🔍 Search
They may look like health food, but many snack and energy bars have as much sugar as a candy bar. Here are six recipes to DIY a better version.

The best snack bars for better blood sugar

They may look like health food, but many snack and energy bars have as much sugar as a candy bar. Here are six recipes to DIY a better version.

Sharon Liao
WRITTEN BY
Sharon Liao
Stephanie Greunke, RD
REVIEWED BY
Stephanie Greunke, RD
UPDATED: 10 Sep 2023
PUBLISHED: 27 Jul 2022
đź•— 4 MIN READ

Energy bars are an easy way to keep some calories handy when you’re on the go or need a quick snack at home. And since they often contain whole grains, nuts, and fruit, they seem like a smart choice.

But even snack bars with healthy-sounding ingredients are often loaded with sugar. [Sweetener](http://The best snack bars for better blood sugar), usually in the form of syrup, is the first or second ingredient in many bars. This alone can cause your blood sugar and energy to rise and crash; adding quick-digesting carbs such as rice crisps or oat flour only increases the effect.

For example, looking at data from Levels members’ food logs, “Clif bar” scores 4.5 (out of 10) with an average glucose rise of +38 mg/dL, which is pretty significant. “Granola bar” doesn’t do much better, at 5.7 and +32 mg/dL. Then factor in processed oils, which can promote inflammation in your body, and it’s not a pretty picture from a health standpoint.

That said, plenty of snack bars can curb hunger, deliver nutrition, and keep blood glucose levels steady. By knowing what to look for—or making your own—you can raise the bar for your metabolic health.

The Problem with the Typical Snack Bar

Snack bars are marketed as energy boosters that deliver nutrition. While that’s true for some, others can wreak havoc on your blood sugar: One popular energy bar serves more sugar and carbs than a candy bar. Let’s break down some common ingredients in snack bars and take a closer look at how they can affect your metabolic health.

When shopping for a snack bar, you want to limit these ingredients—and it’s tough to find options that meet these standards. Certain meat-based bars, such as those by Epic Provisions, fit the bill. Others include Perfect Keto Almond Butter Brownie or Superfood Bars from Paleovalley.

One more thing to watch in store-bought bars: the low-sugar options often use sugar alcohols as the sweetener. While these are generally well-tolerated, they can cause GI distress in some people. Try to stay under 10-15mg a day.

Build a Better Snack Bar

Because store-bought options are limited (and often pricey), we recommend making your own snack bars. To get started, follow these steps:

1. Start with nuts

Nuts serve up fat, protein, and fiber to help tamper blood glucose response. They also deliver magnesium, arginine, and polyphenol antioxidants, all of which protect cells against damage. Research shows that women who averaged two or more 1-ounce servings of walnuts (roughly 14 halves) each week were 24 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t eat them regularly. Experts think this is because the fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients in walnuts may help reduce inflammation and stabilize blood sugar. Nut butters also help bind a bar together. Some processed nut butters contain added sugars; use an all-natural nut butter or make your own by blending nuts in a food processor or high-speed blender.

2. Add protein

Unsweetened protein powder can help keep blood sugar steady.  In one study, scientists had people with Type 2 diabetes eat the same lunch with and without an added whey protein supplement. Two hours later, their blood glucose level was 21 percent lower after consuming the protein-enriched meal compared to the regular one.

There are many different kinds of protein powders. Good options include:

3. Use fruit as an accent

Dried fruits such as dates, raisins, and berries are high in fiber, so they’re less likely to trigger the same rapid blood sugar spike as straight-up sugar or syrups. They also serve up doses of magnesium, which plays a crucial role in managing blood sugar and insulin levels. And potassium—another mineral in dates, raisins, and other fruit—sharpens insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk for metabolic problems.

But it’s important to add these fruits sparingly—particularly dates, which are very sweet. In larger quantities, they can cause glucose levels to climb, especially when mixed with other carbs and sweeteners.

4. Sweeten smartly (if you must)

Sugars and syrups can send your blood glucose level soaring, while artificial sweeteners may be problematic for your metabolic health. Instead, consider a natural sweetener that won’t wreak havoc on your blood sugar, such as stevia, monk fruit, or allulose.

6 Healthy Snack Bar Recipes to Try

Ready to make your own healthy grab-and-go snack? Whether you prefer savory, sweet, chocolatey, or fruity, we’ve got you covered. These snack bars can keep you full while maintaining stable blood sugar levels.

Coconut Almond Bars 

The main two ingredients, soaked almonds and nut butter, provide protein and fiber, while flaxseed offers heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Shredded coconut, vanilla, sea salt, and cacao chips add a salty-sweet punch to these no-bake bars.


Image courtesy KetoMojo

Garlic and Herb Granola Bars 

These savory bars are packed with flavor thanks to sundried tomatoes, chili flakes, Italian herbs, and other spices. Pecans, sesame seeds, tahini (a sesame paste), and an egg deliver 7.5 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per bar.


Image courtesy JustJessieB

Almond Butter Apple Pie Bars 

Made with applesauce, cinnamon, and apple chunks, these creamy bars taste like apple pie. Almond flour and butter add protein (9 grams per bar) and healthy fats to keep blood sugar levels stable. These bars are best eaten cold, so they work better as a fast breakfast than a portable snack.


Image courtesy FoodFaithFitness

Low-Carb Granola Bars

These bars are loaded with raw almonds, slivered almonds, and almond butter and sweetened with monk fruit, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes.


Image courtesy BeingBrigid

Cherry Chocolate Bars

Soaking chia seeds in almond milk creates a gel high in omega- 3s and fiber. That’s combined with cashews, collagen powder, and almond butter, and sweetened with cocoa powder, dates, and dried cherries.


Image courtesy LifeMadeSweeter

Nut-and-Seed Granola Bars

A mix of nuts and seeds, including almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds, are the centerpiece of this recipe. Vanilla, coconut flakes, and monk fruit lend a touch of sweetness.

Icon

Get updates, new articles, exclusive discounts, and more

The Latest From Levels

Metabolic HealthThe 2024 Levels Guide to Metabolic Health Interventions
Cut sugar? Cold plunge? Zone 2? You can do plenty of things to improve your health, but where to start? Here's our subjective mega-guide to some of the most common interventions for people at all stages of their health journey.
The Levels Team
đź•— 25 mins read
Cut sugar? Cold plunge? Zone 2? You can do plenty of things to improve your health, but where to start? Here's our subjective mega-guide to some of the most common interventions for people at all stages of their health journey
Inside LevelsWhy Scott Hickle tried to wreck his gut health—and ruined his blood sugar instead
For 30 days, Hickle switched from a healthy low-carb diet to 100% ultra-processed junk. The effect on his gut health, body composition, and blood sugar surprised him.
Jessica Migala
đź•— 4 mins read
For 30 days, Hickle switched from a healthy low-carb diet to 100% ultra-processed junk. The effect on his gut health, body composition, and blood sugar surprised him.
Metabolic HealthThe 2024 Levels guide to genetics and metabolic health
Genetics is an important determinant of metabolic health and Type 2 diabetes risk, but weight and habits are also also a large influence.
Tyler Santora
đź•— 16 mins read
DNA strand
Weight LossWhat can weight tell you about your metabolic health?
Although obesity can be unhealthy, research shows people can have metabolic dysfunction no matter their weight. Here’s what we know about the complex relationship between weight and metabolic health.
Leslie Goldman, MPH
đź•— 10 mins read
Scale
Sign up for the Levels Newsletter