Best Healthy Snacks | Best Keto Snacks | Best Gluten-Free Snacks | Best Healthy Snacks to Buy | Best Running Snacks | Best Low-Calorie Snacks | Best High-Protein Snacks | Best Low-Carb Snacks | Best Vegan Snacks | Best Calorie Counter Apps
Most Americans consume too many calories on any given day, which can lead to many different health problems. If you have ever tried to diet or create healthy habits, you probably already know that there is an almost endless amount of information on the internet about how to cut calories.
Trendy diet advice tends to make snacks a scapegoat because snacking is usually associated with high-calorie junk food that can make an immediate difference in your health. The truth is a little more complicated than that. Yes, if you eat junk food between meals, cutting back on those will help you see results. But healthy snacking is actually one of many habits that help you keep fit and stop overeating during meals.
Finding the best healthy snacks to buy means you have to be more intentional about what you do and do not buy. To help you in that process, we've gone through the web and put together our list of snacks. Don't forget that if you're making a big diet change it is always best to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian first.
Why Trust Us
The health and safety of ACTIVE's readers is of the utmost importance to us. To ensure your well-being when consuming snacks, the ACTIVE.com editorial team prioritizes products that are independently tested by a third party. We've also consulted with a team of nutritionists and dieticians to ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. This helps us create the most accurate, authentic review content for our readers.
The Best Healthy Snacks to Buy - Our Top Picks
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- Brami Keto Lupini Bean Dip
- Bare Baked Crunchy Apple Chips
- Bumble Bee Tuna Salad
- Sheila G's Brownie Brittle
- Lakanto Keto Granola
- SkinnyDipped Dark Chocolate Almonds
- A Dozen Cousins Seasoned Beans
- Quest Protein Chips
- Wonderful Pistachios
- Justin's Almond Butter Protein Bar
- Quinn Snacks Microwave Popcorn
- Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame
- Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips
- Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs
- Righteous Felon Beef Jerky
The Benefits of Buying Healthy Snacks
Curb Hunger
If you're eating less, you will experience hunger because your body is used to consuming more calories. If you're following a diet made by a registered dietitian or doctor, then you can be confident your body doesn't need the extra calories, it just feels like it does.
Having a healthy snack between meals can help you avoid overeating at your meals to compensate.
Reduce Cravings
Cravings can sabotage your diet in a lot of different ways. If you're trying to lose weight, giving in to cravings can add extra calories that keep the pounds on. Likewise, if you're training, foods with addictive ingredients like sugar or caffeine can cause negative effects on your workout.
Healthy snacking can offer nutrient-dense alternatives to junk foods you're craving.
Save Time
Meal prepping is a fantastic practice when you're maintaining a balanced, nutritious diet. But adding snack prep into the mix could cost you a lot of extra time and cause stress.
It is generally true that making food at home will give you more nutrients than food you buy at the store, but it is possible to buy healthy snacks that you can grab and go.
Brami Keto Lupini Bean Dip
Brami Keto Lupini bean dip is a chickpea alternative that lets you enjoy your favorite hummus flavor while cutting calories and carbs. Lupini beans are more nutrient dense than chickpeas, so per serving, Brami Keto Lupini bean dip has 50 calories, 2 grams of protein, 4 grams of fat, and 0 net carbs.
Bare Baked Crunchy Apple Chips
Dried and baked fruit is becoming a popular chip alternative that is packed full of nutrients. Bare Baked Crunchy Apple Chips are made with two ingredients: apples and cinnamon. A 2/3-cup serving of these chips has 110 calories, 1 gram of protein, 0 grams of fat, and 27 carbs.
Bare Baked apple chips also have 4 grams of fiber and are a good source of other micronutrients. Basically, you're getting all the benefits of an apple but with the crunch appeal of eating chips.
Bumble Bee Tuna Salad
Tuna is a good healthy snack to buy for weight loss; it is packed with protein and fat to satiate hunger, while having the micronutrients of fish, like vitamins and Omega-3s. Bumble Bee Tuna salad has 230 calories, 6 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, and 7 grams of carbs per can.
Sheila G's Brownie Brittle
Sheila G's brownie brittle is a gluten-free, kosher-friendly alternative to one of the most popular desserts. It has much less sugar than typical brownies, so if you're looking for a way to curb some cravings, give this brownie brittle a try.
Per serving, Sheila G's brownie brittle has 130 calories, 1 gram of protein, 4.5 grams of fat, and 21 carbs.
Lakanto Keto Granola
Some granola is notorious for being loaded with sugar and carbs despite being advertised as a healthy snack. But Lakanto Keto granola is made with seeds so it is gluten free and it is sweetened with monk fruit instead of sugar or syrups which make it much more nutrient dense than most big-brand granolas.
Per serving, Lakanto Keto granola has 150 calories, 3 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 3 grams of net carbs.
SkinnyDipped Dark Chocolate Almonds
SkinnyDipped Dark Chocolate Almonds give you another option to appease your sweet tooth for much better nutrients than common sweets. Almonds are gluten free and packed with protein and healthy fats to satiate your hunger.
SkinnyDipped Dark Chocolate Almonds have 140 calories, 5 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat, and 11 grams of carbs per serving.
A Dozen Cousins Seasoned Beans
Beans are one of the best sources of plant-based protein you'll find. When you put them in a snack, you're getting all that protein benefit plus the natural vitamins and minerals that are missing from junk food. A Dozen Cousins Seasoned Beans are crunchy and have a variety of flavors.
