Kind Bars first hit the market in 2004 and the brand blew up when it partnered with Starbucks in 2009. Now, they can be found in almost every grocery store, Starbucks, and convenience store in America.
They’re even sold internationally. Kind Bars are known for using simple, natural ingredients and don’t contain most of the unhealthy processed ingredients that other bars do.
However, are Kind Bars vegan?
While all Kind Bars are healthy, very few of them are vegan. This is due to the fact that most Kind Bars contain honey, which is generally considered to be a non-vegan ingredient. However, a few varieties of Kind Bars, such as their all-fruit bars are vegan-friendly!
If you’re a vegan who believes in the ethical consumption of honey, then feel free to eat Kind Bars. They don’t have any meat-derived ingredients like gelatin, stearate, or others. However, almost all varieties of Kind Bars contain a small amount of honey, which is problematic for some.
Below, I’ll explain why some vegans don’t consume honey and tell you exactly which Kind Bars are vegan, so you’ll know what to shop for the next time you’re at the store.
Are Kind Protein Bars Vegan?
If you’re a vegetarian, then Kind Bars are a great alternative to the heavily-processed bars that you’ll find at most grocery stores. However, if you’re a vegan, then I have some bad news for you…
All Kind Protein Bars contain honey, which makes them technically non-vegan.
At this point, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the big deal with honey? Isn’t it an all-natural, healthy sweetener?”
A few weeks ago, I wrote a full post detailing why many vegans don’t agree with honey. However, I’ll provide you with a brief explanation here, so you have a better understanding of why honey isn’t so vegan-friendly.
Why Vegans Don’t Consume Honey
To start with, honey is obtained from captive bee colonies. Despite what you may think, bee colonies need honey to survive. In fact, they spend their entire lives searching for nectar that they can turn into honey for the sole purpose of feeding their young larvae.
Many adult bees also consume honey during the fall and winter months when there aren’t any blooming flowers to get nectar from.
When beekeepers steal a colony’s honey supply, they’re putting both the young larvae and adult bees in danger. This simply doesn’t fall into line with the vegan code of “do no harm.”
Additionally, some bee farms go a step further. Once a colony starts producing less honey (usually in response to it constantly being stolen from them), some bee farms will gas their bees and kill the whole colony to start over.
That’s pretty messed up, right?
That being said, some honey is ethically harvested. There are a number of organic honey farms that only take the excess honey supplies from bee colonies.
They treat their colonies with respect and give them a safe environment where they can naturally thrive and obtain nectar from natural flowers.
However, these organic bee farms aren’t the norm. You can also bet your bottom dollar that most of the honey used in commercial food products doesn’t come from these farms, where the honey is in limited supply and costs nearly triple compared to non-ethical honey.
So, for all of these reasons, the majority of vegans don’t consume honey.
I’ll leave it up to you to decide what you want to do with this information, though, as there are many vegans who aren’t opposed to the idea of eating honey. Learn more about the debate with this informative video from one of my favorite vegan vloggers, Earthling Ed:
Are Kind Nut Bars Vegan?
At first glance, Kind Nut Bars look very vegan-friendly. They contain all-natural whole foods, like almonds, peanuts, chicory root fiber, sea salt, and soy. However, a closer glance at the label will reveal that all Kind Nut Bars also contain honey.
So, if you’re not a honey-eating vegan, then Kind Nut Bars are off-limits.
Are Kind Cereals Vegan?
In addition to their famous bars, Kind also has a line of delicious, all-natural granola. Some people eat it as-is, while others eat it like cereal with their favorite plant milk.
While many of the Kind Granola varieties contain honey, some flavors are vegan-friendly!
My favorite vegan Kind Granola is the Maple Quinoa Granola with Chia Seeds. This delicious granola is made using real ingredients like oats, unrefined cane sugar, ancient grains, and is naturally sweetened with vegan-friendly maple syrup.
I also really enjoy Kind’s Dark Chocolate Clusters. It’s honey-free and has a delicious sweet flavor thanks to the added dark chocolate (which is also vegan)!
What Are Kind Fruit Bars Made Of? A Look At The Ingredients
In Kind’s FAQ section, they mention that their most vegan-friendly snack is the Kind Fruit Bars. These fruit bars are made with ultra-simple, all-natural ingredients, and never contain any honey. So if you find some of these at your local health foods store, be sure to pick some up!
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients:
With three simple ingredients, there’s no way that these bars could be non-vegan! In addition to the delicious, fruity taste, all of these ingredients are high in natural dietary fiber, so they’ll fill you up and help your digestion at the same time. All in all, it’s the perfect morning snack!
What Kind Bars Are Vegan?
According to Kind’s website:
“All of our Whole Fruit bar flavors are vegan, as well as most of our KIND Healthy Grains® clusters (excluding Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut and Almond Butter Whole Grain Clusters).”
As I mentioned above, many of Kind’s Granola varieties are also vegan-friendly, as they don’t contain any honey!
The Verdict – Are All Kind Bars Vegan?
Unfortunately, most Kind Bars are NOT vegan, as they use honey. The honey not only sweetens the bars but also holds them together and prevents Kind from having to use artificial or animal-derived emulsifiers like gelatin.
Still, most vegans don’t consume honey, no matter how harmless it may seem. That being said, Kind does offer several vegan-friendly options, such as their fruit bars, some of their grain bars, and some of their granola!
If you’re looking for healthy vegan breakfast options, then be sure to check out my latest post detailing the best vegan breakfast cereals next!
