Unboxed: 13 portable nutrition bars to stock

Walk down the bar aisle of any natural or conventional grocery store and you'll find dozens of bars that cater to different special diets, flavor preferences, activity and time of day. It's a crowded, competitive category. But nearly every month, new nutrition bars launch into the natural channel. Is there really that much of a market for these ubiquitous convenience foods?

Essentially, yes. As brands continue to innovate in nutrition bar formulations, such as swapping cane sugar for honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup, the category expands in size and sales growth. Such growth is partly driven by a strong consumer desire for more protein and fiber in a portable, quick-to-eat product. Here are some of the newest, trendiest players in the bar aisle.