Gaia Sport Granola Bars Review – Chewy Bars For Active People

2. Main Ingredients

The main ingredients differ in all the Gaia granola bars. A few of them include liquid glucose, oats, rice crispies, and a mix of dried fruits and nuts. The detailed ingredient list of the variants we tried is mentioned below. 

3. Available Sizes

The granola bars are available in 30gm and 40gm bars. They are available individually and in boxes of 12 as well.

4. Price and Packaging

All the granola bars are priced at Rs 30/- for a 30 gm bar. The 40 gm Energy bar is priced at Rs 50/-. These bars come in a single wrapper. There is no foil wrapping.

5. Nutritional Facts

What makes a good energy bar for active people? Any ‘sports’ energy bar needs to be something that is a good source of energy-giving foods. They should be a combination of carbohydrates, good fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Solely because their target audience is people who are athletes or are physically active and engage in moderate to heavy workouts. These are not targeted at people with a sedentary lifestyle.

People may say, ‘But any cereal-based, chocolate coated bar can actually be labeled as an ‘energy bar’, because technically they are giving us energy’. Well, yes! Sometimes confectionery bars and cereal bars can also be labeled as ‘energy bars’. A person who doesn’t scan the label will fall for it and consume it thinking it’s healthy. This highlights why we insist on reading labels, even if it’s a small cookie or a bottle of oil.

Usage of protein-rich ingredients and healthy fats is a must as well. The sugar content needs to be moderately low. The type of sugar used in a bar needs to be checked as well.

6. Availability

The Gaia Sports Granola Bars are available in local grocery stores as well as supermarkets. They are also available on online grocery shopping portals like Amazon, Bigbasket, Grofers, and Flipkart.

Energy bars are quick-fuel for your body. Especially when you’re a sportsperson. While reviewing energy bars, we look for a few specific qualities. These qualities can make an energy bar desirable or undesirable. 

We set the following parameters while testing the Gaia Sport Granola Bars.

1. Quality of Ingredients

When we talk about the quality of ingredients in an energy bar, we mean which ingredients are used as a source of energy, protein, fat, and sugar.

Energy can be provided by multiple ingredients, some good and some bad. Similarly, the source of fat can be good for your body and a natural sweetener can be used instead of a refined one. We checked the ingredient list to check the quality of ingredients. 

2. Macro-Composition

Macronutrients include – Carbohydrates, Fats, and Protein. These are the most used nutrients in our body for it to function. 

An energy bar is meant for active people who are looking for a post-workout snack to refuel themselves or to gain some quick energy. This is why checking the amount of energy the bar provides, along with carbohydrates is important to access. Typically a 30-50 gm bar may provide anywhere between 100 Kcal to 300 Kcal of energy depending on the ingredients used.

Even though proteins are essential building blocks that help in muscular repair, an energy-giving bar may not focus a lot on them. A protein bar, on the other hand, is what you should be looking for if enhancing your protein intake is on your mind.

3. Fiber Content

The fiber content of an energy bar on an average (40 gm bar) is usually around 3-5 gms. Fiber plays an important role in the energy-giving aspect of the energy bar.

4. Sugar Content

Not only does the amount of sugar in an energy bar make a difference, but what type of sweetener has been used affects the overall quality of the bar. 

Artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, invert syrup, liquid glucose, jaggery, dates, coconut sugar are some of the commonly used sweeteners in an energy bar. Of course, natural sweeteners like dates, and a few others mentioned in the second half of the preceding sentence, are preferable over the processed, and artificial variety of sweeteners.

5. Taste 

While the nutritive value takes the wheel when it comes to energy bars, the taste of the bar is of vital importance as well. How delicious is the bar? Are all the ingredients adding value to the overall flavor? Is it over-sweet or under-sweet?

6. Texture

How chewy and soft is the bar? Is it too hard? Sticky or brittle?

7. Price

How well are the energy bars priced? Are the quality and cost of the bar in sync with each other? Is it pocket-friendly or not?

Here is a table comparing both the variants we tried for their price, main ingredients, and nutritional information. The nutri-info provided is for a serving size of 30 gm (1 full bar). 

A 30 gm Gaia Sport Granola Fruit & Nut Bar is priced at Rs 30/-. This is a fruit and nut bar and we could see a lot of rice crispies along and small bits of apricots. Feel-wise, this is a very sticky bar.

