I am frequently asked to recommend some products for snacking. While on the whole I am mostly discouraged by what the food industry makes for “snack food,” there are a few products that come up that get my seal of approval.
1. Mary’s Gone Crackers. These come in 5 flavors Original, Caraway, Herb, Black Pepper, and Onion. I like them nutritionally because they are high in fiber, gluten free and contain high nutrient seeds flax and sesame as a source of fat rather than processed oil found in most crackers. And they taste good!
2. Larabar. These are very simple raw fruit and nut bars in different flavors. That is a big reason they are so great. They have no sugars other than what is naturally occurring in the fruit and the nuts are raw which means the naturally occurring fats have not been altered in an unhealthful way (which can occur when nuts are roasted at high temperatures). Because they are made with dried fruits rather than sugar for sweeteners, their antioxidant capacity is much higher than for energy bars with syrups and sugars for sweetener so their nutrient profile is very high. Of course, I also recommend them because they are delicious and come in MANY flavors like chocolate coconut, key lime pie, lemon bar, and cinnamon roll.
3. Aunt Trudy’s Fillo Pocket Sandwich. While these are still too high in fat, I think they are a better choice for occasional convenience than other brands of pocket sandwiches which are much higher in sodium. The best choices to pick are the 3 Bean Veggie Chili and Zucchini and Tomato. These are both non dairy which means the fat and sodium is lower than those that include cheese. Also, I like these because I think they put a good amount of filling unlike other brands that tend to give you mostly a crust and very little filling. They use a special technology packaging that lets you microwave the pockets yet still have get a crisp flaky crust that usually is found in fillo baked in an oven.
While I still recommend fresh fruits and veggies and healthy leftovers as the best snack foods, it is helpful to know there are a few other choices.
