Snack bars are extremely good at sounding healthier and simpler than they really are. Boxes are covered in oats, fruit, nuts, wholegrains and words such as “natural”, yet the bars inside may contain emulsifiers, humectants, protein isolates, glucose syrup, modified starches and flavourings. Other bars genuinely are little more than fruit and nuts pressed together. This makes finding non-UPF snack bars in UK supermarkets possible but you need do have a look at what the packet is telling you.
The simplest current options include a two-ingredient Nakd bar, M&S chocolate-coated date bars, straightforward fruit bars for younger children and an oat-based Deliciously Ella range. I’ve pulled together a post on how they compare, which recipes require more interpretation and what to consider before putting a fruit-heavy bar into a child’s lunchbox.
UPF Free Snack Bars
Are All Snack Bars Ultra-Processed?
No. Baking, pressing or packaging a snack bar does not automatically make it ultra-processed.
A simple bar might contain:
- Oats
- Dates
- Raisins
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Fresh or dried fruit
- Butter or an ordinary culinary oil
- Honey or sugar
- Cocoa
- Dark chocolate
- Named herbs or spices
All these ingredients could realistically be used to make a bar at home.
Ultra-processed bars are more likely to contain ingredients included primarily to engineer their flavour, texture, sweetness or shelf life. Examples can include:
- Emulsifiers
- Modified starch
- Maltodextrin
- Protein isolates
- Glycerol or other humectants
- Artificial sweeteners
- Unspecified flavourings
- Highly formulated fibre ingredients
- Chocolate-flavoured coatings
- Complicated vitamin mixtures
Classification is not always completely consistent. The British Nutrition Foundation explains that NOVA is the most commonly used UPF classification system but is not universally agreed and can be difficult to apply to individual products. My post will give you the info on the least ambiguous products rather than pretending every ingredient has a universally accepted classification.
Non-UPF Snack Bars: The Quick Comparison
Recipes and prices can change, so inspect the packet before buying.
| Product | Why It Stands Out | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Nakd Cashew Cookie | Dates and cashews only | Major supermarkets, including Tesco |
| M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bar | Date paste, dark chocolate, coconut oil and salt | M&S and Ocado |
| M&S Dark Chocolate and Almond Date Bar | Similar recipe with almonds | M&S and Ocado |
| Deliciously Ella Mixed Berry Oat Bars | Oat-based multipack without listed flavourings | Ocado and Waitrose |
| Organix Apple and Date Fruit Bars | Dates, apple and a little sunflower oil | Major supermarkets |
| Freddie’s Farm Apple Fruit Shapes | Apple and three vegetables | Sainsbury’s |
| BEAR Raspberry Yoyos | Four fruit-based ingredients | Major supermarkets, including Asda |
The fruit shapes and rolls are not conventional cereal bars, but they occupy the same lunchbox and portable-snack category.
Nakd Cashew Cookie
Nakd Cashew Cookie has the clearest recipe of any widely available bar found during this research.
It contains:
- Cashews (51%)
- Dates (49%)
That is the complete list.
A 35g bar contains 155 calories, 12g of naturally occurring sugars, 2.7g of fibre and 3.6g of protein. The recipe of this non-UPF snack bar does not include flavourings, preservatives, sweeteners, syrups or emulsifiers. This makes Cashew Cookie one of the least debatable non-UPF snack bars currently available from a mainstream supermarket.
However, it contains cashews and may contain peanuts, so it will not suit a nut-free school or somebody with a relevant allergy.
Are All Nakd Bars Non-UPF?
No. Check the individual flavour.
Some Nakd bars include “natural flavouring”, even when the front of the packet closely resembles the two-ingredient Cashew Cookie version.
Recipes can also differ between retailers or change during reformulation. Salted Caramel, Peanut Delight and the various chocolate-flavoured bars should therefore be assessed separately. This is a useful reminder not to classify an entire brand on the strength of its simplest product. If you want the least UPF processed Nakd option, Cashew Cookie is currently the clearest choice.