Coming to taste and texture. The Gaia Sport granola Fruit and Nut bar has a very delicate sweetness that comes from the candied fruits. There is a mild crunch coming from almonds and rice crispies, but it’s not too much. This is a chewy bar. 

This bar is pocket-friendly, undoubtedly, but does it contain healthy ingredients?

This bar contains three major sources of sugar apart from the dried fruits – liquid glucose, invert sugar syrup, and honey. The first ingredient mentioned on the label is liquid glucose, which constitutes 20% of the bar. It’s a sweetener often used in commercially produced food products.

We are surprised how an ingredient like liquid glucose could hold a place in an energy bar, especially when it’s being sold in the ‘health’ section. We really feel a better source of sweetener could have been used. The addition of invert sugar syrup is also not desirable either. 

Even though honey has been used, the percentage is not mentioned.

Features

• The almond and raisin bar is priced at Rs 30/-. The net weight of a single bar is 30 gm.
• Shelf life – 9 months
• Ingredients – Liquid glucose (20%), Oats (12%), Rice crispies (10%), Maltodextrin (10%), Milk powder (5.5%), Almond (5%), Dried fruits (Apricot, pineapple, strawberry), Raisins – black and green, Invert sugar syrup, Edible gum, Cornflakes, Strawberry crush, Honey, Edible salt , Emulsifiers and Antioxidants.

Pros

• The energy bar is chewy and has a delicate sweetness.
• We liked the small bits of crunchy almonds in this bar.

Cons

• The source of sugar could have been healthier.

Gaia Sport’s Granola Almond And Raisin Bar is priced at Rs 30/-. This bar is a dark brown in color and we can see a lot of oats and white rice crispies along with a few raisins.

This is a chewy bar that provides a mild crunch from oats and slivers of almonds. The sweetness levels are moderate and the chocolate bits are tasty. The presence of chocolate in this bar slightly amps up the flavor in comparison to the fruit and nut variant. 

Like the previous variant, this also contains liquid glucose (20%), Invert sugar syrup (8.72%), Honey as sources of sugar. Apart from that it also contains sorbitol.

Features

• The almond and raisin bar is priced at Rs 30/-. The net weight of a single bar is 30 gm.
• Shelf life – 9 months
• Ingredients (as per information from the pack) – Liquid glucose (20%), Raisins (12% – Green and black), Maltodextrin (10.5%), Oats (10%), Rice crispies (10%), Invert sugar syrup (8.72%), Almond 8%, Milk chocolate 8%, Dark chocolate, Honey, Milk powder, Sorbitol, Edible gum, Edible salt, Vanilla flavour, Emulsifier , Antioxidant.

Pros

• The energy bar is moderately sweet.
• The combination of chocolate, almonds, and raisins is tasty.

Cons

• The source of sugar could have been healthier.

Best Suited For

For people who are looking for a quick refueling and do not have the time for a sit-down meal, these energy bars can be an economical pick occasionally.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Gaia sport granola bars.

1. When was Gaia founded? Who is the owner of Gaia?

Gaia was founded in 2009 by Ms Dolly Kumar.

2. How many calories are there in a 30 gm energy bar by Gaia?

The Almond and raisin bar has 114.46 calories (30 gms) and the fruit and nut bar has  111.98 calories  (30 gms).

3. What is maltodextrin? What does it do?

As you may have read that these bars contain maltodextrin. So let us explain why it is added. Maltodextrin is a white, starchy powder that is often added to packaged foods to improve their thickness, flavor, or shelf life. It is high on the glycemic index and can cause sharp rises in blood sugar levels. 

Maltodextrin also helps in the steady release of energy which may help the body in breaking down fat to be used as fuel. For people who work out or train for long hours at stretch, this can help avoid ‘bonking’ or ‘hitting the wall’ (sudden fatigue after a workout).

4. Is eating granola bars healthy for you?

While granola bars are touted to be healthy, very often they may contain unhealthy ingredients like refined oil and refined sugar. Do check the nutritional information and ingredient list carefully before making any granola bar a part of your regular routine.

Gaia’s granola bars are chewy and moderately sweet. The oats and rice crispies give a mild crunch. The addition of almonds and raisins adds a nice layer of texture.

Do keep the sugar source of the bar in mind before purchasing these. But for someone who is looking for an economical option in the energy bar segment, solely for the purpose of quick refueling post a heavy workout, this might be in that category. 

Have you tried Gaia granola bars yet? How was your experience? Let us know in the comment section below.

 *If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!

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* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.

* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.