Store-Bought Snacks We Love

Dark chocolate is great for heart health and full of iron. It’s also free from excessive sugar. If you’re a sweet-seeker, try a few squares of a 75 percent or higher dark chocolate to calm your cravings.

Get baking with it, too. Try our out-of-this-world Dark Chocolate Baked Pudding recipe here.

It’s a well-known fact that trans fats are a no-no. Avoid that with baked chips! One of our personal favs is Kettle Brand. Available in a slew of flavours from honey dijon to New York cheddar, these are perfect for appeasing your munchies and preserving your waistline.

Because it comes in handy cups, unsweetened apple sauce is a great portable and lunchbox-friendly mid-day snack to carry you through until dinner. If you crave a bit of sweetness, look for a variety with a hint of cinnamon or add your own.

Try our delicious Apple Sauce recipe here.

This powerful probiotic is a great source of protein. Look for zero percent milk fat and stick to plain for the lowest amount of sugar. Yes, we know that the key lime flavour tastes just like pie filling, but try adding a drizzle of honey to jazz up your plain jane yogurt instead.

If you’re looking for a refreshing, crunchy snack, baby carrots are the way to go. They’re small, pre-cut and usually already washed. What more could you ask for in an easy-but-satisfying snack?

Loaded with cholesterol-busting chickpeas, hummus is a delicious snack to have on hand. Another easy one to make, look for store-bought options that have ingredients you can pronounce. And try dipping raw veggies rather than doughy breads. OK, maybe a few pita chips.

Try our quick and easy hummus recipe here.

If you’re a fan of salty flavours, this fun-to-eat snack is right up your alley. Kids love it, too, but before you include it in their lunchpail, check to make their school isn’t a sesame seed-free zone.

Movie fans clamour for this salty staple. So skip the theatre-style and go non-GMO with a healthier option like yummy Boom Chicka Pop! Popping your own kernels at home is another safe way to limit the amount of butter, salt and chemicals added in other popcorn brands. You can find bags of kernels in the snack aisle, conveniently.

A great source of calcium, pair cheese with your healthy crackers or try some along side an apple. Snack food doesn’t have to come prepackaged, try slicing up some of your favourite block.

The perfect savoury snack if you’re gluten-free, look for brown rice and compare sodium content on labels before adding a box to your cart. Also delicious dipped in hummus.

Toronto transplant Lindsay Parker is a writer and editor with a deep rooted love for tea and cat videos.