M&S Only Ingredients Dark Chocolate Date Bar
The M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bar contains:
- Date paste (67%)
- Dark chocolate (30%), made from cocoa mass, sugar and cocoa butter
- Coconut oil
- Salt
It does not list emulsifiers, flavourings, glucose syrup, stabilisers or artificial sweeteners. The differing ingredient numbers used in product titles reflect whether the three components of the dark chocolate are counted separately. The complete recipe is more useful than the headline number.
This is a straightforward chocolate-coated bar, but it is still relatively high in sugar and saturated fat. A simple ingredient list does not turn it into an unlimited everyday food.
M&S Dark Chocolate and Almond Date Bar
The almond version contains:
- Date paste (57%)
- Dark chocolate (27%), made from cocoa mass, sugar and cocoa butter
- Almonds (12%)
- Coconut oil
- Salt
The almonds are included in nibbed and ground forms. The added almonds provide more texture and protein than the plain date version, but also make the bar unsuitable for nut-free settings.
Both M&S bars are individually wrapped and convenient, although they are considerably more expensive than buying dates, chocolate and nuts separately.
Deliciously Ella Mixed Berry Oat Bars
Deliciously Ella Mixed Berry Oat Bars contain:
- Gluten-free oats (51%)
- Brown rice syrup
- Date syrup
- Coconut oil
- Coconut sugar
- Rapeseed oil
- Freeze-dried strawberry
- Freeze-dried raspberry
- Freeze-dried blackcurrant
- Lemon oil
There are no listed emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilisers or unspecified flavourings.
Each 50g bar contains 216 calories, 13g of sugar, 3.7g of fibre and 3.5g of protein. This recipe is longer than that of Nakd Cashew Cookie, but every ingredient has an ordinary culinary purpose. It contains several different sweetening ingredients, so “non-UPF” should not be interpreted as “low in sugar”. It may nevertheless be useful for someone wanting an oat bar without glycerol, flavourings or emulsifiers.
The recipe is nut-free, but the product carries a warning that it may contain nuts and peanuts. Always follow the allergy information on the current packet.
Organix Apple and Date Fruit Bars
Organix Apple and Date Fruit Bars contain:
- Dates (86.3%)
- Dried apple (13%)
- Sunflower oil (0.7%)
The manufacturer explains that the small quantity of oil is used during moulding. Each 17g bar contains 55 calories and 10g of sugar. The multipack contains six small bars. The bars are intended for children aged 12 months and over. Organix advises that young children should sit down and remain supervised while eating them.
The recipe is notably simpler than the company’s Soft Oaty Bars, which contain agave fibre in the form of inulin. Anyone following a strict interpretation of NOVA may find the Apple and Date Fruit Bars a better option. They may contain traces of nuts despite having no nuts in the principal recipe.
Freddie’s Farm Apple Fruit Shapes
Freddie’s Farm Apple Fruit Shapes contain:
- Apple (90%)
- Beetroot
- Carrot
- Spinach
These come in a handy five-pack. Although these are shaped fruit pieces rather than traditional bars, they provide another individually portioned non-UPF free snack with a clear recipe.
The vegetable ingredients contribute colour and flavour, but apple remains the overwhelming majority of the product. The shapes should not be treated as a replacement for serving a varied selection of fresh vegetables. A raspberry version is also available.
BEAR Raspberry Yoyos
BEAR Raspberry Yoyos currently contain:
- Apples (64%)
- Pears (34%)
- Raspberries (1%)
- Black carrot extract
There is no listed added sugar, concentrate, sweetener, flavouring or preservative. Despite the product name, raspberry accounts for only a small proportion of the recipe. Most of its sweetness and structure come from apple and pear.
Black carrot extract is used to provide colour. Some strict UPF interpretations may be more cautious about extracts, although this four-ingredient fruit recipe remains considerably less formulated than many gummy snacks or fruit-flavoured cereal bars.
The rolls are gluten-free and sold in individual 20g portions.
What About Organix Soft Oaty Bars?
Organix Soft Oaty Bars have relatively recognisable recipes based mainly on oats, raisins, sunflower oil and fruit-juice concentrate.
