Healthy Food Guideby KarbCoach

Healthy Food Guide by KarbCoach

Balance Bar Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate: Longevity analysis

Updated 2026-10-17 · Balance Bar

Quick answer

Limit Frequency

Balance Bar nutrition energy bar, dark chocolate received a Longevity Score of 58 out of 100 (limit frequency). Protein-forward bar with fiber, but built on multiple sugars, refined starches, palm kernel and sunflower oils, and several additives. Strengths include 13g protein per bar, about 4g fiber from chicory root and cocoa, and fortified with calcium and vitamins, while main considerations include sugar-led formula: sugar, syrups, and maltodextrin, palm kernel and sunflower oils; saturated fat 4g, and protein isolates and multiple additives indicate processing.

Longevity Score 58/100

What helped the score?

  • 13g protein per bar
  • About 4g fiber from chicory root and cocoa
  • Fortified with calcium and vitamins

What held the score back?

  • Sugar-led formula: sugar, syrups, and maltodextrin
  • Palm kernel and sunflower oils; saturated fat 4g
  • Protein isolates and multiple additives indicate processing

You are viewing the nutrition and longevity perspective. Switch to Food Integrity for ingredients and processing.

Source data, GTIN, and Healthy Food Guide analysis details

Product facts

Product
Balance Bar Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate
Category
Snacks (source: Snack, Energy & Granola Bars)
GTIN / UPC
00750049180163
Serving size
45 g (1 bar)
Source data — ingredients
Ingredient list from product label data (see Sources)
Healthy Food Guide analysis
Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards. See methodology under Sources.
Data last verified

Balance Bar

Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate

Limit Frequency

KarbCoach Recommendation

Limit Frequency

Protein-forward bar with fiber, but built on multiple sugars, refined starches, palm kernel and sunflower oils, and several additives.

What Stands Out

High Protein

13g protein

26% DV

High Sat. Fat

4g saturated fat

20% DV

High Added Sugar

12g added sugar

24% DV

Added Sweetener

Invert evaporated cane syrup

Contains Seed Oils

Sunflower oil

Good Fiber

4g fiber

14% DV

Whole Foods

Cocoa, Unsweetened chocolate

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Key Positives

  • 13g protein per bar
  • About 4g fiber from chicory root and cocoa
  • Fortified with calcium and vitamins

Key Concerns

  • Sugar-led formula: sugar, syrups, and maltodextrin
  • Palm kernel and sunflower oils; saturated fat 4g
  • Protein isolates and multiple additives indicate processing

Ingredient Signals

Primary protein

Soy protein isolate, whey, casein

Whole-food ingredients

CocoaUnsweetened chocolate

Processing signals

Protein isolatesTapioca starchMaltodextrinNatural flavorMultiple syrups

Additives

Soy lecithinCalcium carbonateCalcium phosphateNatural flavorVitamin fortification

Seed oils

Sunflower oilFractionated palm kernel oil

Added sweeteners

Invert evaporated cane syrupSugarTapioca syrup

Other sweeteners

Maltodextrin

Ingredients

Ingredient list

SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, INVERT EVAPORATED CANE SYRUP, SUGAR, TAPIOCA SYRUP, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, CHICORY ROOT FIBER, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, WATER, CASEIN, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, TAPIOCA STARCH, CALCIUM CASEINATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY., VITAMINS AND MINERALS: CALCIUM CARBONATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ASCORBIC ACID, ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL ACETATE, VITAMIN A ACETATE, CHOLECALCIFEROL.

Formulations can vary — check the package label for the final word.

Macronutrients

Calories

180

9% DV

Total Carbs

20g

7% DV

Protein

13g

26% DV

Saturated Fat

4g

20% DV

Fiber

4g

14% DV

Net Carbs

16g

6% DV

Sugar

12g

Added Sugar

12g

24% DV

Total Fat

6g

8% DV

Sodium

190mg

8% DV

Unsaturated Fat

2g

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Nutrition at a Glance

Nutrition at a Glance
NutrientAmount% Daily Value
Calories1809% DV
Total Carbs20g7% DV
Protein13g26% DV
Saturated Fat4g20% DV
Fiber4g14% DV
Net Carbs16g6% DV
Sugar12g—
Added Sugar12g24% DV
Total Fat6g8% DV
Sodium190mg8% DV
Unsaturated Fat2g—

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Amounts are per labeled serving from source data. Check the package for the final values.

Longevity scores estimate how this product’s nutrition and ingredient profile fit longer-term eating patterns. Formulations can vary — check the package label. Not medical advice. Some nutrient values may be estimated when the label is incomplete.

How this product may fit different goals

The same food can look different depending on what matters most to you. Here is a general preview of how this product may align with several common goals.

