It’s Time To Stock Your Snack Drawer With The 15 Best Packaged Snacks Of 2018
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had such intense afternoon hanger that you went totally overboard on the peanut M&Ms. (Yup, mine’s up too.)
While candy is an A+ treat, it’s not exactly going to fill you up for hours. But the 15 winners of Women’s Health’s Healthy Snack Awards sure will.
Each packaged snack is under 250 calories and meets at least two of these additional nutritionist-approved criteria: at least three grams of fiber; at least five grams of protein; 10 grams of sugar max; 10 percent of your RDA of a key nutrient (like iron or calcium); no added sugars or fake sweeteners.
Also: These packaged snacks all taste really freaking awesome. There’s something here for every possible craving—sweet, spicy, and everything in between.
Hayeon Kim
First, an important question: savory or sweet?
Sweet all the way.
Savory, please!
Hayeon Kim
So, you have a sweet tooth.
You like your snacks sweet and…
Creamy
Chewy
Crunchy
General Mills
Creamy: YQ by Yoplait Coconut Flavored Yogurt
BUY IT $2, amazon.com
You’ll get whipped cream vibes (with a subtle hit of coconut) from this yogurt that packs tons of protein and a crazy-low amount of sugar, considering that it’s flavored. It’s also gluten-free and has no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.
Per serving: 130 calories, 2.5 g fat (1.5 g sat fat), 80 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 9 g of sugar, 0 g fiber, 15 g protein.
Justin’s
Creamy: Justin’s Classic Cashew Butter Squeeze Pack
BUY IT $12 for a pack of 10, amazon.com
Almond butter, who? The cashew butter tastes 10 times creamier than the other nut butters in this line. Squeeze this on-the-go pack onto apple slices or straight into your mouth—no judgment here.
Per 1.15-ounce squeeze pack: 210 calories, 17 g fat (4 g sat fat), 35 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g of sugar, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.
CLIO Snacks
Creamy: CLIO Strawberry Greek Yogurt Bar
BUY IT $28 for a pack of 10, cliosnacks.com
Though this yogurt bar might look like candy, it has all the benefits of Greek yogurt (calcium! protein!) with the added bonus of a chocolate shell.
Per 1.76-oz bar: 140 calories, 6 g fat (6 g sat fat), 31 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrates, 10 g of sugar, 1 g fiber, 8 g protein.
Peeled Snacks
Chewy: Peeled Snacks Gently Dried Organic Chili Mango
BUY IT $5, peeledsnacks.com
Don’t sweat the chili seasoning—it’s subtle enough for even the most sensitive tongues. Dried fruit is usually a healthy-looking scam, but these strips have no added sugar (while packing in 10 percent of your DV of iron).
Per 1/2 -cup serving: 130 calories, 0 g fat (0 g sat fat), 35 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrates, 21 g of sugar, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein.
SmartSweets
Chewy: SmartSweets Fruity Gummy Bears
BUY IT $20 for a pack of six, amazon.com
Holy fiber. This bag packs a full day’s worth, while keeping the sugar low thanks to stevia (not creepy artificial stuff). Go in on the whole bag, because, yup, that’s the serving size. Bonus: They legit taste EXACTLY like regular gummy bears.
Per 1.8-ounce bag: 90 calories, 0 g fat (0 g sat fat), 15 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrates, 3 g of sugar, 28 g fiber, 3 g protein.
RXBAR
Chewy: RXBAR Coconut Chocolate Protein Bar
BUY IT $20 for a pack of 12, amazon.com
A lot of protein bars are packed with shady ingredients, but this one uses whole foods like dates, cashews, almonds, and egg whites. All bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. Grab one to fuel before or after a workout.
Per 1-bar serving: 210 calories, 9 g fat (2 g sat fat), 170 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrates, 13 g of sugar, 5 g fiber, 12 g protein.
Skinny Dipped Almonds
Crunchy: Skinny Dipped Dark Chocolate Cocoa Almonds
BUY IT $49 for a case of 10, amazon.com
These almonds are dipped in dark chocolate and topped off with a dusting of dark cocoa to make them feel truly decadent—while still being amazingly low in sugar.
Per 1-oz serving: 150 calories, 12 g fat (3 g sat fat), 90 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrates, 6 g of sugar, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein.
Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP
Crunchy: Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Lightly Sweet Kettle Corn
BUY IT $4, walmart.com
Satisfy your kettle corn needs with kernels that have been sweetened with a combo of cane sugar and monk fruit extract instead of the usual heavy dose of refined sugar. Plus, each package comes in a “fresh pop bowl” for convenience and minimal cleanup.
Per 3.5-cup serving: 170 calories, 11 g fat (5 g sat fat), 280 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Biena
Crunchy: Biena Dark Chocolate Roasted Chickpeas
BUY IT $36 for a pack of 8, amazon.com
Chickpeas and…chocolate? Trust. Take your love of sweet and salty to new heights with this crunchy trailblazer while getting a hefty dose of fiber to boot.
