As people who cook, eat, and write about food for a living, we know a thing or two about healthy snacks—as nebulous as the term healthy may be. Because of all of that aforementioned work-related eating, we’re constantly on the lookout for little treats between meals that also feel satiating and nutrient-rich. Still, we want something more exciting than an apple or a hard-boiled egg and something that feels a little less unhinged than spooning peanut butter or hummus straight out of the container (though we’ve been known to engage in these snacking habits too).
The single most important factor—for us—in a healthy snack is that it simply has to taste good. Beyond that, it’s hard to apply a one-size-fits-all rubric, because sometimes what you want is a meat stick, and other times you want some really good dried fruit. In general, we try to look for things that don’t have a ton of added sugar or artificial sweeteners and that don’t contain a plethora of stabilizers and protein powders.
We also look for snacks that contain protein from sources like nuts, beans, and meat as well as healthy fats and good-for-you carbs. Because the point here isn’t weight loss, it’s mixing some nutritious stuff into our diets between making triple-chocolate brownies and BA’s best lasagna.
Could you make your own healthy snacks, like these oven-roasted chickpeas? Yes. But sometimes you just want a quick bite that requires absolutely no effort. All of the snacks on this list are store-bought, and since the market for healthy snacks is constantly growing, we’ll be trying all the newest ones and updating this list on a monthly basis. Read on to see our favorite healthy snacks for summer, or scroll down to see our all-time favorites.
Fall Favorites
I aspire to make my own nut butter protein bites at home, but Chia Smash has made it impossibly easy to just buy their superfood bites instead. The jammy, nut butter bites, which taste and look homemade (in a good way), come in bags of five each and pack in seven to nine grams of protein. The best part is that the ingredients are ones you could find in your own kitchen. The bites star their chia-studded fruit jams, which get their sweetness from date syrup and lemon juice, and your preferred nut butter—there’s peanut butter with grape jam, sunflower butter with strawberry, cashew butter with blueberry, and my personal favorite, the chocolate peanut butter with raspberry. They scratch the itch for a PB&J craving and also have enough protein to hold you over until your next meal.—Kate Kassin
While I’m a big proponent of making your own hummus, the truth is that more often than not these days I’ve been buying it from the store—and Little Sesame is hands down my favorite brand. I’m obsessed with their flavored offerings (the Jammy Tomato and Caramelized Onion will change your life), but these newly released grab-and-go cups are quickly becoming a weekday necessity for me. Filled with the same creamy hummus I’ve grown to know and love from Little Sesame, they’re the ideal thing to take to the office with a bag of pita chips or carrot sticks for when that 3pm slump hits.—Alaina Chou
Siete Churro Strips come in handy when you want to snack on something with the texture of a chip, but you’re in the mood for something sweet. They have that churro-like flavor from ingredients like coconut sugar, pumpkin powder, and cinnamon, but instead of having the usual fried dough base of a churro (which might put you to sleep if you were to snack on a whole bag of these), they’re made from a cassava flour blend and are made with avocado oil. Like most of the Siete snacks you know and love, they’re dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, so they’re a foolproof party snack.—K.K.
Diggables Puffs
I jump at the chance to try just about any buckwheat snack. Diggables turns buckwheat into airy puffs in flavors like sea salt, garden herb, and white cheddar. They have just the right amount of crunch, are appropriately salty, and are made from really simple ingredients—the sea salt flavor has just buckwheat (sourced from a family farm in Maine), sunflower oil, and sea salt. They’re also gluten-free and pack in three grams of protein per serving. My only gripe, if I had to find one, is how quickly I can get through a whole bag.—K.K.
These bags of “Transportive Pecan Mixes” from Wanderlands come in flavors called things like “mineral creek wilds” and “mesa after rain,” but don’t let the mystical names confuse you: These are really just snack mixes, and great ones at that—and no, they don’t contain any form of psychedelics. What they do contain is a base of pecans, fava beans, pepitas, and other crunchy bits that get mixed with one of three deeply savory flavoring blends. I’m partial to the “into snowy woods” mix, which features maple syrup, Lapsang Souchong tea extract, cardamom, yuzu, and shiitake mushrooms. It’s umami-packed and totally addictive—and has enough protein, fiber, and healthy fats to tide me over between meals while I’m at work.—A.C.
