Discover Guilt-Free Goodies: Your Ultimate Guide to Healthy Packaged Food Choices!

For modern parents and busy individuals alike, packaged snacks are often a necessity. Whether it's for on-the-go consumption in the car or stroller, or for inclusion in a lunch box, having access to healthy and convenient options is crucial. The words "convenience" and "processed" are usually shorthand for foods of less-than-ideal nutritional value, but it is possible to find packaged foods that are not highly refined, vitamin-stripped, or loaded with saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars.

Understanding the "Healthy" Claim

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the definition of the “healthy” nutrient content claim, which includes criteria a food must meet to use the “healthy” claim on the package. The FDA also is exploring the development of a symbol to represent the claim “healthy” to make it easier to spot foods that can be the foundation of healthy eating patterns. Placing a “healthy” claim on a food package is voluntary.

The last time “healthy” was defined on packaging was in the 1990s. Based on the nutrition science and federal dietary guidelines at that time, the definition was solely focused on individual nutrients; for example, it included limits for saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and sodium and required a certain amount of beneficial nutrients like certain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.

Today, we have a greater understanding of dietary patterns and their effects on health, and we recognize that foods are made up of a variety of nutrients that work together as part of a healthy dietary pattern. To be consistent with the latest nutrition science and federal dietary guidelines, the updated definition of “healthy” requires that:

A food must contain a certain amount of a food group like fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, or dairy.
A food can’t contain too much saturated fat, sodium, or added sugars.

Manufacturers who choose to use the “healthy” claim can use the new criteria starting on April 28, 2025.

Read also: Packaged Snacks & Autism

Examples of Foods That Qualify or No Longer Qualify

Here are some examples of what qualifies to use the “healthy” claim under the updated definition:

Nuts and seeds
Olive oils
Higher-fat fish, like salmon
Eggs would qualify as healthy because of their nutrient profile. They didn’t qualify under the previous definition.
Water, while not part of a food group, is considered an optimal beverage by the Dietary Guidelines.

Here are some examples of what no longer qualifies to use the “healthy” claim under the updated definition:

Fortified white bread
Highly sweetened yogurt
Highly sweetened cereal

Tips for Making Healthier Food Choices

To make healthier food choices for yourself and your family, aim to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy, and protein foods. Try to eat and drink more foods with lower amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. You also can check the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods to get information on specific nutrients and compare food products.

Delicious and Nutritious Packaged Snack Options

Here's a curated list of healthy packaged snack foods that cater to various tastes:

Nuts & Seeds:

Pistachios: Nuts like pistachios are healthy, but it's easy to go overboard with them. If you need a little help with portions, these little packs are a delicious lifesaver.
Trail Mix: A little bit of trail mix goes a long way and these packs help keep your portions in check.
Nut Butters: You don't have to grind your own nuts to ensure you're getting a wholesome, healthy spread for your sandwich: There are lots of great premade options out there. Just check the ingredients list on your nut spread of choice to make sure that it's mostly nuts. You've also got more choice than ever before in what kind of nuts. Nut butters run around 160 to 200 calories per two-tablespoon serving, but the health benefits you get from them can make the calorie load worthwhile. Nuts (and nut butters) are packed with healthy unsaturated fat, which helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce inflammation, which can help prevent heart disease. They also contain fiber and potassium, both of which boost heart health.

Protein-Packed Snacks:

Edamame: Each serving of edamame has 14 grams of complete plant-based protein, making this a super healthy and delicious option that will keep you full.
GoMacro Bars: Even if you're not a fan of protein bars, you should still give GoMacro bars a try. Not only are they delicious but they're actually healthy, too.
Protein Chips: Not only do these chips taste like a loaded taco, they'll give you a healthy dose of protein. A win-win, if you ask us.
Beef Jerky Sticks: Yes, beef jerky can be healthy! Whether you're keto, cutting carbs, or just want a high-protein snack, check these sticks out that are only 90 calories each.
Nutritional Shakes: For those who prefer to sip their snacks, keep a pack of this nutritional shake handy. Each serving contains 20 grams of non-GMO protein, dietary fiber, and no cholesterol.
Skout Bars: Skout bars are basically an upgraded Larabar. They’re made from seven or less familiar ingredients, plus they’re organic and have some added plant-based protein. They’re also vegan and kosher and free from dairy, gluten, eggs, fish and shellfish.

