When trying to eat clean, prepackaged foods are huge no-no, right? Wrong. These snacks contain real ingredients with none of those GMO’s, added sugars or harmful preservatives. Here are the the top five best packaged foods for your clean eating habits.
1. LARABAR
Photo by Hailey Nelson
All natural fruit and nut bars are handy to take on the go, and with 20 flavors, there is bound to be one you’ll like. My personal favorite is the cashew cookie. It is literally just cashews and dates — nothing else, nothing more.
2. Boom Chicka Pop
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
This is the perfect late night snack. A bag of Boom Chicka Pop only has 35 calories a cup and is good for all the gluten-free fans, too. There are seven flavors that will satisfy your sweet or salty tooth. You know you are getting a wholesome snack when the only ingredients are popcorn, sea salt and sunflower oil.
3. Unsalted Nuts
Photo by Smita Jain
Enjoy almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, walnuts or sunflower seeds without the guilt. These are one of the best protein snacks for pre-workout, pre-class, or pregaming. If you’re feeling crazy, you can mix and match these nuts to make your own homemade trail mix and even add a little dried fruit.
4. Sugar-Free Dried Fruit
Photo by Niki Laskaris
Sometimes dried fruit companies try to sneak in added sugars or acid to increase shelf life. However, there are plenty of brands with delicious and nutritious whole fruit. I recommend the Bare or Dole options.
5. Unsalted Peanut Butter
Photo by Sydney Hughes
Good ole’ peanut butter is my all time favorite snack food (or even dessert). Eat this hearty mixture with any fruit or veggie. For a sweet treat, add some whole nuts and bananas, and put it in the freezer for a midnight snack. This jar of heaven only contains peanuts, period. Don’t be intimidated by the oil separation — that’s how you know it’s all natural. Stir and refrigerate for promised satisfaction anytime.
6. Sugar-Free Applesauce
Photo by Sydney Hughes
Pick up some sugar-free applesauce at your local Wegmans, Tops or Target. At a whopping $2.19, you can purchase six whole snack packs. You could put applesauce in your body, or a bag of Cheetos for the same price… the choice is yours.
7. Rice Cakes
Photo by Ashley Blume
You can buy 12 whole rice cakes for just over $2. Eat these with your nut spread, some fruit, or just plain and crunchy. They are blank slates for your wildest masterpieces.
Don’t let anyone tell you packaged foods can’t be healthy, too. Enjoy one (or all seven) of these snacks with no regrets.