Chocolate cereal bars
Soft & Chewy Granola Bar
24 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- Contains whole grains
Why it scores 24
Soft & Chewy Granola Bar scores 24 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Molasses: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better granola and snack bars
-
Larabar Cherry Pie Larabar · 1 Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 55 points higher -
Cherry Pie Bars Larabar · 48 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 55 points higher -
Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt Kind Zero · 175 g No added sugars · No seed oils Score 65 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Chocolate date bar Trader Joe's Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 67 out of 100 , 43 points higher -
Pure & Simple Apple Pie Fruit & Nut Bars Elevation · 8 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 55 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Granola Bar
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Molasses minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 3 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 3 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 7 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 417 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 76 = 24
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 417 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Sugars | 7 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Salt | 0 g |
Serving: 1 bar (24 g)
Ingredients
- whole rolled oats
- sugar (high concern)
- canola oil
- molasses (high concern)
- sodium bicarbonate
- soy lecithin
- corn syrup (high concern)
- semisweet chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla extract) (moderate concern)
- crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, dried malt extract, calcium carbonate, salt)
- fructose (high concern)
- sugar (high concern)
- canola oil
- invert sugar (high concern)
- whey powder
- ascorbic acid
- rosemary extract
- natural flavor
- dried unsweetened coconut
- salt
Label text, as published
whole rolled oats, sugar, canola oil, molasses, sodium bicarbonate, soy lecithin, corn syrup, semisweet chocolate (chocolate liquor, sugar, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, dried malt extract (corn syrup solids, barley malt extract), calcium carbonate, salt), fructose, sugar, canola oil, invert sugar, whey powder, ascorbic acid, rosemary extract, natural flavor, dried unsweetened coconut, salt
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Tree nuts, Soy, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Packaging
Plastic
Context only: no points in v1.
Sources
-
Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org