Healthier Snack Foods on my Radar

We’re big snackers around here. While there is always a big bowl of fruit on the countertop for a quick and easy snack, when we are craving something salty, crunchy, sweet or creamy, fruit doesn’t always cut it. So I’m always on the lookout for satisfying snacks that rate well on the health spectrum. Here are a few that have come into our home lately….

Kind Bars – If I could have only one snack with me on a deserted island this would be it. Kind Bars are made with whole nuts and fruits and just a few other wholesome ingredients to bind them together. My hands down favorite is the Cashew & Ginger Spice although the Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt is quite a treat.

Rickland Orchards Greek Yogurt Bars – I discovered these all natural bars made with granola, dried fruit and a greek yogurt coating at BlogHer this past summer. They do contain soy protein, which some people prefer avoid but we only eat such things occasionally so I’m not concerned. Fav flavor? A tossup between Toasted Coconut and Cherry Almond.

34 Degrees – If you’ve ever tried 34 Degrees Crisps, you know they make darn good crackers. Now they have 4 new sweet varieties – Chocolate, Cinnamon, Caramel and Graham. My kids like to eat them right out of the box but you can also use them to create mini ice cream sandwiches, S’mores and more!

Bitsy’s Brainfood – If this brand of smart snacks had been around when my boys were toddlers, I would have been a heavy user. These alphabet-shaped snacks are much healthier than conventional animal crackers and come in unique flavor combos like Lemon Broccoli and Orange Chocolate Beet. Most importantly, they contain important brain nutrients like Omega 3′ fatty acids!

Stonyfield Greek Yogurt – We’ve been Stonyfield fans for years but now there’s even more reason to love them – an expanded Greek yogurt line! New favors include Chocolate and Caramel in the nonfat line and a brand new line of 1.5% fat Greek yogurt in plain, strawberry, raspberry, and my favorite: pineapple!

Unreal Candy – My boys love their “sweet snacks”. We hardly ever buy candy but when we do I prefer it to be free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, corn syrup and GMOs. Unreal Candy fits the bill plus it tastes great. Just in time for Halloween, Unreal Candy now comes in mini sizes too! Find it at CVS, Walgreens, Target (coming in Oct. 2012!)  and many other stores around the country.

What healthier snacks have you discovered lately?

(Disclosure: I received free samples of these items in exchange for my honest opinion. There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps me keep this blog in business. Thank you!)