We’ve got scores of recipes for healthyish snacks, from nutty granola bars to crispy roasted chickpeas. But if you’re seeking out healthy snacks to buy rather than make, allow our editors to give some impassioned recommendations. We reach for these low-sugar cookies, seedy crackers loaded with healthy fats, and actually good plant-based protein bars when we need an afternoon nosh or a pre-workout bite. Registered dietitians, we aren’t—but we do know a thing or two when it comes to snacking.
Yun Hai Dried Fruits
Since I moved to NYC from Taiwan, I’ve been unable to find one of my favorite fruits—wax apples. When ripe, they’re crunchy, sweet-tart, and refreshing. But recently I stumbled upon them in dried form. Biting into Yun Hai’s dried slices, I immediately noticed the characteristic green taste, like the crispness of spring, followed by a condensed sweetness and satisfying chewy texture. Brooklyn-based Yun Hai sources wax apples from Taiwanese farmers along with pearl guava, golden diamond pineapple, and Irwin mango. For a taste of the best Taiwan, with its subtropical climate, has to offer, try the variety pack. —Jessie YuChen, contributor
Yun Hai Dried Fruits
North Sea Fish Snacks
North Sea Fish snacks were one of the few after-school nibbles my parents allowed in our house that wasn’t fruit. To my mom and dad, the seafood-based snack was lighter, healthier, and much better for the brain than cookies, potato chips, or pretzels. I was all too happy to eat them, because these incredibly chewy snacks had the texture of soft sticks of beef jerky with just a hint of fish flavor. Their subtle saltiness almost convinced me that they were the type of junky store-bought snacks I craved, despite the fact that the first listed ingredient is actual fish. —Gigi Wong
North Sea Fish Snacks
Honey Mama’s Chocolate Truffle Bars
Made from a core triumvirate of tasty ingredients—cocoa, raw honey, and unrefined coconut oil—Honey Mama chocolate truffle bars are a textural masterpiece. They contain no refined sugar, are paleo- and keto-friendly, and are technically raw. Rich and buttery, every bite is like the middle piece of a brownie batch. They’re also a little chewy like fudge, which I expect we can thank drippy-drizzly honey for. —Ali Francis, staff writer
Honey Mama’s Tahini Tangerine Cocoa Truffle Bar, Pack of 12
Jane Bakes Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate Cookies
I’ve tried a lot of healthyish snacks, and let’s be honest, they usually aren’t as good as their added-sugar-and-saturated-fat-filled counterparts. So I wasn’t expecting these low-carb cookies to be delicious—but their rich, nutty flavor and delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture has me hooked. What, exactly, makes them better for you? The base of these cookies consists of a mixture of 100% organic whole grain flour fortified with Hi-Maize, a fiber-packed resistant starch that’s made from corn. The sweetener is Whey Low, a low-glycemic blend of natural sugars, including fructose (fruit sugar) and lactose (milk sugar). While I don’t know if a “healthy cookie” actually exists, I can vouch that Jane Bakes will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth. —Tiffany Hopkins, commerce writer
Jane Bakes Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate Cookies
Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
The Perfect Bar’s name carries not one single shred of irony. The refrigerated protein bar comes in 12 flavors (some seasonal), but I only need one: Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter With Sea Salt. The peanut butter is smooth and creamy, the texture that of thick cookie dough. Tiny chocolate chip clusters rest on the surface. Not only are they certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, and kosher, but their ingredient list also contains a powdered blend of flaxseed, rose hip, tomato, alfalfa, celery, kelp, dulse, carrot, orange, apple, and spinach. Amazingly, you can’t taste a hint of any of these ingredients, but these protein snacks are still vitamin- and mineral-dense and contain 20 superfoods. Lately, I’ve added them to my morning routine: I get up at 5 a.m. I make coffee, fill my water bottle, and grab a bar from the fridge. Even without eating anything else for breakfast, I’m full and happy for hours, thanks to 15 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. —Nikki Campo, contributor
Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Perfect Bar
$52 at Amazon (8 Count, Pack of 3)
Mary’s Gone Crackers
If you haven’t tried Mary’s Gone Crackers’s Super Seed line, allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite healthy snacks to buy in bulk. Each flavor (and there are six) features a hearty blend of seeds that are added to the mix of flax and sesame used in their “Original” crackers. The result is a fiber-rich and high-protein salty snack option that was a staple in my mom’s cupboard when I was growing up and fueled me through many a long study session during my college years. Now, they’re my go-to when I want something carby and crunchy that’s not tortilla chips. Dip them in hummus, spread them with cheese, or enjoy straight from the box—they’ve got enough flavor and texture going on that they’re perfectly addictive on their own. —Alaina Chou, commerce producer
Mary’s Gone Crackers Super Seed Everything Crackers
Rancho Meladuco Signature Medjool Dates
When I was about 30 weeks pregnant, I ordered six pounds of Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates and diligently ate two a day. They’re ridiculously plump and sticky-sweet, like the best dark brown sugar, and their texture is so soft and luscious, it’s almost fudgy. Dates this good are meant to be savored slowly and devoured on their own, but occasionally I’ll make what contributor Carla Lalli Music calls an energy sandwich, removing the date pit and stuffing the cavity with peanut butter (or drippy tahini plus chocolate chips if I’m feeling indulgent). —Sarah Jampel, contributor
Rancho Meladuco Signature Medjool Dates
$24 at Amazon (1 lb box, Pack of 2)
$20 at Williams Sonoma (1 lb box)
What do you think about this article? Please share it and comment.
Source: bonappetit
General Health Magazine 