4 |
| Quaker chewy | 1-2 |
| Made good | 2 |
How much fiber is in Sunbelt granola bars?
Sunbelt granola bars are low in fiber providing just 1g per bar.
That’s not even 5% of the daily recommended fiber for adults.
Fiber is an essential part of the diet as it helps you feel satisfied, promotes digestive health, and controls blood sugar levels.
Here is the table comparing the Sunbelt granola bars fiber content to other popular granola bars.
| Granola bar brand | Fiber(g) |
|---|---|
| Sunbelt granola bars | 1 |
| Nature valley crunchy | 2-3 |
| Quaker chewy | 1 |
| Made good | 1-2 |
Are Sunbelt granola bars high in sodium?
Sunbelt granola bars are low in sodium providing 40 to 90mg per bar, depending on the flavor.
That’s not even 10% of the daily ideal sodium limit(1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
Sodium is an essential part of the diet, but too much of it can result in heart-related issues.
However, with Sunbelt granola bars, one doesn’t have to worry about excess sodium consumption.
This is especially good for those limiting their sodium intake.
Here is the table comparing the Sunbelt granola bars sodium content to other popular granola bars.
| Granola bar brand | Sodium(g) |
|---|---|
| Sunbelt granola bars | 40-90 |
| Nature valley crunchy | 135-180 |
| Quaker chewy | 70-95 |
| Made good | 10-40 |
Are Sunbelt granola bars good for weight loss?
Sunbelt granola bars are not ideal for weight loss as they contain added sugar. In addition, they are low in protein and fiber and packed with many processed ingredients.
However, you can still consume them in moderation on a weight loss diet because they are low in calories, with 110 to 160 per bar.
Remember that weight loss does not depend only on one food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Are Sunbelt granola bars gluten-free?
Sunbelt granola bars are not gluten-free as they contain wheat flour as one of the ingredients.
Moreover, they are not soy-free and may contain tree nuts.
Are Sunbelt granola bars vegan?
Sunbelt granola bars are not vegan as they contain milk and animal-based ingredients such as whey, nonfat dry milk and egg whites.
However, these bars are suitable for vegetarians.
Final words
Sunbelt granola bars are not very healthy for you, and there are many reasons for this like:
- They are high in sugar.
- They are low in protein.
- They are low in fiber.
- They contain various processed ingredients.
- They are not gluten-free and vegan.
However, this doesn’t mean you should completely avoid them.
There are also some positives to Sunbelt granola bars, such as,
- They are low in calories.
- They are low in sodium.
- They are free from artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
These positives make Sunbelt granola bars okay to consume in moderation.
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