The Best & Worst Snacks in America in 2021—Ranked!
Snack time is the best time! But it can also get you into trouble if you're trying to maintain a healthy eating plan. Though a well-balanced diet of indulgences mixed with healthy choices is the best way to live, it's easy to fall into a trap of snacking on too much salt or sugar if you're not being careful.
Snack foods are made to be easy to grab and go, and that's where they can get you into trouble. It's important to consider the nutrition information in a serving of your snack of choice and stick to it, especially if you don't want to consume too much sodium, carbs, or anything else. Fortunately, there are a number of snacks currently on grocery store shelves that are full of good good-for-you fats, protein, and fiber.
Ahead, we're breaking down some of the best and worst snacks that you can eat right now, starting with options to skip and leading up to what you should grab for instead. Plus, check out The Best & Worst Sodas in America—Ranked!
Entenmann's Glazed Donut Pop'ems
These glazed donuts may be delicious, but they're also a sugar bomb. A serving is only four of them, and they're too loaded with sugar, carbs, and not enough protein to actually be a filling and worthwhile snack.
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Hostess Snoballs
For a snack that's made of chocolate cake, marshmallows, cream, and coconut, it's not surprising that it's loaded with sugar and carbs. Keep in mind, too, that these come in packs of two and the serving size is only one, so eating both is 320 calories, 10 grams fat, 58 grams of carbs, and 40 grams of sugar. These are OK for an indulgent snack but probably not the best idea for every day.
Oreos
If you can stick to only eating three Oreos, then you may not find yourself in too much trouble nutrition-wise. However, once you start eating more than that, you're consuming a lot of sugar.
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bar Oats 'n Honey
For some reason, granola bars are touted as a healthy snack when so many of them actually aren't. These crunchy snacks are loaded with carbs, but if you like them, eating them in moderation is just fine, and paring them with some fresh veggies or fruit will make for a filling snack.
York Dark Chocolate Peppermint Candy
Is it really surprising that candy has this much sugar in it? York candies are definitely delicious, and while they may not have quite as much fat and sugar as other candy bars, they do still have plenty.
Wheat Thins Original Crackers
This is one of those snacks that you just kinda assume is healthy because we're so often taught that "wheat" products are good. And while Wheat Thins aren't a bad snack option, they're not the best. Pair them with cheese and veggies in a quick charcuterie board instead of snacking on them with calorie and fat-loaded dips.
Bare Apple Chips Fuji Red
What you have to watch out for with dried fruit is the sugar content. Though these dried apples have next to nothing in them, what they do have is sugar and carbs.
Sun-Maid Vanilla Yogurt Raisins
Yogurt-covered raisins may be tasty, but that's because they're loaded with sugar. A serving is just 2 tablespoons. Yep! You'd be better off just eating grapes and Greek yogurt.
Creative Snacks Organic Coconut Snacks
This mix of coconut, cranberries, cashews, almonds, and chia seeds looks like it'd be a pretty healthy snack, and it's not unhealthy, per se, but it does have quite a bit of sugar and carbs. There is some really good healthy fat with the nuts and coconut, and the chia seeds are a nice fibrous boost, so not all hope is lost with this snack.
Doritos
Doritos really aren't the worst chips you can eat. They're fairly middle of the road for snack time, because they do carry a good amount of sodium and carbs, but the calorie count is lower than many indulgent snacks.
Bubbies Passion Fruit Mochi Ice Cream
This snack isn't terrible in a pinch. If you're hungry and you want something sweet and creamy, you'll get that from a mochi ice cream, but just be cautious of sticking to one at a time so you don't overload on carbs and sugar.
Hippeas Rockin' Ranch
Made with chickpeas and a ton of flavor, these ranch-flavored chips are a decent snack for when you want something crunchy. Though they do have some fat and carbs, they're made with quality ingredients like chickpeas that you can feel good about.
GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce
You'll run into some sugar with applesauce because apples are naturally a sugary fruit, but what's important to note about these GoGo SqueeZ packets is that there's no added sugar!
GOODSAM Organic Macadamia Nuts
If you're looking for a snack full of healthy fats, look no further than these macadamia nuts. They're rich in flavor and good fat without any sodium or sugar.
Famous Amos Cookies
As far as cookies go, Famous Amos aren't the worst you can do. They don't have quite as many calories or as many carbs and sugar as other cookies on the market. (Plus, they're just really delicious and crunchy, OK?)
Clio Strawberry Greek Yogurt Bar
Where this snack bar is a winner is with the Greek yogurt. It adds so much protein to the snack, which makes it more filling. Watch out for the sugar content, though—one bar has as much sugar as one Krispy Kreme glazed donut.
Choi's Seaweed Snacks
Seaweed is a great little salty snack, and you actually get quite a bit of it in each pack. There's not a whole lot to it other than sodium and flavor, but it's definitely on the healthier side of snacking.
Whisps Parmesan Cheese Crisps
Don't be alarmed by the amount of fat in these crisps—it's the good fat. Instead, look at how much protein you're getting per serving. As long as you watch the sodium intake by having these for a snack, you're good.
Angie's Boomchickapop Real Butter Popcorn
You're of course going to have carbs in any popcorn you eat—it's a carb-laden food. However, a light popcorn is a good idea for snacking, plus it has 3 grams of fiber to balance out the carbs!
Sugar-Free Popsicles
For times when you just want something sweet and delicious, a sugar-free Popsicle is a great way to go. You aren't going to get any nutritional value from it, per se, but you also aren't getting any of the carbs, fat, or sugar either.
Here are some more ideas for healthy snacks:
21 Healthy Grab-and-Go Snacks Perfect for Busy Days
10 Weight Loss Snacks That Actually Satisfy, Recommended By Dietitians