  • Low-Spike Stability

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low-Spike Stability, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher sugar (12g)

    This product has 3 additional signals for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Heart-Healthy Eating

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Heart-Healthy Eating, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher saturated fat (4g)

    This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • GLP-1 Eating Support

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing GLP-1 Eating Support, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher sugar (12g)

    This product has 2 additional signals for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Low Sugar Lifestyle

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low Sugar Lifestyle, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher sugar (12g)

    This product has 3 additional signals for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Appetite & Portion Awareness

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Appetite & Portion Awareness, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher sugar (12g)

    This product has 2 additional signals for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Athletic Fueling

    Watch-outs

    Athletic Performance

    For someone prioritizing Athletic Fueling, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Carbohydrate is almost entirely sugar (12g of 20g carbs)

    See more for this goal

See how this product fits your goals

Choose what matters most to you and explore a more detailed interpretation of this product's nutrition, ingredients, and tradeoffs.

Personalize this analysis

Understanding the Longevity analysis

What the Longevity analysis evaluates

The Longevity analysis looks at how a food fits broader dietary patterns over time. It combines nutritional composition with processing and ingredient-quality considerations, including ideas that originated in Meal Power Points and Food Integrity. The Longevity Score summarizes that wider picture on a 0–100 scale. It is educational context for packaged foods, not medical advice and not a guarantee of health outcomes.

Nutrients, balance, processing, and ingredients

Nutritional composition matters: protein, fiber, carbohydrates, glucose-related characteristics, fats, sodium, and micronutrients all influence how a food may support or challenge different dietary goals. Processing level and ingredient quality still count, because formulation can change the practical meaning of an otherwise tidy nutrient panel. Longevity treats those dimensions together rather than as a single nutrient number.

Who may prioritize Longevity

People following low-carbohydrate, keto-style, high-protein, glucose-conscious, or longevity-focused eating patterns often start with the Longevity analysis. It is also useful when you want one place that connects macros and micros with how processed the food is and how the ingredient list reads. The Longevity Score is designed for that broader comparison across products.

How Longevity differs from Food Integrity

Food Integrity is the focused analysis of processing, ingredients, additives, purity, and transparency. Longevity is the broader analysis of nutritional composition, metabolic and dietary characteristics, processing, and ingredient quality. A strong nutritional profile may still deserve closer Food Integrity review when additives, oils, sweeteners, or processing level raise questions the nutrient panel does not answer on its own.

Why the analyses overlap—and why to review both

The overlap is intentional. Food Integrity–related characteristics contribute to Longevity, while Food Integrity remains separately useful for deeper formulation detail. The two views are meant to complement each other, not cancel each other out. Some people reasonably prioritize one analysis based on their goals; reviewing both can reveal tradeoffs that one score alone may not show.

Common questions about this product

Is Balance Bar Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate highly processed?

Food Integrity lists processing level as Ultra-processed. That reflects formulation and processing signals from the ingredient analysis — not a medical or regulatory classification.

Why are the Longevity and Food Integrity scores different?

Longevity emphasizes nutrition per serving and longer-term dietary alignment. Food Integrity emphasizes ingredients, additives, processing, and label transparency. The same product can score differently on those lenses.

How much fiber is in one serving?

Balance Bar Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate shows about 4.01g of fiber per labeled serving in the Longevity nutrition facts.

Does it contain added sugar?

Balance Bar Nutrition Energy Bar, Dark Chocolate: 12g added sugar per serving; sweetener signals include Invert evaporated cane syrup, Sugar. Confirm the current package Nutrition Facts and ingredient list.

What helped the Longevity Score?

Key positives called out in the analysis include: 13g protein per bar; About 4g fiber from chicory root and cocoa; Fortified with calcium and vitamins.

What prevented a perfect Longevity Score?

Key concerns noted include: Sugar-led formula: sugar, syrups, and maltodextrin; Palm kernel and sunflower oils; saturated fat 4g; Protein isolates and multiple additives indicate processing.

Who might evaluate this product differently?

People prioritizing different goals (for example lower carbs, higher protein, or minimally processed eating) may weigh the same snacks differently. Use the goal preview on this page, then personalize in KarbCoach for your priorities.

Other published analyses in Snacks, selected from the same Healthy Food Guide catalog.

Source data and Healthy Food Guide analysis

  1. Public label databases (including USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts) — Possible sources for package ingredients and nutrition.
  2. Healthy Food Guide analysis (Longevity and Food Integrity) — Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards.
  3. How the Longevity Score is calculated
  4. How the Food Integrity Score is calculated
  5. Scoring models: KarbCoach Longevity and Food Integrity.
  6. Independent analysis. No manufacturer affiliation.
  7. Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions. Full sources and safety details.
Label accuracy and safety information

Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions.

Sources, citations & safety

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