Each serving of seasoned beans has 80-150 calories, 5-7 grams of protein, 2-3.5 grams of fat, and 16-23 grams of carbs with 0 added sugars in all flavors.
Quest Protein Chips
We understand that chips are one of the most popular snack foods, and chip alternatives don't necessarily work for everyone. That's OK, because Quest Protein chips bridge the gap. These chips are gluten free and have 140 calories, 19 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 5 carbs.
Wonderful Pistachios
Pistachios are a healthy snack with all the fat and protein benefits of other nuts, but they're also packed full of micronutrients like iron, potassium, vitamin b12, and thiamin. Per serving, Wonderful Pistachios have 130 calories, 4 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat, and 6 grams of carbs.
Justin's Almond Butter Protein Bar
You may have tried protein bars in the past and found that some do not satiate your hunger as well as you would like. If that's the case, Justin's Almond Butter protein bar should do the trick. The protein of Justin's protein bar is a mix of almonds and pea protein for a high-protein, plant-powered snack.
Each bar has 230 calories, 10 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 11 grams of carbs.
Quinn Snacks Microwave Popcorn
Maybe someone told you that popcorn is not a healthy snack, and it isn't when you douse it in artificial flavorings and melted butter or vegetable oil. But Quinn Snacks Microwave popcorn uses real cheese and rosemary for seasoning and is coated in sunflower oil for a healthier alternative to this popular snack. The bag is also chemical free.
Each serving of Quinn Snacks popcorn is 170 calories, 3 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat, and 17 grams of carbs.
Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame
Edamame is a popular snack for vegan and vegetarian diets because it can be prepared similarly to dry roasted nuts, but has a more dense nutrient profile. Each serving of Seapoint Farms Edamame has 130 calories, 14 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs.
Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted edamame is also a great source of fiber, iron, and potassium.
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips
Kale is very high vitamin and mineral content in addition to being a good source of macronutrients. Many people eat kale, but the taste turns others away from the benefits. But Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips are crispy and seasoned with salt to make this superfood more palatable for the masses.
A single serving of Rhythm Superfoods Kale chips has 160 calories, 5 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, and 8 grams of carbs.
Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs
Chickpeas are typically associated with a Mediterranean diet, but they are becoming more common in other diets, too. Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs are an alternative to classic cheese puffs. These puffs are made with vegan white cheddar cheese and have 250 calories, 5 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, and 27 grams of carbs per serving.
Righteous Felon Beef Jerky
If you're looking to add protein to your diet without carbs, beef jerky is the snack you are looking for. Righteous Felon beef jerky in particular is made of very lean meat. It is also gluten-free and has no artificial flavors or added sugar. Each serving has 60 calories, 16 grams of protein, and 1 gram of fat, and 0 net carbs.
Other Healthy Snacks We Love to Buy
- Blendtopia Superfood Smoothie
- Kodiak Cakes Granola Bar
- Bobo's Oat Bites
- LesserEvil Paleo Puffs
- Hungry Buddha Keto Bars
- Back to Nature Trail Mix
- Once Again Creamy Almond Butter
- RIND Dried Fruit Chips
- HighKey Mini Protein Crisps
- Protein Powerball
- Terrasoul Medjool Dates
- Chobani Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- Hanover Organic Ancient Grain Pretzels
- N!cks Keto Snack Bar
- Popcorners Chips
- Quaker Rice Cakes
- Cravebox Snack Box
- Simple 7 Chip Lentil
- KOS Vegan Protein Powder
- Baja Beef Jerky
- LivBar Macro Snack Bar
- Kate's Organic Energy Bar
- Numa Chewy Candy
- Amish Country Popcorn
- Quaker Rice Crisps
- The Savory Box
- GoMacro Macrobar
- Emerald 100 Calorie Packs
- That's It High Fiber Bars
- Siggi's Nonfat Yogurt
- Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn
- New Primal Sea Salt Beef Thins
- Ground Up Cauliflower Crackers
- Blue Diamond Almonds
- RXBar
FAQs About Healthy Snacks
What's a healthy snack I can buy?
There are many healthy snacks you can buy, but what you need to focus on is relative to your goal. If you're trying to lose weight, find a snack like peanut butter that is high in protein and fat and will satiate your hunger throughout the day. If you're trying to fuel your body for a workout or training, focus on high-carb snacks.
What's a quick healthy snack?
Quick healthy snacks come in all forms. There are grab-and-go snack packs of almost any healthy snack food from kale chips to beef jerky. Check out our list of the best healthy snacks for some options.
What should I eat if I crave junk food?
Your brain works off a complex reward system. You crave junk food because your brain has built a habit of telling itself junk food is pleasurable through hormone releases. If you're craving junk food your best bet is to have a healthy snack handy that gives you a similar experience.
If you're craving sweet food, have a healthy low-sugar or sugar-free alternative handy. If you crave crunchy and salty foods like chips, focus on healthy snacks like kale chips or dry roasted nuts that give you the same sensation.
What can I snack on instead of chips?
There are a lot of healthy chip alternatives on the market—anything from kale chips to dried fruit to gluten-free protein chips. What you choose to replace chips is truly up to you, but what will be the most effective is figuring out what you like about chips in the first place.
For example, if you like the flavor variety of chips, a plain, crispy apple chip may not do the trick. If you like the crunch, then something crunchy will need to replace it.
Best Healthy Snacks | Best Keto Snacks | Best Gluten-Free Snacks | Best Healthy Snacks to Buy | Best Running Snacks | Best Low-Calorie Snacks | Best High-Protein Snacks | Best Low-Carb Snacks | Best Vegan Snacks | Best Calorie Counter Apps