NEW YORK – As consumers move away from sugary, processed snacks, makers of protein bars and energy bars are opening the gates on ingredients like nuts, dried meats and even (ugh?) cricket flour, writes the Wall Street Journal in an article this week.

The news source cites examples of snack bar aficionados, such as one family who makes various types of snack bars a staple at all times of the day, including breakfast, lunch and snacks. It’s this type of loyal consumption that’s helping snack bars keep up the pace on a sales streak, says the WSJ.

Meanwhile, snack bar makers are getting creative with their ingredients, hyping their healthy, protein packed ingredients that range from nuts and dried meats to the aforementioned cricket flour. These high-end ingredients can also command top dollar from consumers.

The WSJ cites research from Valient Market Research, which counts just over 1,000 nutrition bars on the market now, compared with just over 225 a decade ago. The average bar costs about $2, up from just $1 10 years ago, a sign of how much more consumers are willing to pay, or the “diminishing price sensitivity,” as Valient founder Scott Upham calls it.

Bars that are selling well hit the sweet spot of several food trends, writes WSJ: They are convenient for eating on the go, and they have protein. Meanwhile, sales of other types of bars — cereal bars, breakfast bars, granola bars — are flat or fading, while sales of bars marketed specifically for weight loss also continue to decline.

Shoppers are now looking for minimally processed bars containing protein, probiotics and even ingredients such as meat and vegetables. A source from Whole Foods described the market as “a bar revolution.”