Whether you plan on going for a hike and need some snacks for energy management, or whether you aren’t a breakfast person and just want a quick meal.
Granola bars are a popular option for these situations. But there are many different options on the market. Nature Valley and KIND are two brands that offer a wide range of bars and are both very popular.
What’s better, though? Which brand would win if there was a fight between Nature Valley vs Kind Bars?
Read this article to learn more about both to get an idea about which brand might be better for you.
Nature Valley
In 1973, Nature Valley started as a company selling granola cereal. The company’s goal, however, was to give people snacks that could nourish them outdoors – and cereal isn’t very convenient. So Nature Valley developed granola bars, for which they are known today.
Ingredients
For example, I have chosen Nature Valley’s Peanut Butter granola bar, as Kind Bars have a similar flavor, so it’s easier to compare.
The ingredients of Nature Valley’s Peanut Butter granola bar are whole grain oats, sugar, canola and sunflower oil, peanut butter (peanuts, salt), rice flour, brown sugar syrup, salt, baking soda, and soy lecithin.
Flavors
Nature Valley bars come in many different shapes, textures, and flavors. The main groups and some sample flavors.
Crunchy Bars
- Roasted almond, pecan, maple brown sugar
Fruit and nut bars
- trail mix fruit and nut, cranberry & pomegranate, dark chocolate and nut
Protein bars
- salted caramel dark chocolate, blueberry, peanut butter dark chocolate
Soft-baked muffin bars
- chocolate chip, blueberry, apple cinnamon
Sweet and salty bars
- peanut, dark chocolate peanut & almond, chocolate pretzel
Wafer bars
- pretzel peanut butter, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate
Where To Buy
Nature Valley bars can be found in grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and other stores selling groceries. To find a retailer near you, find the product you want on Nature Valley’s website, click “Buy Now,” and the website will show you where to go (also includes online retailers).
Of course, Amazon also has a selection available for you. Some examples are
Nature Valley’s Fruit And Nut Granola bars with dark chocolate are very tasty. The pack includes six bars.
This value pack is perfect if you like the basic Honey and Oat Nature Valley Crunchy bars. There are 48 bars in it, which equals 24 servings.
Nature Valley’s Sweet and Salty Bars are an interesting taste experience and hit just the right spot. There are various flavors to choose from.
Kind Bars
KIND was founded in 2004 and is a noticeably younger company than Nature Valley. The business wants to work on making the world kinder by being “not only for profit.” The first product they sold was a fruit and nut bar.
Today, KIND is known for its wide range of healthy-ish snack bars.
Ingredients
The ingredients of Kind Bars’ Peanut Butter breakfast bars are:
Oats, tapioca syrup, peanuts, brown rice flour, cane sugar, peanut butter (peanuts, sea salt), canola oil, raisin paste, peanut oil, peanut flour, millet, sea salt, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, honey, and Vitamin E (tocopherols to maintain freshness).
Flavors
KIND offers more than just bars these days, but for this article, I will only mention their various bars and some sample flavors.
Nut bars
- dark chocolate nuts & sea salt, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt, peanut butter dark chocolate
Breakfast bars
- blueberry almond, peanut butter, almond butter
Protein bars
- crunchy peanut butter, dark chocolate, caramel nut
Healthy Grains
- dark chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel
Minis
- dark chocolate cherry cashew, dark chocolate nut & sea salt, caramel almond & sea salt
Thins
- dark chocolate nut & sea salt, caramel almond & sea salt, peanut butter dark chocolate
Energy bars
- chocolate chunk, peanut butter, dark chocolate peanut butter
Nut-butter-filled bars
- creamy peanut, chocolate peanut, honey almond
Simple Crunch bars
- oats & honey, peanut butter, dark chocolate & oats
Kids bars
- chewy peanut butter chocolate chip, chewy chocolate,
Where To Buy
KIND makes it easy to buy straight from their website, where you can set up subscriptions for your favorite products (which also comes with extra savings).
Kind Bars are also available in grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and other stores that sell groceries.
Amazon can also deliver Kind Bars right to your door, e.g.
Kind Breakfast protein bars are available in some nice flavors, like blueberry almond or honey oat. They are good as a snack or a small breakfast.
The Kind Bars Variety Pack is great if you haven’t tried any of their flavors yet and would like to test them before you buy one in bulk.
One of my favorites is the Dark Chocolate Almond and Coconut Kind Bar. While I like it for its taste, it’s also one of the options that are gluten-free as well as vegan.
