We analyzed dozens of ultra-processed snacks. These are the healthiest options.

What foods do you snack on?

The answer could have a significant impact on your health. The typical adult in many countries gets as much as a quarter of their daily calories from snacks and beverages that they consume outside of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

In one large study, researchers found that compared with people who snacked on nutritious whole foods, like apples, oranges, nuts, and seeds, those who snacked on junk foods, such as cookies, candy, and potato chips, had more visceral fat around their internal organs and higher body weights, blood sugar levels, and triglycerides, a type of fat that circulates in the bloodstream.

Even if you tend to eat nutritious foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, snacking on junk foods can undo the metabolic benefits of your healthy meals, said Federica Amati, a medical scientist at Imperial College London and head nutritionist at Zoe, a personalized nutrition company.

Because snacking tends to make up a large portion of our daily calories, the type of foods you choose to snack on can go a long way toward improving or worsening your metabolic health, she added.

While nutritious whole foods are the best options, sometimes the most convenient or satisfying option is a packaged snack. These tend to be high in salt, sugar, fat, and other additives. To help you find healthier options, we analyzed nutrition labels and ingredient lists for dozens of ultra-processed and packaged snack foods. The most common red flags we found were high levels of sodium, sweeteners, and chemical additives. It’s best to limit your intake of these ingredients, which are linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases. Below are some of the best options.

Popcorn is low in calories and high in fiber, an important nutrient that most adults don’t get enough of. Amati calls popcorn the “unsung hero” of the snack world. It’s a whole grain that’s been popped.

Red flags:

High sodium: Some brands of popcorn have 12% or more of the recommended daily sodium intake per serving, which can quickly add up. Consuming a lot of sodium can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. If a food contains 5% or less of the daily value for sodium per serving, then it’s considered a low-sodium food.

Sugar and sweeteners: Beware of popcorn snacks that have added sugars, such as cane sugar, and artificial sweeteners like sucralose.

Healthier options:

Good Health Half Naked Popcorn: This brand is lightly salted, low in fat, and relatively high in fiber.

SkinnyPop Original Popcorn: This snack has just three ingredients (popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt) and is low in sodium.

Little Lad’s Savory Herbs Popcorn: This brand is low in sodium and contains simple herbs and spices.

Good & Gather Organic Olive Oil and Himalayan Sea Salt Popcorn: This brand contains just three simple ingredients: popcorn, olive oil, and salt.

Potato chips, tortilla chips, and other types of crisps are considered ultra-processed foods. They’re usually made from highly refined carbohydrates and loaded with unhealthy additives. But some are made with simple ingredients that provide modest amounts of fiber. If you leave home with a small container of hummus, carrots, and the right chips, you’ll have a relatively nutritious snack, Amati said.

Red flags:

Excess sodium and saturated fat: Some chips contain 15% or more of your recommended daily sodium intake per serving, as well as high amounts of saturated fat.

Synthetic food dyes: Look out for artificial colors, which are often used in flavored chips. Among the most common are red 40, yellow 6, and yellow 5, also known as tartrazine or FD&C Yellow #5.

Additives: Avoid thickeners such as maltodextrin and cornstarch; sweeteners like dextrose, cane sugar, and corn syrup; mono and diglycerides and other emulsifiers; and flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate.

Healthier options:

Thrive Market Grain-Free Sea Salt Tortilla Chips: These chips are low in sodium and made from healthy ingredients, including chia seeds and avocado oil. The Zesty Lime variety is also a good option.

Siete Foods Dip Chip Grain Free Tortilla Chips: These chips contain psyllium husk and pumpkin powder for a boost of fiber. “They haven’t used any saturated fats or emulsifiers or cosmetic additives,” Amati said. “It’s quite a good option.”

From the Ground Up Sea Salt Cauliflower Tortilla Chips: These grain-free chips contain cauliflower, chia seeds, and a blend of shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and other vegetables. Also, the nacho flavor from the same company contains fewer additives than other brands of nacho chips.

Most store-bought crackers are ultra-processed. They’re usually made from wheat and other grains that have been highly refined and processed into flour. The refining process makes the ingredients more shelf-stable, but it also removes the bran and the germ, two components of the grain that contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Some cracker brands, however, use whole grains, nuts, and seeds. While they’re still a processed food, they often contain more fiber, protein, and nutrients than traditional store-bought crackers.

Red flags:

Enriched flour: This usually means that the product contains flour from highly refined grains. Enriched flour is flour that has had vitamins and minerals added back into it, but typically not the fiber that was removed.

Excess sodium: While salt is a standard ingredient in crackers, some brands can contain surprisingly large amounts of salt — in some cases as much as 14 or 15% of the recommended daily limit for sodium per serving.

