7 Healthy Snack Swaps For You And the Family
We all snack and while over-snacking is not advised, sometimes you need a little snack to treat yourself.
For example, I don’t go to the movies without bringing a snack…It’s become a tradition for my family but that doesn’t mean we settle for just anything and neither do you!
Whether you need a snack for the kiddos, movie night or just to keep in your desk drawer at work for hangry emergencies, these 7 healthy snack swaps will leave you satisfied without harmful unhealthy ingredients.
Let’s get started!
Why Healthy Snacking Matters
As a certified nutrition and wellness coach, I always recommend limiting snacking as much as you can.
Often, when we feel the urge to snack, it’s not true hunger but rather cravings. The best approach is to wait until you’re ready for a full meal. However, I totally get it—sometimes you just want a snack, especially for the kids.
When snacking, try to opt for whole foods like organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible.
But let’s be real; we all need a little cheat sometimes. Just like the foods in our main meals, heavily processed snacks can affect our body in many ways from the way we look to even the way we think and feel.
Harmful Ingredients to Avoid in Snacks
Before we get into the snacks, let’s look at 5 common harmful ingredients that you should avoid:
- Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats): Found in many processed snacks, these fats increase the risk of heart disease.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): Linked to obesity and diabetes, it’s often found in sweets, sodas, and even savory snacks.
- Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin): These sweeteners can negatively affect gut health and increase cravings.
- Artificial Colors (e.g., Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1): Linked to allergic reactions and behavioral issues in children.
- Preservatives (BHA, BHT, TBHQ): Used to extend shelf life, these preservatives have been linked to cancer and hormone disruption.
Now, let’s look at how to swap out these bad snacks for healthier alternatives.
1. Crackers
Swap Ritz Crackers → Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers
Ritz Crackers are made with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and natural flavor(aka ain’t nothing natural about it). Not to mention, below the ingredients, it states that the product may contain “bioengineered food ingredient” aka “Genetically modified”. So um, no thank you Ritz!
Instead, choose Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers. They’re made with whole ingredients like almond flour, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds.
They use high oleic sunflower oil, a healthier version rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
2. Cookies
Swap Chips Ahoy & Oreos→ Siete Grain-Free Cookies
Oreos may be tasty, but they’re loaded with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and preservatives. Chips Ahoy, also contains dextrose, a simple sugar and preservative, artificial flavor, and high fructose corn syrup.
Siete Grain-Free Cookies, on the other hand, are made with almond flour, coconut sugar, and avocado oil—no harmful additives!
3. Yogurt
Swap Yoplait Yogurt → Siggi’s Coconut Yogurt & Chobani Greek Yogurt
Many yogurts like Yoplait are packed with added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and natural flavors. Siggi’s offers healthier options with less sugar and simple, real ingredients.
They even have coconut milk options for all my dairy-free friends.
4. Chips
Swap On The Border Tortilla Chips & Tostitos Tortilla Chips → Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips
Regular potato chips like Lays are fried in unhealthy oils and flavored ones contain artificial flavors.
Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips are cooked in avocado oil and made with clean, simple ingredients like cassava flour.
5. nuts
Swap Nuts with Seed Oils → Raw or Dry Roasted Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts)
Many packaged nuts are roasted in unhealthy seed oils which is just unnecessary.
Instead, look for raw or dry roasted nuts, which contain no added oils or preservatives. You can find these at Whole Foods store. If you can find organic and loose nuts in crates that’s even better.
However, at Walmart Food To Live is a great organic healthy nut option.
6. Popcorn
Swap Microwave Popcorn → Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn
Microwave popcorn often contains trans fats, artificial flavors, and preservatives.
Not to mention the biggest problem with microwave popcorn is beyond food ingredients but also in the packaging.
Microwave popcorn bags are often lined with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” which help prevent oil from leaking but don’t break down in the environment or the body. These chemicals leach into the popcorn when heated and have been linked to health issues like cancer, hormone disruption, and immune system problems.
So it’s best to stick with stovetop or prepopped popcorn.
Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn uses organic popcorn, coconut oil, and Himalayan pink salt, making it a much healthier choice.
If you like to make your popcorn at home like me, Lesser Evil has an organic popcorn option that is made with just organic popcorn kernels and nothing else.
7. Fruit Snacks
Swap Welch’s Fruit Snacks → Solely Organic Fruit Snacks
Most fruit snacks like Welch’s are more sugar than fruit, loaded with high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors.
When it comes to fruit snacks your best option is an actual fruit but when you really want a fruit snack or need something to pack in your kid’s lunch go for Solely Organic Fruit Snacks.
They’re made with only real organic fruit and no added sugars or preservatives.
Swapping unhealthy snacks for healthier alternatives is a great way to support your health without feeling deprived of treating yourself. Always check ingredient labels and choose foods made without any of the harmful ingredients we discussed above.
As always I hope this was helpful and thank you so much for reading! Happy Snacking!
