Kind bars are a type of protein snack. They are created with mostly nuts and are designed to give you a tasty treat, using the best ingredients while remaining healthy.
However, a couple of years ago the FDA gave Kind a warning, saying that 4 of their bars could not be labeled “healthy”.
So what’s the verdict? Are they good for you or not?
The Recent Controversy
The controversy occurred in early 2020, which makes it kind of old news. However, just because years have passed that doesn’t mean Kind’s tarnished reputation has been completely mended. We are all still talking about it.
The US Food and Drug Administration (also known as the FDA) gave Kind an official letter of warning to remove the word “healthy” from their labels.
From their research, they found that the following bars did not meet their requirement:
- Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Apricot
- Kind Plus Dark chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants
- Kind Plus Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein
- Kind Fruit & Nut Almond & Coconut
The reason for the rejection was due to the plus symbols on the packaging. This might seem trivial but the plus is a legal term.
To be included, it needs to provide at least 10% of the recommended daily intake for whatever the symbol is attached to.
The second reason is the use of the word “healthy”.
The Legal Definition Of Healthy
For something to be legally defined as healthy, it must be low in both total fat and saturated fat. They judge this by serving and not by packaging.
Some companies get around this by reducing the serving suggestion size to something ridiculously small, but Kind Bars didn’t.
So because Kind Bars have fat and saturated fat in them, they can’t be healthy. Right? Wrong. The reason for the high fat intake comes from their main ingredient – nuts.
Nuts are known as a healthy food. It has numerous health benefits such as reducing inflammation, promoting a healthy gut and it lowers blood pressure.
It also contains antioxidants and omega-3, two supplements many people struggle to include in their diets.
There is also such a thing as “good” fat. These fat types can be found in proteins such as chicken and contain the vitamins, fiber, and minerals we need to be healthy.
If we completely ignore fat from our diet we will be harming our bodies.
Our immune system will weaken, our hair will become thin, and dry rashes will appear.
So Are Kind Bars Good For You?
With this extra knowledge, can we know if Kind Bars are good for you or not? Legally, the answer is no – they aren’t healthy. But logically, the answer is yes. Like everything else you eat, it is good in moderation.
Let’s break it down.
No Added Sugar
As part of the production process, additional sugar has not been added to any Kind Bars. This means that the company has stuck to its original message of keeping everything natural.
However, this doesn’t mean that the bars are sugar-free. Let’s take the Mango, Apple, and Chia Kind Bar as an example.
In the ingredient, you can see just 3 items listed – Mango, apple, and chia seeds. Nothing about sugar.
However, mangos and apples contain their own levels of sugar. This means that a single Mango, Apple, and Chia Kind Bar contains 21g of sugar – that translates to 5 teaspoons.
These are natural sugars, but the amount is too high for a single serving. This suggests that you shouldn’t eat a whole bar in one go. Instead, you should munch on it throughout the day.
Low Glycemic Measurements
The Glycemic Index is a type of measurement for your blood sugar levels. The more carbohydrates in your system, the higher the number will be.
The higher the number the more likely your blood sugar will spike causing dizziness which leads to a crash.
Foods with low glycemic measurements don’t create these unmanageable spikes, which means your blood can handle the sugar levels.
Knowing this, let’s check on a Kind Bar. The Almond and Coconut Kind Bar contains 16g of carbs and 5g of sugars.
This is less than the previous bar, but 5g translates to 1 teaspoon. Eating one teaspoon of sugar will still give you an intense high.
The carbs are created with chicory root fiber. It’s a common fiber filler as it’s both cheap and contains zero calories. However, your body finds it hard to digest.
This means that although the calorie levels are low, your body will not enjoy eating it.
You will likely suffer from bloating, abdominal pain, and flatulence.
High Protein Fiber
So, now you’re gassy and hyper, is there at least a good protein level?
These bars are designed to give you energy on the go, and if you look at the protein and fiber levels you’ll see a healthy and large number.
Protein can power you through the day and fiber can give your body an easy digestion process.
But wait, didn’t we just say you’ll become gassy? We did.
The amount of fiber might be high, but the sugar and carb levels are higher. This means that you’ll be trading in protein and fiber for dangerously high sugar levels.
Summary
So what’s the verdict? Are Kind Bars good for you? Well, yes and no.
The FDA says they aren’t healthy because of the incorrect plus symbols and the high-fat content per serving.
We can debunk this, as the plus symbols are just legal jargon that no one cares about, and the fat content isn’t that high. We need fat to be healthy.
But if we look at the sugar content, these naturally healthy foods contain a lot more sugar than our daily recommendations suggest.
If you eat a Kind Bar throughout the day, then yes they can be a healthy snack. If you eat it all in one go, then no – your body will find it hard to digest.
One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.
Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.
We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.
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