Are Nature Valley Bars Vegan-Friendly?

You may be thinking that the crunchy bar of Nature Valley you saw would be a perfect snack for you if it was vegan-friendly. Who could blame you? 

The current variety of flavors include:

With such convenience in size and versatility, it’s hard not to want to take a bite. It can be blended into your smoothies to add fiber and flavor. It can even be crushed and mixed with all your other favorite nuts and raisins

But can it be mixed into your vegan diet? Continue reading to find out. 

Are Nature Valley Bars Vegan?

The answer is: YES

Most of the flavors under the Nature Valley brand are vegan-friendly as they have no listed animal-sourced ingredients.

Be careful and always read the ingredients list as there are some flavors that are not vegan and contain honey. 

Nature Valley Bars Ingredients

Nature Valley Bars are made from the following ingredients: Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Canola Oil, Rice Flour, Salt, Brown Sugar Syrup, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor.

Why Are Nature Valley Bars Vegan-Friendly?

There are no animal-based ingredients listed in most of the flavors of Nature Valley which makes it suitable for vegans to eat. 

There is a possibility that the sugar used to make these granola bars is processed using bone char. Bone char poses no harm to dietary vegans as it is not included in the sugar; it is only used in the processing.

However, since bone char is made from the bones of cattle it may not sit well with ethical vegans that are concerned with animal welfare that this sort of cruelty is used on animals to process sugar. Nature Valley has not disclosed its sugar sources.

Natural Flavor can be made from both plant and animal sources. The source of the natural flavors in the granola bar is not disclosed by the company either. 

The granola bars that are not vegan-friendly are:

• Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate
• Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate
• Oats n’ Honey
• Maple Brown Sugar

These are not vegan-friendly as they all include honey. Honey is made from plant nectar that bees extract and mix with the enzymes in their bodies to provide food for their colony. This makes it unsuitable for vegans to eat. 

Final Thoughts

With such a tasty and versatile granola bar, we are glad to give the go-ahead to include this in your vegan diet. As long as you avoid the ones slathered with honey you will be fine. It may not be right for you if you would like to err on the side of caution where it regards the use of bone char to process the sugar. But dietary vegans can enjoy Nature Valley knowing that there are no animal products included in most of the flavors of this snack.

For more info: https://www.naturevalley.com