But not all chocolate chip granola bars are created equal.
Some of the bars were overly sticky and sweet, and a few of them were just blah.
These chocolate chip granola bars are ranked from worst to first, each judged on appearance and taste.
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
May the best granola bar win!
A box of six cost me $4.53.
If you buy these, send a package of baby wipes with your child!
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
The taste:The Junkless bar had a syrupy, overly sweet taste.
The chocolate chips were the only saving grace.
The taste:Biting into this bar, the first thing you taste is sugar.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
Cascadian Farm’s chewy chocolaty granola bar is also made with organic and non-GMO ingredients.
I picked up a box of 10 bars at Target for $6.99.
The look:A bit bigger than the Quaker bar at 1.2 ounces.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
The chocolate chips looked a little old and sooty, even though the printed expiration date had not passed.
This was a big snack time turn-off.
So your kids will never know," according to the manufacturer.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
The look:This granola bar had a darker color than many of the others.
It looked a little skinnier, too, though it’s about the same weight as the Quaker bar.
It also showed an abundance of chocolate chips.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
I wasn’t a fan and couldn’t see my kids loving it.
It also seemed like a small bite for 100 calories.
It also had one of the lowest amounts of sugar of all the bars at just five grams.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
This one was priced at $6.39 for a box of 10.
The look:Compared to the other bars I tried, this one was very thin and flat.
There were way fewer chips in this bar than in the picture on the box.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
It’s made with USDA-certified organic ingredients and contains eight grams of whole grains, according to the brand.
It’s also made without high fructose corn syrup.
Listed sweeteners include cane sugar and tapioca syrup.
Photo: Ronnie Koenig, Eat This, Not That!
A box of 6 was priced at $5.32.
Still, there were two bars I liked even better.
It’s made with seeds instead of nuts and is free of numerous other allergens, too.
There’s no milk, no eggs, no wheat, no soy, and no sesame.
A five-count box of these school-friendly snacks cost me $3.99.
But opening up this thin bar, I was enticed by the layer of chocolate along the bottom.
The taste:Biting in, I was really surprised that this granola bar had such a great flavor!
Each bar delivers 7 gramsfar and away the most of any brand in this survey.
At the same time, it also leads the pack in most calories and sugar.
A box of five bars regularly costs around $5.29 but I found it on sale for $4.49.
The look:This was a thick, substantial-looking bar with lots of visible chocolate chips.
I wanted to bite right in (and I knew my kids would, too!)
This was the only bar that made me really want to take a second bite.
