Can Vegans Eat Nature Valley Granola Bars?
It is always great to have a quick and delicious snack tucked away in your bag or pocket. So whenever you are hungry, you can grab a fast snack. One of such convenient snack bars is Nature Valley Bars. It is difficult to resist the urge to take a bite of something so convenient in size and delicious in taste.
As a vegan, you may be thinking, “Can Vegans Eat Nature Valley Granola Bars?” Certain Nature Valley granola bars may or may not be vegan; it all depends on your vegan diet standards.
In this article, I will discuss all the flavors of Nature Valley granola bars which are vegan. I will help you in deciding whether or not you should purchase these Nature Valley granola bars.
What Are Nature Valley Granola Bars?
Granola bar maker General Mills owns the Nature Valley brand. In 1975, the company began with just one granola bar before introducing wide varieties. Almonds, fruits, oats, and other components make the majority of Nature Valley Bars vegan snacks.
Oats, whole grains, and other nutritious ingredients like nuts and dried fruit are found in Nature Valley bars. However, each serving of several of their bars has at least 10 grams of added sugar.
You may add Nature Valley granola bars into smoothies and shakes to give them taste and fiber. You can also crush it and combine it with all of your favorite raisins and nuts.
They also contain refined components such as canola oil and rice flour. Therefore, making it not the healthiest option. The current variety of flavors consists of:
- Crunchy Bars
- Fruit & Nut Bars
- Granola Nut Bars
- Nut Bars
- Protein Bars
- Sweet & Salty Bars
- Sustained Energy Bars
- Wafer Bars
Are Granola Bars Vegan-Friendly?
A vegan diet is a way of eating that does not include anything made from or produced from animals. People with arthritis, cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions have been shown to benefit from a vegan diet.
Since they do not include any components that come from animals, the majority of Nature Valley flavors are suitable for vegans. However, always check the ingredients list before consuming a flavor that is not vegan.
It is possible that the sugar in granola bars includes bone char. Since bone char is just present in the processing and not in the sugar, it has no negative effects on vegan diets.
However, the fact that animal cruelty is present in the production of sugar may not sit well with ethical vegans who are concerned with animal welfare because the bones of cattle are the key ingredients for making bone char.
Unfortunately, the sources of Nature Valley’s sugar are unknown. Both plant and animal sources can be present in the creation of natural flavor. The firm also does not reveal where the granola bar’s natural flavors come from.
Non-vegan Nature Valley granola bars include:
- Dark Chocolate Oats
- Honey Maple Brown Sugar
- Peanut Butter
Since the above bars include honey, they are not vegan-friendly. Honey is created when bees take plant nectar and combine it with their own enzymes to take nourishment for their colony. Because of this, vegans tend to ignore consuming honey.
Vegan Granola Bars
The list of vegan granola bars includes:
- Almond Butter
- Apple Crisp
- Cinnamon
- Cranberry and Pomegranate
- Dark Chocolate and Nut
- Dark Chocolate Cherry
- Maple Brown Sugar
- Peanut Butter Coconut
- Pecan
- Roasted Almond
- Trail Mix
Non-Vegan Granola Bars Ingredients
There are a few non-vegan components in the Nature Valley granola bars. Here is a list of dubious and non-vegan ingredients:
Milk
Some granola bars contain whey or whey protein concentrate, which are milk derivatives. Even if it is organic, milk is off-limits to vegans since it is made from cows.
Cows may be genetically modified, treated like milk-producing robots, and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to increase milk production.
Furthermore, people who consume their milk have a higher risk of getting diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and a variety of other diseases.
Honey
Honey is an edible animal ingredient in these bars. Vegans do not like conventional beekeepers because they substitute normal sugar for honey in beehives, which is substantially worse for bees.
Vegans contend that killing bees or harming them in large-scale beekeeping operations is unethical, as is using bees’ work and then extracting their energy.
Natural Flavors
These flavors can originate from both plants and animals, but businesses do not have to disclose this information. This is a huge drawback since some businesses could utilize animal substances without clearly disclosing them on the ingredients list.
Sugar
American-made Nature Valley granola bars include refined sugar. Not all sugar in the US is suitable for vegans. The use of natural carbon, also known as bone char, helps to decolorize.
Furthermore, businesses also use it to eliminate inorganic contaminants like calcium, magnesium ions, and sulfate.
Palm Oil
Even though palm oil is a plant-based substance o build palm oil plantations, businesses destroy the natural habitats of several animal species. According to studies, 100,000 orangutangs perished between 1999 and 2015 as a result of the search for palm oil.
Wrap Up
It is always important to be cautious when purchasing online or in-store since, in other countries, ingredients may alter owing to various manufacturing processes.
Vegans can include this delicious and functional granola bar in their diet. You will be okay as long as you stay away from the ones covered in honey.
However, if you are unsure because of the usage of bone char to process the sugar, it might not be the best choice for you. Nevertheless, dietary vegans may enjoy Nature Valley granola bars since the majority of their bars are free of animal ingredients.