Nature Valley vs Kind Bars (Comparison Questions)
Which Is More Affordable?
The price might be the deciding factor if you have no real preference. So, let’s have a look at how these two brands compare when it comes to their average cost per serving.
| Product | Kind Bars | Nature Valley | More Affordable |
| Peanut Butter Bar | $1.06 per serving | $0.57 per serving | Nature Valley |
| Dark Chocolate Protein Bar | $1.82 per serving | $0.84 per serving | Nature Valley |
| Gluten-Free Bars | $1.50 per serving | $1.01 per serving | Nature Valley |
Nature Valley is the clear winner here, with Kind Bars often costing twice as much per serving.
Which Has The Better Nutritional Values?
To compare the nutritional values, I keep using both brands’ peanut butter bars as these are fairly similar in size and taste (but different textures).
| Nature Valley Peanut Butter Granola Bar | Kind Bar Peanut Butter Breakfast Bar | |
| Serving size | 2 bars (42g) | 2 bars (50g) |
| Energy (cal) | 200 | 220 |
| Protein | 4g | 5g |
| Fat | 8g | 10g |
| Carbohydrates | 28g (of which 11g sugar) | 29g (of which 9g sugar) |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 3g |
| Sodium | 160mg | 135mg |
| Potassium | 100mg | 4% of RDI |
| Iron | 1.1mg | 6% of RDI |
While these values are similar, the one big difference is that Nature Valley’s peanut butter bars have more sugar even though the serving size is 8g smaller than Kind Bars’.
Overall, neither of these bars is much better than the other. Both of them are high in sugar. Women should consume no more than 25g of sugar per day, and men should consume less than 38g. This means if you eat just one serving of either, you have to watch how much sugar you consume during the rest of the day.
Which Is Suitable For Vegans?
Most Kind Bars are not suitable for vegans as they contact milk, whey, or honey. The only vegan option (among their cereal, breakfast, and protein bars) is the flavor “Peanut Butter Banana Dark Chocolate Protein Breakfast Bar.”
Nature Valley is the more vegan-friendly option. Most of their bars are suitable for vegans, except for the Protein bars (which have whey and other milk products) and the bars with honey.
You must always read the labels to ensure you don’t buy the wrong product.
Which Has Gluten-Free Options?
While the ordinary Nature Valley bars aren’t gluten-free, the company has a range of gluten-free protein bars, including flavors like salted caramel, peanut butter dark chocolate, and blueberry.
There are also some interesting Kind Bars flavors that are gluten-free, like almond, dark chocolate, and sea salt.
Both brands have a similar number of gluten-free options available.
Which Tastes Better?
It’s impossible to say one brand is tastier overall than the other. There are Kind bars that I love and Nature Valley bars that I love just as much. But both brands also have flavors that I wouldn’t touch.
Overall, KIND has a better selection of flavors. There is just a lot more to choose from, and their nut bars are beautiful. I buy from both brands, depending on what I feel like.
Related Questions
Are Granola Bars A Good Breakfast Option?
It depends – but to be honest: not really. If you lead a very active lifestyle, then they are fine. But they are full of sugars, and many don’t provide long-lasting energy.
Ideally, you would treat them like snack foods. Many of these bars are excellent, however, for going on hikes or when you travel.
Granola bars or breakfast bars are often marketed as “healthy,” but most aren’t, so enjoy them in moderation.
Can You Eat Breakfast Bars On A Diet?
You can theoretically eat anything when you try to lose weight – the question is whether it’ll be beneficial to your goal or not. When it comes to breakfast bars, you need to take a close look at the nutrition facts label.
Some can be included in a weight-loss diet, while others should be avoided. If you plan your day well, i.e., count your calories, and a granola bar won’t ruin your chances to achieve your goal, then there’s no reason to avoid them.
Can Children Eat Granola Bars?
Yes, but look for granola bars aimed at kids. KIND has a children-friendly range that is suitable for children and created to give them just about the right nutrition. However, these bars could be treated like snacks, not normal food.
Final Thoughts
Both KIND and Nature Valley have a wide range of products. There’s no way you couldn’t find a flavor you like when you look at the ranges of these brands.
I’d have difficulty choosing if forced to live only with one brand. If money were no issue, I’d opt for Kind Bars, but unfortunately, they can be a little expensive. I usually buy Kind bars when I see them on offer.
Nature Valley is always good value and is the better option for vegans.
