Healthy Fall Snacking Made Easy
Snacks get a bad rep. While it’s true that most are high in sugar, fat, cholesterol, sodium, with a long list of chemicals and preservatives, there’s a burgeoning crop catering to a health-conscious set—a set disproportionally well represented here on the East End. Better yet, these good-for-you snacks actually taste great.
Sweet spot for cookies? Bypass the high fructose corn syrup-laden ones and opt instead for the handmade raw, organic, and vegan ones from One Lucky Duck. Optimized for ease of digestion, all varieties are free of refined sugars, wheat, flour, dairy, and eggs. If it’s a more classic crunch you’re after, check out HannahMax. Five cookies will set you back a mere 120 calories and they’re all free of artificial flavors, preservatives, trans fats and GMOs.
Similarly, Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle—a hit at this year’s Super Saturday and recently named a “hot snack” by Weight Watchers—offers crispy cookie lovers four flavors: Sea Salt, Mint Chocolate Chip, Salted Carmel, Toffee Crunch and Chocolate Chip. The most innovative cookies, however, are Bitsy’s Brainfood. Low in sugar, calories, and fat, they’re a good source of omega-3s, iron and calcium. Plus, because they’re made with vegetables (that’s right…), they’re loaded with Vitamin A, B12, B6, D3, and folic acid. They come in four flavors: Lemon Broccoli, Orange Chocolate Beet, Sweet Potato Oatmeal Raisin and Zucchini Gingerbread Carrot.
In the same vein, Funley’s Super Crackers come in flavors like Pizza n’ Stuff, and each features a “hidden super food” like carrots or sweet potatoes—not that even the most discerning snacker would notice. The brand also makes Wholly Granolly Clusters in flavors like Wild Apple Berry, each of which have 10-12g of whole grains per serving, are low in sodium, and a good source of vitamin D, calcium and iron.
Kashi has just launched a line of hummus crisps, available in Sea Salt & Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion and Sundried Tomato, Basil & Feta, made from chickpeas and the brand’s signature seven grains. Each serving is loaded with 3-4g of protein, whole grains, and 4g of fiber. Or, go the kale chips route, which has quickly become popular among health conscious Hamptonites. One of the most notable brands is Rhythm Superfoods. They have a ton of flavors including Pineapple Coconut and Honey Mustard and all are chemical/preservative-free and loaded with Vitamin A, C, K, and B6.
You can find even more protein in IPS’s light-as-air chips. Each single-ounce serving contains seven grams of protein, the equivalent of two egg whites. Better yet, flavors range from Cinnamon Sugar to Salt & Black Pepper, thereby appealing to a variety of taste buds. If it’s a healthy tortilla alternative you’re after, it’s impossible to beat Way Better Snack. Easy-to-digest because they’re made with sprouted grains, beans, seeds, and other simple ingredients, many of which are organic, you’ll find no trans fats, MSG, artificial colors, refined sugar, or
canola oil.
When it comes to snacks, however, the worst offenders may be cereal and food bars because they seem so innocuous. Unfortunately they are among the most likely to contain empty calories, tons of sugar and a high percentage of saturated fats. Bypass the junk with Holy Crap. The gluten-free, vegan, certified organic breakfast cereals are nutrition-packed with ingredients like organic chia, hilled hemp hears, organic raisins, organic cranberries, and organic buckwheat for a sweet-savory balance. When combined with almond milk it makes for a perfectly healthful way to start your day. On the food bar front, Kate’s Tram Bars offer organic and all-natural ingredients packed into densely delicious bars—no wonder they’ve developed a cult following in Jackson Hole, where they
were conceived.
Rounding out the list is Zevia, because while your run-of-the mill diet sodas may seem harmless, many contain aspartame, which has been linked to cancer. Avoid the artificial sweeteners with Zevia’s line of agave-sweetened sodas. Available in a whopping 15 flavors including Cola, Ginger Root Beer, Grape, Cream Soda and Lemon Twist. All of the brand’s beverages are free of sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and net carps—time to say bye-bye to your Diet Coke addiction.