The “Delicious” New Snack I Always Grab on My Way Out the Door

Alexandra Foster
Alexandra FosterEditorial Assistant at The Kitchn
For the past 5+ years, I've worked in communications and managed companies' social media accounts. Before joining The Kitchn, I served as the Culinary Editorial Fellow for Food Network. My work has been published in Food Network, Whetstone Magazine, and NYU’s Bite Magazine. While working in the nonprofit world, I decided to further my education at New York University where I earned my MA in Food Studies. My aim is to highlight diverse voices in the food world through my storytelling. I am also passionate about ensuring that all people have access to food and have worked for the nonprofits Just Food and West Side Campaign Against Hunger advocating for food justice and food security. In my free time, I love trying new plant-based foods, listening to music or podcasts, going to concerts, and being in nature. I’ve also loved baking since I was a kid and find it very therapeutic, so I will jump on any chance I get to whip up a sweet treat.
Follow
published Sep 6, 2024
pinterest
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Grovetown, Ga USA - 11 03 22: Walmart retail store interior raisins and snack goods baking items
Credit: Billy F Blume Jr/Shutterstock

I always have a granola bar in my bag. Admittedly I can get hangry (apologies to anyone who’s experienced this firsthand), but knowing I have a granola bar when I need a little pick-me-up between meals puts me at ease.

I do like to switch it up and experiment with new flavors. As back-to-school season starts, for the parents out there, you too might be looking for something easy (and novel) to throw into your kid’s lunch box. 

Typically when you think of a granola bar, you think sweet, right? Same. It’s been the overwhelming option in the category for years — until recently. 

Credit: Alexandra Foster

Enter: KIND’s latest range of savory bars. I was lucky enough to attend the brand’s launch event this past spring and tour KIND’s innovation lab and see what goes into concocting fresh flavors. I also sampled a few of the new bars — Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt, Roasted Nuts & Jalapeño, and Paprika Nuts & Mesquite Smoked Sea Salt — before they hit shelves in July. The Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt flavor has been my go-to snack for months, and I’ve been patiently waiting for it to hit grocery shelves so I could share how good it is. 

Credit: Alexandra Foster

What You Should Know About KIND Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt Bar

If you’ve yet to join Team Savory, these just might be the bars that convince you. The Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt flavor (my favorite of the savory bunch) contains cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds, rosemary, sea salt, and dried onion and garlic — and it’s all held together with honey. The bars are also gluten-free and each one has 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar (roughly 4% of your recommended daily value for both). 

KIND Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt Bars launched in mid-July (along with the Roasted Nuts & Jalapeño, and Paprika Nuts & Mesquite Smoked Sea Salt flavors) and are available at retailers nationwide for $7.48 per box and online (sometimes for slightly less). 

Credit: Alexandra Foster

My Honest Review of KIND Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt Bar 

I’ve had other savory granola bars before and was wildly underwhelmed. So I went into sampling the KIND savory bars with measured (aka low) expectations. Even still, I was surprised with just how much I liked these bars! 

You can clearly see all the ingredients: whole nuts, seeds, and distinct pieces of rosemary poking out. From the first bite, the texture caught me off-guard. I was expecting it to be crunchy like other savory bars I’ve tried, but these have the same soft, chewy texture of my go-to KIND bars (Almond & Coconut and Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew, I’m looking at you). Of course, there is some crunch from the nuts and seeds, but I don’t fear I may break a tooth while I chew.

Credit: Alexandra Foster

The flavor is spot-on. Rosemary and nuts are a combo that go well together (try adding them to your next cheese board!), and all the flavors come through with a hint of sweetness from the honey. It’s not extremely salty like a potato chip, or sugary sweet, either; it’s somewhere in the middle with some additional punchiness from the dried onion and garlic. (The mesquite flavor was also great and reminded me of a barbecue chip.) 

Because the bars hold together so well, they won’t make a crumbly mess, either, which makes them perfect for eating on-the-go. I know I’ll be picking up another box and stashing a bar in my bag. 

Buy: KIND Rosemary Nuts & Sea Salt Bars, $6.71 for 8.4 ounces at Amazon 

Have you tried KIND’s latest savory snack bars? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Filed in:
Product Review