Is Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate actually healthy?

59/100 — Middling — decent, but the flags below add up

The good: decent protein for the calories, a good source of fiber.

Ingredient flags (6)

Corn syrupadded sugar · −10
Cheap added sugar with no nutritional upside.
Maltodextrin/dextrosefiller · −8
A filler carb that spikes blood sugar faster than table sugar.
Refined seed oilfat · −4
Industrially refined oil (canola, soybean, etc.). A minor flag — common in most packaged food and fine in moderation, but a marker of processing.
Natural flavorsvague · −2
A catch-all term — the actual ingredients aren't disclosed. Almost certainly harmless; flagged for transparency, barely affects the score.
Soy protein isolateprotein · −3
A cheaper protein source that's more processed than whey or whole-food proteins.
Added sugars: sugar, fructoseadded sugar · −18
Sugar appears 2 times in the list; none are main ingredients.

LecithinE322 · none
Emulsifier from soy/sunflower; generally recognized as safe.

FDA GRAS · details
Mixed tocopherolsE306 · none
Vitamin E, used as an antioxidant to keep fats from going rancid.

FDA GRAS · details
Baking sodaE500 · none
Leavening agent; no safety concern.

FDA GRAS · details

A ALOHA Coconut Chocolate Almond Protein Bar 94/100

Amazon Walmart

A Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar 91/100

Amazon Walmart