As a rule, I'm not a snacker. Though I've developed a lot of discipline since my cannot-even-have-cookies-in-the-house days, I still rely on not eating between meals to keep me disciplined. I've never tested myself, but I have a feeling regular snacking would put me on a slippery slope from fruit and nut bars to afternoon pastries.
All this is not to say I don't see the value in a healthy snack. When traveling, working out especially hard, or tiding myself over to dinner with inconveniently-timed meetings, even I plan in a healthy treat.
The organic snacks in this post are favorites of the spoonacular team. Whether you're a snack connoisseur or more of a reluctant snacker like myself, these options will satisfy and nourish you until your next meal. Best of all, we've chosen snacks that are highly portable for ultimate convenience.
Sweet Organic Snacks
We all know sugar isn't good for us, but when your energy dips, sweet snacks are extremely appealing. But having a sweet snack doesn't have to mean a candy bar from the vending machine! Fresh fruit is of course an excellent choice, but in case you need something that you can keep in your purse or office for unexpected snack attacks, you might opt for some of these healthy (or at least healthier) treats.
Snack Bars
Snack bars are a popular choice—granola bars, fruit and nut bars, protein bars—the choices are endless. However, some snack bars contain added sugar, and not just a little. CLIF Builder's bars, for instance, have as much as 30 grams of sugar per bar. That's more than a Snickers!
Simple Squares
- clean ingredient list
- Paleo, organic, Non GMO, AND gluten free snack bar
- some added sugar (10 grams/bar)
- not sold everywhere, but available on Amazon
Simple Squares contain added sugar too (honey) but it's a reasonable 10 grams per bar. You also get 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. Plus, the ingredient list is impeccable if you care about natural ingredients. Take the coffee flavor for instance:
organic cashews, organic almonds, organic honey, organic unsweetened coconut, organic vanilla, sea salt, organic coffee beans
Like Simple Squares, The Gluten Free Bar offers snack bars in a variety of flavors. These are higher in sugar than Simple Squares (17-20 grams per bar) but they also contain more protein (10-12 grams per bar).
The Gluten Free Bar
- 10-12 grams of protein per bar
- vegan, non GMO, and gluten free snack bar
- not 100% organic, but contains organic ingredients
- not sold everywhere, but available on Amazon
Kefir
Bars not your style? Kefir is an awesome choice if you like smoothies. A 1 cup serving of Lifeway Green Kefir provides 170 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of protein, and a good amount of vitamins A, C, D, and E as well as calcium and folic acid. It does contain 21 grams of sugar, so this is a snack we'd reserve for every once and awhile.
Lifeway Green Kefir
- certified organic, contains probiotics
- 21 grams of sugar per 1 cup serving
- requires refrigeration
Real Fruit Snacks
Dried fruit is also high in sugar, so you need to watch your portion sizes if this is your go-to organic snack. Avoid dried fruit with added sugar (for example, most brands of dried cranberries and some brands of banana chips), opting instead for unsweetened dried apricots, mango, apples, etc.
Applesauce is a tasty, healthy treat, even if you feel a bit like you're back in elementary school. It won't do the job if you're really feeling hungry, because the lack of fat and protein won't satiate you. If you're just out to satisfy your sweet tooth, though, it's a great choice. Opt for unsweetened varieties, such as Nature's Promise Unsweetened or Tree Top's No Sugar Added.
Savory Organic Snacks
If you're more of a salty or at least savory snacker, we've got some healthy treats for you too.
Better than Chips
Maybe you've only ever eaten seaweed wrapped around some rice and raw fish (or avocado, if you're not so adventurous with your sushi). But actually, this antioxidant and iodine-rich food can be a delicious snack in its own right. Just be careful not to eat too much, because you'll run the risk of consuming too much iodine, and too much of a good thing can be harmful too.
gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Snacks
- certified organic, low calorie snack
- good source of iodine
- might be hard to find in stores, but available on Amazon
If seaweed brings back too many bad store-bought sushi memories, try roasted edamame to get your salty, crunchy fix instead. This particular mix isn't certified organic, but it contains organic goji berries, soybeans, sea salt, and nothing else. The mix is also gluten free and contains 11 grams of protein per 120 calorie serving.
String Cheese
Just like with applesauce, it can be nice to go back to simpler times where snack time was a daily ritual and you weren't responsible for making our own snacks. One string cheese contains about 80 calories, 8 grams protein, 5 grams fat, and 20% or your daily calcium requirement. Plus it's extremely portable and easy to eat - just don't let it stay unrefrigerated too long.
Nature's Promise Organic String Cheese
- satisfying mix of protein and fat, automatically portion controlled!
- about 7% of your daily allowed sodium intake
Beef Jerky
You might not think you need to worry about sugar when it comes to beef jerky, but some brands contain as much as 9 grams per 1 oz serving! Organic Prairie beef jerky contains just 3 grams. Not only does it contain 1/3 as much sugar, it contains way fewer additives. The ingredient list for the classic flavor:
organic beef, organic soy sauce (water, organic soybeans, sea salt, alcohol), organic cane sugar, organic apple cider vinegar, natural smoke flavoring, organic spices, salt
Organic Prairie Organic Beef Jerky
- certified organic, no artificial ingredients
- just 3 grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein per serving
- high in sodium
- not sold everywhere but available on Amazon
Nuts
It's not news anymore that nuts are good for you. However, many brands of nuts are roasted in vegetable oil and can contain a lot of sodium from too much salt. We prefer these dry roasted tamari almonds, which are extremely flavorful but contain no vegetable oils and are pretty low sodium (3% of your daily allowance per serving).
Eden Foods Organic Dry Roasted Tamari Almonds
- rich flavor, no vegetable oils, organic, gluten free
- not available on Amazon
Those are just some of our favorite (at least partly) organic snacks. We also love simple snacks that you can make at home from organic ingredients, such as hard boiled eggs and roasted chickpeas. Still, we hope knowing some good store-bought options will help you the next time you're rushing through the store to grab a few healthy snacks!
Author
Written by Crystal Schlegelmilch on September 6th 2015
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