Cereal bars
Zone Perfect Nutrition bar
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
Why it scores 2
Zone Perfect Nutrition bar scores 2 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Corn syrup: 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 protein bars
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Mosh nutrition bars Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 79 out of 100 , 77 points higher -
Banana walnut nutrition bar RXBAR · 7.32 oz/208 g Less saturated fat · No added sugars Score 60 out of 100 , 58 points higher -
Protein Pleasure Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip go macro MACROBAR · 2.3 oz Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 42 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
MACROBAR peanut butter chocolate chip GoMacro · 9.7 oz/276 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 42 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
think! HIGH PROTEIN PROTEIN BAR Think! · 60gr Less sugar · Less saturated fat Score 57 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
Nutrition bar
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Fructose minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 8 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 30 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 8 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Salt 1 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 420 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 6 g / 100 g plus 4 points
100 − 98 = 2
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in saturated fat and sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 420 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated fat | 8 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Sugars | 30 g |
| Added sugars | 25.5 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Salt | 1 g |
Serving: 1 BAR (50 g)
Ingredients
- SOY PROTEIN NUGGETS (ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT)
- CHOCOLATE FLAVORED COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA POWDER, WHEY POWDER, NONFAT MILK POWDER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA) (moderate concern)
- CORN SYRUP (high concern)
- MILK CHOCOLATE DROPS (SUGAR, WHOLE MILK POWDER, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR) (moderate concern)
- MARSHMALLOW PIECES (SUGAR, CORN STARCH, FRUCTOSE, SOYBEAN OIL, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, SOY LECITHIN) (not recognized)
- FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES
- MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE
- HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL
- GLYCERINE
- FRUCTOSE (high concern)
- NATURAL FLAVOR
- CALCIUM PHOSPHATE
- WATER
- XANTHAN GUM
- SOY LECITHIN
- VITAMIN AND MINERAL BLEND (CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ASCORBIC ACID, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, NIACINAMIDE, ZINC OXIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FERROUS FUMARATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, BIOTIN, SODIUM SELENITE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, CYANOCOBALAMIN)
Label text, as published
SOY PROTEIN NUGGETS (ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT), CHOCOLATE FLAVORED COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA POWDER, WHEY POWDER, NONFAT MILK POWDER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA), CORN SYRUP, MILK CHOCOLATE DROPS (SUGAR, WHOLE MILK POWDER, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, MILK FAT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), MARSHMALLOW PIECES (SUGAR, CORN STARCH, FRUCTOSE, SOYBEAN OIL, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, SOY LECITHIN), FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE, HIGH OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, GLYCERINE; LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: FRUCTOSE, NATURAL FLAVOR, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WATER, XANTHAN GUM, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN AND MINERAL BLEND (CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ASCORBIC ACID, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, NIACINAMIDE, ZINC OXIDE, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FERROUS FUMARATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID, CHROMIUM CHLORIDE, BIOTIN, SODIUM SELENITE, SODIUM MOLYBDATE, CYANOCOBALAMIN).
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy
- Not vegan
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More cereal bars on GoodSwap
-
Sweet & Salty Nut Peanut Chewy Granola Bar Nature Valley · 35 g Ultra-processedHigh in saturated fatContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 5 out of 100 Bad -
ORGANIC CHEWY GRANOLA BARS mixed berry Made Good · 144 g (6 * 24 g) Ultra-processedHigh in sugarContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
Crunchy Granola Bars Oats 'n Honey Nature Valley · 98 bars Ultra-processedHigh in sugarContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 14 out of 100 Bad -
Energy bar white chocolate macadamia nut Clif · 14.40 oz/408 g Ultra-processedHigh in sugarContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 11 out of 100 Bad -
Oatmeal Crumble Strawberry Nature's Bakery Ultra-processedHigh in sugarContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 14 out of 100 Bad -
Soft-Baked Bars Fiber One · 151 g Ultra-processedContains added sugarsContains sugar alcoholsContains seed oils Score 36 out of 100 Poor
Sources
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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
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“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
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu