Looking at the sales of granola, breakfast and snack bars since 2019, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. While dollar sales have been up every year except 2020 — when consumers spent most of the year stuck at home — unit sales have dipped every year except 2021, according to Circana. But bars are still a popular staple for many, with consumers gobbling up $8 billion of them in 2023. 

“Bars have had a little bit of a struggle. It started a few years back when we were in COVID and the need for on-the-go waned,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor consumer goods and foodservice insights, Circana. “Now we’re back in the need for on-the-go and convenience. But during the course of the last four years, we’ve seen more on-the-go options that include functional benefits. That’s just opened up the universe.”

The category is expected to continue expanding into the future, with sales projected to reach $10.7 billion by 2028, according to Mintel. In addition to a broader range of portable options for consumers, snack prices are 30% higher than they were five years ago, Lyons Wyatt said, and many are finding ways to meet nutritional needs with cheaper versions or alternatives to their favorite snacks. 

“Bars are definitely important to consumers, but we haven’t seen the units rebound,” she said. 

Bars are a source of healthy snacking but are also seen as a convenient and sometimes indulgent treat for busy households.

“Bars are seeing a bit of a split in two directions: ultra-indulgence and nature-forward minimalism,” said Adriana Chychula, analyst, food, drink and nutrition, Mintel. “Bars’ outlook is positive, based on consumers’ hectic lifestyles and need for quick solutions that hold them over.”

She went on to define better-for-you (BFY) bars in two ways: as products that prioritize nutrient panels and those that prioritize natural, whole ingredients.

“When it comes to protein, anything that is filling and can prevent less-healthy bingeing can be viewed as a ‘better’ option, and protein plays a big role in this,” Chychula said. “Consumers also generally associate it with health and seek it out when making more healthful food and drink choices. All options that fall under the BFY and protein bar umbrellas can offer quick, convenient nutrition, though the two BFY camps will have somewhat separate audiences. That said, even more indulgent-leaning options, BFY or not, fit within wellness definitions that afford space for enjoyment.”

Kate’s Real Food, Jackson, Wyo., has positioned itself as a healthy snack option that is organic, gluten-free and free from artificial additives, preservatives and GMOs.

“We craft each recipe with organic, wholesome ingredients, carefully selected for their nutritional value and quality,” said Michelle McAndrews, vice president of marketing and ecommerce at Kate’s Real Food. “From nutrient-rich nuts and seeds to True Source Certified honey, every ingredient is thoughtfully selected to provide essential nutrients and energy to fuel our customers’ adventures, big and small.”

But the brand also prides itself on being a tasty treat for consumers.

“We understand that cravings for something indulgent can strike at any moment, so we’ve infused our bars with decadent flavors and textures that rival traditional treats,” McAndrews said. 

Larger brands have wide-ranging portfolios that offer a variety of options for consumers, from healthy bars to the truly indulgent.

“In an effort to reach different audiences’ desires, our Cap’n Crunch Treat Bars have transformed the delicious taste and flavors of the beloved breakfast cereal into an on-the-go format, while our Health Warrior Chia Seed and Pumpkin Seed Bars are strategically positioned as a nutrition-first snack that has limited ingredients but functional benefits — serving a different role in consumer preferences and consumption occasions,” said Leslie Vesper, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay North America, Plano, Texas.

She said that taste, versatility and nutrition are a priority for the company’s bars, which include Quaker Chewy, made with 100% whole grains. She also cited a Mintel statistic that more than 80% of consumers feel that snack bars are a healthy substitute for sweets and junk food. The Quaker Chewy portfolio includes a line that has 25% less sugar, and most bars are 100 calories or fewer.

“We take the time needed to test formulas to make sure we are meeting consumer expectations on many factors, including ingredients, appearance, taste and texture,” Vesper said. “We pride ourselves on creating a convenient snack that parents can feel good about giving their kids.”

Consumers looking for more wide-ranging benefits from their snacks, such as focus, energy or mood stabilization, are turning to adaptogens, which are herbs or mushrooms thought to have health benefits, including helping the body adjust to physical, chemical or biological stress, according to WebMD. Many of these plants have been used in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries, but the website said more research is needed on these claims. 

Wise Bars have 3,000 mgs of adaptogens in its retail bars, including 1,000 mgs each of the mushrooms lion’s mane and reishi, 750 mg of turkey tail mushroom and 250 mg of ashwagandha. The bars available in retail stores all have the same formulation but come in six flavors. 

“This is the powerhouse formulation we’ve developed that hits all of the main things: immunity, focus, energy, mood stabilization,” said Josh Dominick, who founded Wise Bar, Carbondale, Colo., with his friend Ryan Nuccio. “We know this is going to give you that well-rounded benefit that a mushroom powder is going to give you. That was our focus. Let’s get the best of each and put it into one bar and then just differentiate on shelf with flavor.”

He acknowledged that making a good-tasting bar with so much mushroom powder can be challenging, but the company prides itself on using high-quality ingredients to create great flavors that don’t taste like mushrooms but complement the earthiness of the powders, like lemon ginger and peanut banana, the company’s best-sellers. 

“These really poignant flavor profiles help work with the earthiness of the mushrooms instead of trying to mask it,” Dominick added.

The bars are organic, non-GMO and free of syrups, preservatives and artificial flavors.

This article is an excerpt from the June 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Bars, click here.