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When it comes to doing what's best for us, on a scale of 1-10 we're usually about a 2. But with the addition of reasonably priced, reasonably healthy snack bars to our grocery list, we're relishing the opportunity to add a few grams of fiber to our diets (not to mention give our Snickers-bar-eating co-workers smug smirks). Within the pseudo-healthy whole grain bar aisle, there seem to be two types of bars: the crunchy, earthy kind (i.e. Nature Valley) and the soft, chewy kind (i.e. NutriGrain). Which is best?

Nature Valley Oats 'n' Honey bar
NutriGrain Strawberry bar

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Appearance: A solid jumble of granola, oats and nuts packed into a crunchy bar.
 Appearance: Wheat-colored chewy bar, topped with oats and packed with gooey, berry-red filling.
Stats: $2.49 for 12 bars, 180 cals, 0 g fat each
 Stats: $2.79 for 8 bars, 130 cals, 3 g fat each
Taste: Sweet, nutty and crisp. The oats give the bar a hint of chewy texture while the honey adds a slight sweetness. The granola's still crunchier than our sensitive molars would prefer.


 Taste: The texture is soft and slightly crumbly, while the filling tastes great. The strawberry and bread combo reminds us, pleasantly, of jam on toast.
Downside: A crispity, crunchity mess. Do not eat near keyboard or over carpets.


 Downside: So sweet and chewy, it goes down almost as fast as our blood sugar goes up. And we're still hungry (burp).
Our pick: The NutriGrain bar. The texture and taste are just right with the berry-flavored snack. Nature Valley wasn't bad, but it's no match for the NG.