33 Healthy Pantry Snacks (+ printable shopping list)
What’s to eat?!
The question moms hear a zillion times a day. The question we agonize over when we’re trying to “eat healthy.” What we ask ourselves when we’re hungry or just plain bored with the current options.
I get it… and I’ve got your back!
Whether you’re in a food rut and just want some fresh snack ideas, feel overwhelmed at figuring out how to stock your pantry full of easy, healthy snacks that the whole family will enjoy, or are just plain confused by all the conflicting advice about how you “should” or “shouldn’t” snack, this article is for you.
I’ve pulled together 33 snack ideas for your pantry, along with my best dietitian-minded guidance for the dos and don’ts of enjoyable, intuitive snacking.
Far be it for me, though, to be like those bloggers who spend 3 pages telling you about the history of their grandma’s famous meatballs—when all YOU want to do is fast-scroll to the bottom, print the recipe, and high-tail it to the grocery store.
So, first: my snack suggestions.
Then… if you want to know how to build a balanced snack — or find out my best tips for easy, health-promoting snacking — be sure to stick around and keep reading after you check out or print the snack list!
33 healthy pantry snacks you’ll love having on hand…
1. Trail mix: I love the Trader Joe’s individually wrapped nut and trail mix packs because they travel so well
2. Dried fruit: Pair it with some nuts or seeds for a balanced snack; Rind has some delicious ones; I especially love their skin-on, dried oranges
3. Kale chips: My family likes the Brad’s brand, which comes in a variety of flavors; what a fun way to eat some greens!
4. Roasted chickpeas: A yummy, high protein snack; try the Biena or Saffron Road brands
5. Tortilla chips: Eat them with some guacamole or hummus (for protein) or fresh salsa (for fiber)... or both
6. Peanut-butter or almond-butter filled pretzels: Yum (need I say more?); add in some fruit for fiber and added nutrients
7. Popcorn: I love air-popping popcorn with a drizzle of avocado or walnut oil and some sea salt or cheesy seasonings; but you can also try pre-made Skinny Pop, Smartfood, or Lesser Evil buddha popcorn for a faster snack
8. Applesauce cups: Try it unsweetened and flavored with cinnamon for a bit less sugar
9. Oatmeal cups: Purely Elizabeth, Kodiak Cakes, and Bob’s Red Mill all have good options
10. Granola: I really like Purely Elizabeth varieties best, but there are plenty of others to try as well
11. Granola bars: There are so many great options such as Kind bars, fruit-filled Kashi breakfast bars, Nature’s Valley whole grain, fruit-filled bars, or Made Good granola bars or bites
12. Crackers: Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and Ak Mak are great whole grain options (for added fiber and nutrients), or if you need them gluten-free, I like Mary’s Gone or Simple Mills almond flour crackers; pair them with some cheese, hummus, or everything-bagel-seasoned Greek Yogurt for a balanced, satisfying snack
13. Peanut butter packets: Justin’s individual nut butter packets travel well and are great for spreading on fruit, crackers, or rice cakes
14. Rice cakes: I’m a stickler for these—the only brand I like is Lundberg brown rice cakes because they’re crispy and don’t taste like cardboard!
15. Turkey or beef jerky: great for high-protein snack; try to find options lower in sodium
16. Marinated veggie packs: Poshi has some yummy ones, including marinated artichokes, cauliflower, and green beans
17. Pumpkin seeds: a good source of omega-3s, which support heart and brain health; SuperSeedz has some delicious flavors
18. Sunflower seeds: Seeds are great sources of fiber and healthful fats
19. Tuna packets: another great snack rich in protein and omega 3s; BumbleBee and Starkist both have a variety of flavors like lemon pepper and others
20. Dried apple chips: I really like the Bare brand
21. Bada Bean Bada Boom: Protein-rich dried bean snacks available in several varieties and flavors
22. Chickpea puffs: check out the Hippeas brand; pair with some string cheese, nuts, or yogurt for a balanced snack
23. Cocoa roasted almonds: Emerald and/or SkinnyDipped have fun, yummy options
24. Dry roasted edamame: Edamame is a high-protein snack; Seapoint farms has a roasted option as does The Only Bean company
25. Lundberg thin stackers: These are great to pair with dips like hummus or black bean or to spread with ricotta, cream cheese, or nut butter and top with fruit
26. Veggie chips: Like potato chips, only veggies; Terra has lots of options
27. Whole grain goldfish: I like the whole grain version for added fiber and nutrients; pair with string cheese, fruit, or raw veggies and dip
28. Graham crackers: Pamela’s Graham snacks, HoneyMaid, Nabisco, or Annie’s all make good ones; try them with peanut butter and bananas!
29. Chicken chips: A high-protein snack that my kids love (especially the sea salt and vinegar ones); try Wild
30. Baked green pea snacks: Harvest Snaps are tasty and give you a crunch!
31. Pita chips: Stacy’s has lots of options; again, go with a whole grain option if you can find it for a bit of added nutrient density
32. Flapjack power cups: Kodiak Cakes makes these yummy, protein-rich snacks
33. Power or protein bars: Such as Perfect Bar, Cliff bars, RX bars, Luna Bars, Kind Bars, and others
To print out my Pantry Snack Shopping List, click here!