However, they also contain approximately 8% agave fibre in the form of inulin. For example, the Apple and Orange bars contain:
- Wholegrain oats (50.2%)
- Raisins
- Apple-juice concentrate
- Sunflower oil
- Agave fibre
- Orange oil
Inulin occurs naturally in plants, but concentrated or isolated fibre ingredients introduce more uncertainty under NOVA. Someone taking a flexible approach to reducing UPFs may consider these a reasonable product. Someone wanting the least ambiguous recipe may prefer the three-ingredient Organix Apple and Date bars instead.
What About Protein Bars?
Most mainstream protein bars are often ultra processed snacks.
They frequently use combinations of:
- Milk or soya protein isolates
- Hydrolysed protein
- Maltitol or other sweeteners
- Humectants
- Emulsifiers
- Flavourings
- Stabilising fibres
- Chocolate-flavoured coatings
- Vitamin and mineral premixes
These ingredients create a soft, sweet bar with a long shelf life and a precise nutritional profile.
A product containing 20g of protein is not automatically nutritionally poor, but it is likely to be ultra-processed when that protein has been assembled into a heavily formulated confectionery-style bar.
If you want a simpler portable source of protein, possibilities include:
- Plain nuts
- Roasted chickpeas
- Cheese
- Boiled eggs
- Plain yoghurt
- A two-ingredient nut-and-date bar
- Homemade oat bars containing nuts or seeds
Does “No Added Sugar” Mean Non-UPF Snack Bars?
No. A no-added-sugar bar is likely to contain sweeteners, flavourings, isolated fibres, emulsifiers or modified starches.
Conversely, a bar containing ordinary sugar or honey can still have a traditional, non-UPF-style recipe.
“No added sugar” also does not mean “sugar-free”. Dates, raisins, dried apple and concentrated fruit ingredients naturally contain substantial amounts of sugar.
The complete label matters more than one claim on the front.
Are Non-UPF Snack Bars Healthy?
Fruit and date bars can provide fibre and useful nutrients, but they are not nutritionally identical to whole fresh fruit.
Processing fruit into a compact, sticky bar makes it easier to consume a substantial quantity quickly. Water has often been removed, leaving its sugars more concentrated.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit as part of a meal rather than as a between-meal snack because it can be high in sugar and stick to teeth. This is particularly relevant to bars made predominantly from dates, apple or pear.
Practical ways to use them include:
- Including one as part of a lunch rather than grazing on several
- Serving it beside plain yoghurt or cheese
- Alternating bars with fresh fruit and savoury snacks
- Offering water afterwards
- Avoiding sticky fruit bars immediately before bed
- Checking the portion size
- Comparing total sugar between products
There is no need to describe a simple fruit bar as bad food. It is simply worth understanding what it contains.
Choosing Non-UPF Snack Bars for Children
Consider more than UPF classification when selecting a bar for a child.
Check:
- The recommended minimum age
- Sugar per bar
- Portion size
- Nut and seed content
- “May contain” warnings
- The firmness or chewiness of the product
- Salt content
- Whether the school is nut-free
- What else is included in the meal
- Whether the child can manage the texture safely
Young children should sit down and remain supervised while eating. Whole nuts and large hard pieces can present a choking risk.
Nut-free recipes can still carry factory warnings for traces of nuts. A bar does not need to appear in every lunchbox. Other portable possibilities include:
- Fresh fruit
- Cheese and crackers
- Cucumber and pepper sticks
- Plain yoghurt
- A small sandwich
- Oatcakes
- Sliced olives
- Homemade savoury muffins
- Hard-boiled eggs where appropriate
Variety provides a more useful goal than finding one supposedly perfect product.
An Easy Homemade Oat and Date Bar Recipe
These soft bars use ordinary ingredients and can be cut into small portions.
They are deliberately less sweet and less uniform than most commercial cereal bars.
Ingredients
- 200g porridge oats
- 2 ripe bananas
- 100g soft pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut, almond or seed butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk or an unsweetened alternative
- 50g raspberries or finely chopped apple, optional
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan or gas mark 4.
- Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.
- Place the dates in a heatproof bowl and cover them with freshly boiled water.
- Leave them to soften for ten minutes.
