Bar (food)
Processed food formed into a bar shape

A bar, also called a snack bar or a food bar, is a food made of processed ingredients formed into the shape of bar. Bars typically have a long shelf life and contain high energy ingredients. There are several popular types of bar, including confectionery bars, protein bars, energy bars, granola bars and fruit bars.[1]

They are one of the most popular forms of snack food, with diversification across different segments of both convenience and health foods. Typical ingredients in a bar are cereal grain, dehydrated fruits or vegetables, seeds, chocolate and dairy.[2] The introduction of the cold chain, has allowed for similar foods to emerge in the frozen food segment such as ice cream bars.

Historical precedents

High quality, portable dense energy foods have long been a part of food preservation and long-distance travel. Food like Pemmican provided long-term storage, while preserving the food in a high density bar in indigenous North America.[3] In Europe, classical Greek soldiers probably made dishes like Pastelli, a high density honey and sesame seed bar that can transport and endure long distances.

In India, foods like Chikki have been served as a desert dish that concentrates sugar and nuts. In Aztec food traditions, Amaranth seed is often combined with honey to create seed cakes, that are served in modern Mexico as alegría.[4]

Types of bar

The majority of food bars are sweet, rather than savory.[5][6] Different types of bar may be marketed for specific purposes, like replacing breakfast or providing protein, or may be marketed to specific demographics like women. Some bars are made to adhere to dietary restrictions like the paleolithic diet or the gluten-free diet.[7]

A chocolate bar filled with wafers and caramel.

Chocolate or candy bars

The first chocolate bars were developed after Joseph Fry, John Cadbury, and Benjamin Cadbury developed a technique for producing solid chocolate.[8] Combination bars, including additional ingredients such as nuts or dried fruit, were developed in the 1910s. One of the most successful was the Clark Bar, introduced in 1917.[9]

Chocolate bars became popular in the 20th-century as palatable and inexpensive high-energy snack items.[10] Some of these bars have become important for different subcultures, such as the widespread use of Kendal Mint Cake in the climbing and mountaineering community in the UK.[11]

Dessert bar

A bar made of coconut shavings, caramel, chocolate and butterscotch chips, almond pieces, and an Oreo cookie crust

Dessert bars or simply bars or squares are a type of American and Canadian dessert that has the texture of a firm cake or softer than the usual cookie.[12] They are prepared in a pan and then baked in the oven. They are cut into squares or rectangles.[13]

They are staples of bake sales and are often made for birthdays. They are especially popular during the holidays, but many people eat them all year. Many coffee shops and bakeries also offer the treats. Popular flavors include peanut butter bars, lemon bars, chocolate coconut bars,[14] pineapple bars, apple bars, almond bars, toffee bars,[15] chocolate cheesecake bars[12] and the seven-layer bar.[13]

In addition to sugar, eggs, butter, flour and milk, common ingredients are chocolate chips, nuts, raspberry jam, coconut, cocoa powder, graham cracker, pudding, mini-marshmallows and peanut butter.[15] More exotic bars can be made with ingredients including sour cream, rhubarb, pretzels, candies, vanilla, raisins, and pumpkin.

Energy bars

Energy bars vary in size, ingredients, and nutritional benefits.
A HOOAH! energy bar provided by the United States Army in its MREs

Energy bars are supplemental snack bars containing cereals, micronutrients, and flavor ingredients intended to supply quick food energy.[16] Because most energy bars contain added protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and other nutrients, they may be marketed as functional foods.[17] Manufacturing of energy bars may supply nutrients in sufficient quantity to be used as meal replacements.[16]

Food ration bars

Food ration bars are commonly produced as field rations for armed services.[18] Ration bars are more convenient and more nutritious than canned food.[19] They vary in type between cereal-type bars and confectionery bars,[20] and may include various freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients, such as meat, fruits, vegetables, and grain.[19]

Fruit bars

Fruit bars are made of compressed dried fruit. Common additives include vegetable oil, sweeteners, and binders such as wheat or oat flour.[21]

Granola bar with nuts and dried fruit.

Granola bars

Granola bars are made of granola, muesli or cereal, typically including oat flakes, vegetable fats or oils, and some type of sweetener. Many granola bars contain additional ingredients such as nuts, dried fruits, and seeds.[6] They become popular in the 1960s as part of the counterculture Hippie movement.[22]

Ice cream

An ice cream bar is a frozen dessert featuring ice cream on a stick. The confection was patented in the US in the 1920s, with one invalidated in 1928.

