Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa Bars

Snacks that are conveniently packaged, portable and napkin-free are great for boosting energy and filling bellies when you and the kids are on the go. But choosing a good one for your family doesn’t stop at convenience—it also has to offer kids good nutrition. A great option with a focus on protein is Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa bars, which are naturally sweetened, non-GMO and gluten-free. They’re also loaded with fibre and minerals, and there are four flavours to choose from. These little baked snacks satisfied our parent testers (who tested the Chocolate Chip and Fruit & Seed flavours) with their impressive nutritional content, and—bonus—the bars earned the approval of kids’ taste buds, too.

To analyze the nutrition of each protein bar we tested in the lab, we relied on registered dietitian Cara Rosenbloom, who performed a blind nutritional analysis (no brands or labels were provided, just the nutritional information and ingredients list). Focusing on a 25-gram serving size, we honed in on the bar’s protein, sugar, fat and fibre content. With three grams of protein in each bar, Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa bars have one of the highest amounts of protein of all the bars we tested. One thing that our dietitian noted, which we factored into our evaluation, is fat content: protein bars with a higher healthy fat content received a better rating from our dietitian because the fats are considered beneficial, and kids need a little bit of everything—fat included—to grow. This bar includes those healthy fats, and rated highly in that department. Label-reading parents will appreciate the simple ingredients list.

Each bar is individually wrapped, and our parent testers were all in agreement that Wise Bites’ size made it super convenient to toss in their kid’s lunch bag, and the wrapper was simple enough for their kid to open by themselves.

While the packaging, convenience and nutritional value of a protein bar might meet your expectations, if your kid doesn’t like the taste, you're not going to purchase it. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case for the majority of our parent testers when they had their kids try Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa bars. They reported that their kids liked the taste and texture of both flavours (though the chocolate chip was definitely preferred!), and while its slightly crumbly texture might make for a tiny mess, the bars have a chewiness that's appealing. Our parent testers all agreed that Wise Bites is a healthy midday snack and were happy with its serving size and ingredients. Many of our testers loved these for their convenience, as their size and portability makes them easy to stash in a bag for on-the-go snacks.

Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa Bars were among the most budget-friendly of the kids' protein bars we tested. Parent testers felt that the ingredients used in the protein bars and their nutritional value added to its overall value. Most importantly, the kids enjoyed the bar, making it a healthier convenient snack.

FINAL WORD

Satisfied with the nutritional quality and ingredients in the Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa Bars, parent testers were fans, and said they'd recommend the bars to other parents. They gave them good to very good ratings for both quality and value, and felt that Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa bars were better in comparison to other protein bars they’ve tried in the past. Our editors were fans, too, giving these bars high praise for their taste and quality. For a quick hit of protein and fibre when you're on the go, Wise Bites Oat and Quinoa Bars are a great option.