Let’s talk about snacking… is it good or bad for you?
There’s lots of haters out there who will tell you that snacking isn’t healthy or try to convince you to skip snacks and “hack” your hunger by drinking water or chewing gum.
That’s phenomenally unhelpful advice and here’s why. First, that advice makes it difficult to have a healthy relationship with food. But also, snacks are opportunities to get your energy and nutrient needs met throughout the day. They serve an important purpose.
A typical meal will keep you energized and satisfied for about 3-ish to 4-ish hours. After that, you’ll likely start to experience common signs of hunger as your body burns through that fuel.
Snacks can stabilize your energy and blood sugar, increase your mental focus, boost your mood, and provide important nutrients and sustenance in between meals.
Plus, if you skip snacking and allow yourself to get overly hungry between meals, not only are you likely to feel physically drained and irritable, but you’re also setting yourself up to feel famished when you get to your next meal. As I always share with my private and group coaching clients, it’s nearly impossible to eat mindfully and make feel-good, intentional choices when you’re too hungry.
So… snacking can actually help you feel more in control around food and set you up to make better choices at mealtimes!
Four tips to help you make better snack decisions… first up, balancing your snacks
Balancing your snacks with a combination of macronutrients and fiber will give you steadier energy and make your meals more satisfying (snacks are really just mini-meals). I like to teach people to do this in two ways:
First, try to pair at least 2 out of the 3 macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) in most of your snacks. And second, throw in a fruit or veggie for added color and fiber if it sounds good and you don’t have one included already.
These are tools not rules. That means you don’t have to follow them every time, they’re just helpful things to shoot for much of the time.
In case you’re unsure how to pair macronutrients, below are some food ideas in each macro category, along with a few ideas for how you might pair them for a balanced snack.
Here’s how you might mix and match options from each of these categories to create a balanced snack:
Chips + guacamole and salsa
Banana or grapes + string cheese
Apple slices + peanut butter
Crackers + hummus
Chips + guacamole and salsa
Hard boiled eggs (I like them drizzled with Dijon mustard) + pita chips
Popcorn + matcha latte
Rice cake + peanut butter topped with berries
Trail mix + blueberries
Granola bar + handful of baby carrots or snap peas
Bell peppers + hummus + crackers
Graham crackers + almond butter + orange slices
Swiss cheese + turkey roll-ups + edamame
Focus on satisfaction…
Choose snacks that sound good to you. I know this may seem obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times people tell me they’ve tried to force themselves to eat nothing but raw veggies or fruit for snacks when what they really wanted was some crunchy chips or crackers.
There’s nothing wrong with having fruits and veggies (of course!), but if that’s all you’re eating or it’s not really what you’re in the mood for, you’re probably setting yourself up to overeat other fun foods down the road.
When it comes to snacking or eating in general, one goal is to feel both full AND satisfied.
Why? Well for one, eating should be pleasurable. But also, feeling full but not satisfied is one reason why many people struggle with uncontrollable cravings or find themselves eating past the point of comfortable fullness as they subconsciously try to find a food that will “hit the spot.”
Plan ahead, focus on variety…
I’m a firm believer that eating well doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. But there’s no getting around the fact that it does take some planning and forethought.
When it comes to snacking, have plenty of options to choose from and plan ahead by keeping some snacks in your purse, car, office, or wherever else you may need them. That way, you don’t have to think too hard when your energy drops and you begin to feel hungry.
Enjoy your snack mindfully
Do your best to stay present with your snack. If you can slow down and sit to eat, great! If not, see if you can at least tune into and savor the flavors as best you can, while also paying attention to your fullness cues.
3 snacking pitfalls to avoid…
We’ve covered the dos of smart snacking, but what about the don’ts? Here’s my take…
Don’t feel guilty for eating snacks or choosing foods you love. Guilt is not a food group and, as we’ve already discussed, snacks are a helpful part of a sound nutrition plan. I’m also a firm believer that ALL foods can fit in a healthful diet.
If you’re in the mood for some chips, I say have some without guilt. Often, if your nutrition is top of mind, consider what else you can ADD to that snack to balance it out and help you feel good about your choices.
For example, maybe you have some chips along with rolled up turkey and cheese slices and throw in some cherry tomatoes. Or, if you’re in the mood for chips and salsa, consider adding some guac for additional fiber and nutrients.
Next, avoid waiting too long to get yourself a snack (ie, nobody likes a hangry crank!). As we talked about earlier, if you try to push through and put off eating for too long, you may find yourself so hungry when you finally DO get to your snack that you gobble it up quickly, barely register how it tastes, and end up missing your comfortable stopping point. You can avoid that by learning to honor earlier signs of hunger
And lastly, don’t get overly hung up whether or not your snack is considered “healthy.” Despite the title of this blog post, I’m not a fan of black and white, healthy vs unhealthy or good vs bad labels for foods. For most of us, ANY foods can fit in a healthful diet. Plus, moralizing our food choices causes more harm than good.
That’s all for now… happy snacking! If you need me, I’ll be off grabbing a couple of mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups (thank you Trader Joes!) and an apple to tide me over until dinner!