Crunchy & Savory:

Rice Crisps: Leave a few bags of rice crisps in your desk to dip with your work lunch or for a quick and healthy snack.
Crunchy Bean Snacks: These crunchy bean snacks will be unlike any other snack on your shelf. They're only 100 calories a serving and are high in protein and fiber.
Popcorn: This snack has 40 percent less fat and 20 percent fewer calories per serving compared to the leading salty popcorn, but it's still packed with flavor. Popcorn is a great, whole-grain snack for older kids only (because of choking risk), but sometimes we don’t have time to make it in our hot air popper.
Cheese Crisps: Keto fans, this one is for you. Each crisp is simply made with cheese for a keto-friendly, gluten-free, and lactose-free snack.
Seaweed Snacks: These 25-calorie-a-serving seaweed snacks will definitely fulfill that crunchy snack craving. Not only are the SeaSnax seaweed snacks organic, but (unlike the Trader Joe’s version) they use olive oil instead of canola.
Chickpea Puffs: If you think you can't live without chips now, wait until you try these. They are made from puffed chickpeas and have a super cheesy flavor while still being vegan.
Grain-Free Chips: These grain-free chips come in a variety of flavors and are made with high-quality oil (avocado), rather than some of the cheaper vegetable oils you find in other chips. There isn’t a ton of nutritional value in chips, but considering they are an inevitable part of life, these are about as good as they get!

Sweet Treats:

Protein Bear Snacks: For those with a sweet tooth, these little bear snacks will help keep your protein up. And they are a perfect callback to your favorite childhood snack.
Chocolate Almonds: Yes, chocolate and healthy can be used in the same sentence, especially when it comes to these almonds.
Organic Fruit Snacks: You're never too old for fruit snacks. These organic, vegan, and gluten-free berry fruit snacks prove that. How fun are those shapes?
RXBars: Tired of protein bars filled with gunk you can't pronounce? RXBars put it all out there. This one is chocolate-flavored and made with cashews, dates, and almonds-filling and delicious!
That's It Mini Fruit Bars: That’s it makes really simple snacks. The Mini Fruit Bars are a good, kid-sized alternative to fruit snacks and fruit leathers. They’re softer, less dense, and less sweet than many fruit-based snacks. Some of the flavors are just fruit, and some have fruit plus coconut.

Other Notable Options:

Waffles: Craving a waffle but want a healthier option? Try one of these! It only has three grams of sugar.
High-Fiber Crackers: These crackers have a cult-following among anyone who sticks to a high-fiber diet. Each one is packed with four grams of fiber, meant to keep you full for a loooong time. Have them for breakfast topped with eggs or avocado; for lunch and dinner you can go the savory route with crispbread pizzas.
Precooked Grains: Enter precooked grains, such as farro, quinoa, and more, which can be ready in a few minutes. You can find them in shelf-stable microwaveable bowls or pouches, or frozen.
Canned Goods and Dry Food Items: Using canned goods and dry food items from your pantry is an inexpensive way to create healthy dishes.
Frozen Fruit: From blueberries to bananas, fruit is an important source of vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol-fighting fiber. plus it's delicious. The good news: Buying frozen fruit lets you stay stocked up with your favorites without worrying that they may spoil before you can finish them, and it's just as healthy as fresh. "In general, fresh and frozen fruits are on par when it comes to nutrition," says Ellen Klosz M.S., a CR nutritionist.

Brands to Watch Out For

There were several brands that you guys asked about that I have to call out as Sneaky Stuff. This doesn’t mean my kids don’t eat these items-they do, and worse stuff, too! It’s just that these have to be seen as treats, not truly nutritious snacks. Here are four examples of brands that are marketed as clean, but aren’t really a health food.

Made Good Granola Bars: These are organic but a bit contrived (long list of ingredients, including brown rice derivatives and “vegetable extracts” to boost the nutrition profile; kind of remind me of the Annie’s granola bars). Not bad, necessarily, but not good enough to recommend, especially given other standouts in the snack bar category.
Perfect Kids Snack Bar: Aside from the fact that these have to be refrigerated, they are a little more processed than some of the competitors (for example, they add nonfat dry milk powder, rice protein, dried whole egg powder for protein, and some “dried whole food powders” to boost the nutritional profile). I don’t have anything against them per se, just not too keen to add them to the top list, given the competition.
Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars: These fruit leathers are organic but are basically a bunch of fruit concentrates (from purees and juices) and are higher in sugar.
ZBars:

The Downside of Processed Meats

Jerky and meat sticks are a popular, portable snack. There are definitely some appealing versions out there, made from organic and/or grass-feed meats. But-here’s the big but-I don’t recommend this category as a snack because the regular consumption of processed meats, even the organic/natural/nitrate-free/uncured ones, is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run

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