Per 35 chickpea serving: 130 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 g sat fat), 100 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrates, 5 g of sugar, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein.
Hayeon Kim
Calling all savory snack people!
You prefer your savory snacks to also be…
Salty
Spicy
Cheesy
Food Should Taste Good
Salty: Food Should Taste Good Black Bean Multigrain Chips
BUY IT $3, amazon.com
Basically every ingredient in this chip is legit good for you (black beans, flax seeds, sesame seeds), yet it still manages to be crispy, nutty, and drool-worthy. All you need is some salsa or guac and you’re set.
Per 1-oz serving: 130 calories, 6 g fat (0.5 g sat fat), 80 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrates, 0 g of sugar, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein.
SkinnyPop Popcorn
Salty: SkinnyPop Real Butter Popped Popcorn
BUY IT $4.29, skinnypop.com
If you love salty, buttery popcorn, you’ll go nuts for this stuff. It’s REALLY easy to finish a bag solo because it’s so tasty, but that’s honestly NBD because it’s so low in cals (while still packing in fiber). And this option has no artificial ingredients, gluten, preservatives, or trans fats.
Per 3 1/4-cup serving: 140 calories, 8 g fat (1 g sat fat), 190 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Brandless
Salty: Brandless Organic Original Beef Jerky
BUY IT $3, brandless.com
You know how some jerky is so tough your jaw legit hurts after a while? This soft high-protein jerky is not like that. Plus, it’s made from 100 percent grass-fed beef, hickory-smoked, and seasoned with a dash of garlic—making for the perfect balance of sweet and sharp.
Per 1-bag serving: 140 calories, 3 g fat (1 g sat fat), 1020 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 7 g of sugar, 0 g fiber, 19 g protein.
Wholly Guacamole
Spicy: Wholly Guacamole Spicy Guacamole Snack Cup
BUY IT $1.98, walmart.com
For a tasty kick (and I mean kick) in the middle of the day, these chips and spicy guac snack cups are the ideal way to get your daily dose of healthy fats. Each is packaged in a cup of hand-scooped and mashed Hass avocados with enough chips to actually finish it all.
Per 1-snack-cup serving: 220 calories, 14 g fat (2 g sat fat), 310 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar, 5 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Wilde
Spicy: Wilde Jalapeño Chicken Chips
BUY IT $24 for a box of 4, wildebrands.com
NGL this one sounds weird, but testing confirmed these are seriously awesome. Each crunchy bite tastes like spicy fried chicken skin…sans all the scary saturated fat.
Per 28-g serving: 170 calories, 10 g fat (8 g sat fat), 170 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrates, 0 g of sugar, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.
Blue Diamond Almonds
Spicy: Blue Diamond BOLD Wasabi and Soy Sauce Almonds
BUY IT $20 for a case of six, amazon.com
If you prefer a sinus-clearing type of heat (yeah, baby), try these legit “bold” almonds. You can eat a whopping 28 of them in one sitting to get your protein and fiber fix, and the wasabi flavor will give you a good mouth tingle—sans the watery eyes.
Per 1-oz serving: 170 calories, 15 g fat (1 g sat fat), 115 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g of sugar, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Delightfully Yours
Cheesy: Delightfully Yours Parmesan Crisps
BUY IT $19.99 for a pack of four, amazon.com
Grab these keto-friendly crisps that are literally just made with freshly aged parmesan. If you want a blast of flavor on top of the cheesy goodness, these also come in Garlic, Onion, Sesame & Poppy Seeds flavor, as well as Jalapeño Pepper.
Per 0.74-oz serving: 100 calories, 7 g fat (5 g sat fat), 430 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g of sugar, 0 g fiber, 11 g protein.
BelGioioso
Cheesy: BelGioioso Fontina Snacking Cheese
BUY IT $2.99, jet.com
Pair these soft mini cheeses with olives or a few whole-wheat crackers for a filling snack. The sweet, buttery Fontina flavor is a good alternative to all the single-serving cheddars on the market.
Per 3/4-oz serving: 70 calories, 6 g fat (5 g sat fat), 150 mg sodium, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g of sugar, 0 g fiber, 5 g protein.
Harvest Snaps
Cheesy: Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps, White Cheddar
BUY IT $25.85 for a pack of 12, amazon.com
For those looking for a subtly cheesy taste: Harvest Snap’s unique take on veggie chips are always baked and never fried, and have nearly half the fat of potato chips.
Per 1-oz serving: 130 calories, 5 g fat (0.5 g sat fat), 85 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrates, 1 g of sugar, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein.
It’s Snacks Week at WomensHealthMag.com!
For more healthy snacking tips and tricks, check out the rest of our Snacks Week collection.
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