Cereal bars
Kodiak Chewy Granola Bar S'mores
35 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains whole grains
Why it scores 8
Kodiak Chewy Granola Bar S'mores scores 8 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Sugar: 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
-
Soft and chewy oat bar Over Easy · 52 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 62 out of 100 , 54 points higher -
No Added Sugar Cherry Cashew Chewy Bars Flavored With Other Natural Flavors Cascadian Farm · 6 oz Less sugar · No added sugars Score 55 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
ONE S'mores ONE · 2.12 oz/60 g Less sugar · No added sugars Score 53 out of 100 , 45 points higher -
Cinnamon Apple Chewy Bars - No added Sugar Cascadian Farm Organic · 6 oz/170 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 63 out of 100 , 55 points higher -
Blueberry Vanilla Chewy Bars - No Added Sugar Cascadian Farm Organic · 6 oz/170 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 63 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
Chewy Granola Bar S'mores
Ingredients
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 25.7 g / 100 g minus 11 points
- Saturated fat 2.9 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Salt 0.7 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 400 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 5.7 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 92.5 = 7.5 → 8
Can’t score above 79. Contains corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 8.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 2.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57.1 g |
| Sugars | 25.7 g |
| Added sugars | 22.9 g |
| Fiber | 5.7 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Salt | 0.7 g |
Serving: 1 bar (35 g)
Ingredients
- 100% whole grain rolled oats
- tapioca syrup (high concern)
- whey protein crisps (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, tapioca starch)
- pea protein with rice starch
- 100% whole grain brown rice
- semisweet chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, sunflower, soy lecithin) (moderate concern)
- marshmallows (tapioca syrup, cane sugar, water, tapioca starch, carrageenan, soy protein, natural flavor) (not recognized)
- cane sugar (high concern)
- almond butter
- soluble tapioca fiber
- sunflower
- canola
- soybean oil
- sunflower
- soy
- canola lecithin
- natural flavor
- salt
Label text, as published
100% whole grain rolled oats, tapioca syrup, whey protein crisps (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, tapioca starch), pea protein with rice starch, 100% whole grain brown rice, semisweet chocolate chips (sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, sunflower and/or soy lecithin), marshmallows (tapioca syrup, cane sugar, water, tapioca starch, carrageenan, soy protein, natural flavor), cane sugar, almond butter, soluble tapioca fiber, sunflower and/or canola and/or soybean oil, sunflower and/or soy and/or canola lecithin, natural flavor, salt
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Tree nuts, Soy, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
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
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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
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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
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“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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“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
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Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
-
“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org
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“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org
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“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
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“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org