Protein bars

Protein bars are commonly consumed by athletes due to their nutritional density and high protein content, which provides energy quickly and assists in growing and repairing connective tissues.[23] Weightlifter Bob Hoffman marketed Hi-Proteen Honey Fudge bars in the 1950s. Space Food Sticks were marketed by Pillsbury in 1969, based on the ration bars provided to astronauts in the American Space Program.[24] They were popularized among amateur fitness enthusiasts after the introduction of the PowerBar in 1986.[25]

The emergence of a distinct "high protein" food culture in the late 20th and early 21st century, has led to a widespread marketing and development of low calory high-protein bars.[26][27]

Notes

  1. ^ Booth 2012, p. 291-295.
  2. ^ Serna-Saldivar 2022, pp. 8–9.
  3. ^ O'Brien, Sam (2020-04-30). "How to Make a 5,000-Year-Old Energy Bar". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  4. ^ Meléndez, María (2025-03-15). "Taste of Mexico: Amaranth". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  5. ^ "Bar category's rapid growth thrives on generational preferences". SupplySide Food and Beverage Journal. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  6. ^ a b Booth 2012, p. 291.
  7. ^ Peruzzi, Marc (2019-02-04). "How Energy Bars Became America's Favorite Snack". Outside Online. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  8. ^ Morganelli 2006, p. 19.
  9. ^ Richardson 2008, p. 230.
  10. ^ Goldstein 2015, pp. 105–106.
  11. ^ "Kendal Mint Cake maker is out of dough". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 28 February 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Bodger, Lorraine (2000). The Four-Sided Cookie. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-20675-8. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  13. ^ a b Thorkelson, Berit (2005). You Know You're in Minnesota When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the North Star State. The Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 0-7627-3895-2.
  14. ^ Buckert, Emily (24 December 1998). "Good Taste: Quick Dessert Bar". The Victoria Advocate. p. 23. Retrieved 30 January 2009.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ a b Siegfried, Susie (2006). Church Potluck Carry-ins and Casseroles: Homestyle Recipes for Church Suppers, Family Gatherings, and Community Celebrations. Adams Media. ISBN 1-59337-549-2. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  16. ^ a b Klerks, Michelle; Román, Sergio; Verkerk, Ruud; Sanchez-Siles, Luisma (2022). "Are cereal bars significantly healthier and more natural than chocolate bars? A preliminary assessment in the German market". Journal of Functional Foods. 89 104940. doi:10.1016/j.jff.2022.104940.
  17. ^ Fernan C, Schuldt JP, Niederdeppe J (December 2018). "Health Halo Effects from Product Titles and Nutrient Content Claims in the Context of "Protein" Bars". Health Communication. 33 (12): 1425–1433. doi:10.1080/10410236.2017.1358240. PMID 28853950.
  18. ^ Koehler 1958, p. 286.
  19. ^ a b Morris 1965, p. 4.
  20. ^ QFCI 1951, p. 52.
  21. ^ Booth 2012, p. 295.
  22. ^ "Granola Bars Going Against Grain of the '80s". Los Angeles Times. 1987-08-07. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  23. ^ AlJaloudi, Rawan; Al-Dabbas, Maher M.; Hamad, Hani J.; Amara, Rawan A.; Al-Bashabsheh, Zaher; Abughoush, Mahmoud; Choudhury, Imranul H.; Al-Nawasrah, Bha'a Aldin; Iqbal, Sehar (2024-01-13). "Development and Characterization of High-Energy Protein Bars with Enhanced Antioxidant, Chemical, Nutritional, Physical, and Sensory Properties". Foods. 13 (2): 259. doi:10.3390/foods13020259. ISSN 2304-8158. PMC 10814707. PMID 38254560.
  24. ^ Goldfield, Hannah (2025-04-21). "The Quest to Build a Perfect Protein Bar". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  25. ^ "Raising the (Nutrition) Bar". NC Food Innovation Lab. 2023-12-08. Archived from the original on 2025-07-19. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  26. ^ "Why's Everyone Obsessed with Protein?". Polyester. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  27. ^ Wilson, Bee (2019-01-04). "Protein mania: the rich world's new diet obsession". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-12-24.

Bibliography

Booth, R. Gordon (2012-12-06). Snack Food. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4613-1477-6.

Koehler, Franz A. (1958). Special Rations for the Armed Forces. Historical Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General.Goldstein, Darra (2015-04-01). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-931361-7.Morganelli, Adrianna (2006). The Biography of Chocolate. Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7787-2481-0. Morris, E. R. (1965). Technical Report. U.S. Army Natick Development Center, Food Engineering Laboratory.

QFCI (1951). Activities Report of the Quartermaster Food and Container Institute for the Armed Forces. Quartermaster Food and Container Institute for the Armed Forces (U.S.).

Richardson, Tim (2008-12-05). Sweets: A History of Candy. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-59691-890-0.

Serna-Saldivar, Sergio O. (2022-04-20). Snack Foods: Processing, Innovation, and Nutritional Aspects. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-000-54335-3.

Smith, Andrew F. (2011-12-02). Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-39394-5.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bars (food).
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