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In my quest to find the best protein bar on the market, today I’m breaking down the Kind Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar.
But first things first…
KIND is a brand that believes in the same things I do:
“We believe if you can't pronounce an ingredient, it shouldn’t go into your body. Actually, it shouldn’t even go into your pantry. KIND products are made from nutritionally-dense ingredients like whole nuts, fruits and whole grains - no secret ingredients and no artificial flavors, preservatives or sweeteners. Nothing to hide.”
Damn.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
But does this philosophy hold up in the breakdown?
Only one way to find out.
KIND says this about their bar: “Smooth peanut butter. Crunchy whole peanuts. Taste and nutrition packed into one perfect bar that delivers a good source of protein - it's a snack-lover's dream come true.”
But is that really the case?
This review is going to break down KIND’s ingredients, showing you whether KIND actually does what they say they do. Some of the ingredients might surprise the health-conscious consumer in you.
Let’s ignore the Nutrition Facts for a moment and just focus on the list of ingredients on the image above.
I immediately see peanuts, soy, and three different sugars — honey, glucose syrup, and plain old sugar.
And I don’t know about you… but glucose syrup, milk powder, palm kernel oil, and soy lecithin aren’t exactly ingredients I have in my pantry. KIND already seems to go against their aspirational mission statement I referenced earlier.
If only there were a better way to create protein bars that aren’t just candy bars in disguise. (Foreshadowing)
So, let’s break these ingredients down into an easy to read list.
As might already know, the FDA requires food manufacturers to list their ingredients in order by weight.
Which means that the Kind Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar is filled with peanuts. Yay!
But…
What about the rest of the ingredients?
Soy is KIND’s choice of protein.
Soy protein — as we’ve covered in an earlier review — might be one of the worst sources of protein in food manufacturing. Not because of the protein itself, but because it is very difficult to source high quality soy. Some reasons you should steer away are:
The Problem With Soy:
And in the KIND bar, you’re getting at least 9-10 grams of soy protein. Peanuts are only 25% protein which means you’d be getting 7-8 grams of protein from peanuts (assuming 30g of the 50g bar is made up of peanuts).
Did you notice a common theme in ingredient numbers 4, 5, and 7 from above?
I’ll give you a hint:
It’s sugar, sugar, and more sugar!
The amalgamation of honey, glucose syrup, and regular sugar is like launching your glucose levels on a sugary rocket ride. Unless you're gearing up for a sweet-tooth Olympics, indulging in this sugar-packed combination is a really bad idea.
Also, if you're on a weight-loss journey right now with exercise and calorie moderation, you should opt for snacks that are low carb and high protein. You know… to help you lose body fat.
Every time I write a review, there's a 90% chance that I’ll have to write about palm oil.
Honestly I’m getting a little tired of it.
Unfortunately, this bar from KIND is no different.
Palm oil is the cheapest oil you can buy — which is why almost all packaged food has palm oil as the fat source. It’s also really hard to source high quality sustainable palm oil. You know, the palm oil grown with deforestation or labor abuse.
Usually brands that use sustainable palm oil, mention it in their ingredient list. JiMMYBAR! Is one such brand. But KIND is not.
Since palm oil is mostly saturated fat, it’s safe to assume the 4g of saturated fat in the label comes from palm oil.
Overall, KIND bar, with its billion dollar valuation and moral high ground of claiming to create better-for-you snacks can do much better in the fat department and across the board in the ingredients it uses.
Kind Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar is packed with cheap ingredients. Soy protein and palm oil are the cheapest sources of protein and fat on the market. But at least they don’t use synthetic/artificial ingredients.
Plus I think they have too much sugar for a protein bar.
And it’s exactly for these reasons I can’t recommend it to you.
But if you’re looking for a real protein bar with real ingredients, see below.
Unearth the cleanest protein bars you can buy right now. (Some might even have superfoods)
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