- Drain the dates thoroughly.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
- Finely chop or blend the softened dates.
- Add the dates, oats, nut or seed butter, cinnamon and milk to the bananas.
- Mix until evenly combined.
- Fold in the raspberries or chopped apple if using.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the lined tin.
- Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, until set and lightly golden around the edges.
- Allow it to cool completely in the tin.
- Cut into bars or small squares.
- Refrigerate in a covered container.
Use a suitable seed butter if the bars need to be nut-free, and check every individual ingredient for allergy warnings.
Homemade Snack Bar Variations
Apple and Cinnamon
Use finely chopped apple and add another small pinch of cinnamon.
Raspberry Oat Bars
Fold fresh or frozen raspberries through the mixture. Frozen berries may make the bars slightly softer.
If you would like to produce your own fruit, this guide to growing raspberries explains how to plant and care for raspberry canes.
Chocolate and Date
Add one tablespoon of cocoa powder. A small quantity of chopped dark chocolate can also be included.
Seeded Bars
Add pumpkin or sunflower seeds, provided everybody eating the bars can manage them safely.
Coconut Bars
Mix in two tablespoons of desiccated coconut and add a little extra milk if the mixture appears dry.
How to Store Homemade Snack Bars
Because these homemade bars contain fresh banana and do not contain preservatives, keep them refrigerated.
Store them:
- In a clean, covered container
- In the fridge
- For up to three days
- Away from raw food
- Labelled with the preparation date
They can also be frozen in individual portions. Separate the bars with baking paper, place them in a freezer-safe container and defrost them in the fridge.
If a bar develops mould, an unusual smell or an unexpected fermented texture, then throw it away and do not eat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the simplest non-UPF snack bar?
Nakd Cashew Cookie currently has the clearest mainstream recipe. It contains 51% cashews and 49% dates.
Are Nakd bars UPF?
It depends on the flavour. Cashew Cookie contains only dates and cashews, while several other Nakd bars contain natural flavouring. Check each packet separately.
Are cereal bars ultra-processed?
Many are, but not all. A cereal bar made from oats, fruit, nuts and ordinary culinary ingredients can fit a non-UPF approach.
Are M&S Only Ingredients bars non-UPF?
The two date bars covered here have straightforward recipes based on dates, dark chocolate, coconut oil, salt and, in one version, almonds. They contain no listed emulsifiers or flavourings.
Are Deliciously Ella bars non-UPF?
The Mixed Berry Oat Bars use recognisable culinary ingredients without listed emulsifiers or flavourings. They contain several sweetening ingredients, so non-UPF should not be confused with low sugar.
Are fruit bars better than sweets?
They can provide fruit and fibre, but their sugars remain concentrated, and their sticky texture can affect teeth. Compare the complete product and serve dried-fruit bars sensibly.
Can non-UPF bars contain sugar?
Yes. Ordinary sugar, honey and syrups do not automatically make a product ultra-processed. UPF classification and nutritional quality are separate questions.
Are homemade cereal bars always non-UPF?
It depends on the ingredients. A homemade bar made with oats, fruit and nut butter will generally be non-UPF. Using a highly formulated protein powder or flavoured coating could change that.
Non-UPF Snack Bars
The clearest non-UPF snack bar currently available from ordinary UK supermarkets is Nakd Cashew Cookie, made from dates and cashews.
M&S Dark Chocolate Date Bars provide straightforward chocolate-coated alternatives, while Deliciously Ella Mixed Berry Bars offer an oat-based option.
Organix Apple and Date Bars, Freddie’s Farm Fruit Shapes and BEAR Yoyos have particularly simple fruit-heavy recipes, although their concentrated sugars and sticky texture should still be considered.
Do not assume that every flavour produced by the same brand has an identical classification. Nakd and Organix both offer particularly simple products alongside bars containing flavourings or isolated fibre ingredients.
Turn over every packet, expand anything shown in brackets and remember that “natural”, “high protein” and “no added sugar” do not answer the UPF question on their own.
A useful snack bar does not need to be nutritionally perfect. It needs to suit the person eating it, the occasion, any allergies and the rest of the day’s food.