All-Time Favorites
No nighttime routine is complete without a few squares of dark chocolate, and Hu’s fair-trade organic dark chocolate bars are among the best you can get. We love the dark chocolate variety pack, which offers a sampling of flavors like almond butter and puffed quinoa and crunchy mint. The cashew butter-filled chocolate bar is one of our favorites for a quick midday pick-me-up. And don’t miss the hunks, a.k.a. almonds and cashews dipped in dark chocolate, and gems, gumdrop-shaped chocolate chunks that are, well, gems.—K.K.
I brought these to a barbecue, mostly and selfishly so I could grab a bag for myself and eat them while I grilled all night long. The chips are kettle-cooked in avocado oil and come in flavors like spicy jalapeño, farmhouse ranch, and habanero nacho—my personal favorite of the bunch because they actually have a kick to them. For Ruffle’s fans like myself, there are also wavy varieties in cheddar and sour cream or sea salt (which has only three ingredients!). The chips aren’t greasy and have a nice thicker heft for dipping while still maintaining that optimal crunch for eating them by the handful. The only downside is that I wish the bag were fuller.—K.K.
I do a lot of hiking and camping, which means I’m constantly on the lookout for portable, protein-filled snacks that 1) aren’t just granola bars and 2) actually taste good. Karma’s Cashew Cookie Bites fit that bill perfectly. These tiny, chewy cookies remind me of the miniature Entenman’s chocolate chip cookies I used to eat by the handful after school, except these are actually kind of good for you. For something a little less sweet, their snack sized packs of seasoned cashews are a go-to for me.—Carina Finn
The mug cake trend has had a few resurgences and for good reason—who wouldn’t want dessert for one whipped up in a few short minutes at the drop of a hat? Most importantly, you don’t have to turn on your oven in the dead of summer. Naturally, I was thrilled to see the latest release of Instant Treats from Stellar Eats, my go-to brand for gluten-free baking mixes. They’re single-serve portions of their mixes like banana bread, carrot cake, and fudge brownie (my personal go-to) and are ready to eat in less than two minutes—all you need to do is pour the contents into a mug, add an ingredient or two like water or oil as instructed, and patiently wait a few minutes for your cake to cook and cool.—K.K.
Ella’s Flats rank high on our crackers hall of fame. The small family-owned brand makes savory crisps just from seeds, from sunflower to pumpkin to flax, and spices like cumin and caraway. Ella’s Flats are sturdy enough to dip into hummus or work as a bread substitute for avocado toast, yet they’re light enough to eat on their own for a protein-and-fiber-packed snack. We also love the Everything or Spicy varieties crumbled into a salad or the Sesame or Hemp ones into a yogurt bowl for an added crunch.—K.K.
If you told us a few years ago that everyone would be walking around eating beef jerky sticks, we’d might not have believed you. But the desire for high-protein, low-sugar, and keto- and paleo-friendly foods has led to an influx of packaged snacks in this category. Chomps offers our current favorite meat sticks in beef, turkey, and venison. These sticks contain no sugar and no fillers, and they also come in a half-size option that can fit in your pocket. This is a satisfyingly savory snack that’s great for when you need to each something filling on the go.—K.K.
If you miss the fruit snacks of your elementary school days, you’ll love Solely’s fruit gummies, which are filled with nothing but whole organic fruit and vitamin C. The mango-and-guava or mango-and-orange single-serving packs are perfect to toss in your bag for when that mid-afternoon sweet craving hits. If dried fruit is more your style, we love the brand’s fruit jerky, which packs a whole mango, banana, or pineapple into a single stick, as well as its dried fruit pouches (both of which also come drizzled with 100% cacao if that’s more your style).—K.K.
Source link