Sugars and fats: Some brands contain ingredients that you wouldn’t expect, like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and three or more types of oils and fats.

Healthier options:

Mary’s Gone Crackers Herb Original Crackers: These are made with organic seeds and grains and are high in protein and fiber compared with other brands.

Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers: These are low in sodium and contain just three ingredients: whole grain wheat, safflower oil, and sea salt.

Blue Diamond Multi-Seeds Artisan Nut-Thins: In these crackers, you’ll find six different types of seeds: flax, millet, amaranth, quinoa, sesame, and black sesame.

Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers: Amati recommended these grain-free crackers, which are made from a blend of almond flour, flax, and sunflower seeds. The garlic and herb flavor is another good choice.

Nuts are a nutritional powerhouse and an optimal snack. They’re high in protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. But they’re most nutritious when they’re not overly salted or sweetened, or laden with additives.

If you’re craving something sweet, try dark-chocolate-covered nuts. Dark chocolate is one of the rare desserts that’s associated with health benefits. Combine it with nuts, and you have a delightful treat that also provides some nutrition.

Red flags:

Excess sodium: Like many snack foods, packaged nuts can be a salt bomb. Look for varieties that are either unsalted or lightly salted.

Sweeteners: Some varieties of peanuts, cashews, and other nuts contain multiple sweeteners, like cane sugar, corn syrup, fructose, and honey. This can turn an otherwise nutritious food into dessert.

Emulsifiers: Some brands of flavored nuts contain xanthan gum, cornstarch, gum arabic, and other emulsifiers and thickeners.

Healthier options:

Planters Deluxe Salted Mixed Nuts: This brand contains a mixture of five different nuts: cashews, pecans, almonds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. Planters’ Lightly Salted Cocktail Peanuts are another good option.

Kirkland Signature Extra Fancy Unsalted Mixed Nuts: Available at Costco, this brand contains four different types of nuts and zero sodium.

Go Raw Sea Salt and Vinegar Snacking Seeds: This brand contains sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds mixed with vinegar and sea salt.

Hu Kitchen Chocolate Covered Hunks, Cashews, and Vanilla Bean: This brand uses simple ingredients like organic cashews and organic cacao. It’s also low in added sugar. Also see the same brand’s almond and sea salt flavor.

Skinny Dipped Super Dark and Sea Salt Almonds: These chocolate-covered almonds contain just two grams of added sugar and seven grams of fiber per serving (about 18 almonds). That’s a quarter of your daily fiber needs. The dark chocolate option is a good one, too.

Throughout history, many cultures have used beef jerky and other dried meats as a portable, convenient, and filling snack food. Beef jerky is high in protein and contains essential vitamins and minerals.

Red flags:

Excess sodium: A lot of savory packaged foods are high in salt. But the levels of sodium in some brands of beef jerky are remarkable. A single stick of beef jerky can contain more than 30% of the recommended daily sodium intake for adults.

Sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate: These preservatives have been linked to cancer. Look for brands that don’t contain them.

Saturated fat: Some beef, pepperoni, and other meat sticks contain high levels of saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol levels. Look for lean versions.

Healthier options:

Jerky’s Gourmet Smokehouse BBQ Premium Beef Jerky: Made with grass-fed beef, this jerky packs a lot of protein. It’s low in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat, and it contains no nitrates or artificial preservatives. Another option is the same brand’s black pepper flavor.

Savage Jerky Jalapeño Mojo Premium Beef Jerky: This low-calorie jerky is made with simple ingredients, spices, and seasonings such as turmeric, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and minced garlic. The habanero mojo flavor also contains zero saturated fat.

Sometimes a protein or snack bar is the best option available. You can keep them in your desk, car, purse, or backpack and grab them when real food isn’t an option or when you just need something sweet. Protein bars can be a good way to ensure that you’re getting enough protein, an essential nutrient that our bodies need to grow and repair tissue.

But both protein and snack bars are usually ultra-processed and in many cases laden with sugar, artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, synthetic colors, and other additives.

Red flags:

Sweeteners: Look out for bars that contain large amounts of added sugars, such as sucrose, corn syrup, dextrose, agave, invert sugar, and fruit juice concentrates.

Fake sugars: Don’t be duped by bars that claim they contain no added sugar. Some protein bars that are marketed as low or zero sugar may contain sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol, which have been linked in studies to an increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Healthier options:

RXBAR Minis protein bars: These bars come in a variety of flavors and contain just a handful of simple ingredients, like dates, egg whites, cashews, almonds, cocoa, and berries. They also have less sugar and calories than the regular-sized RXBAR.

NuGo Slim Chocolate Mint protein bar: These bars contain an exceptional amount of protein (17 grams per serving) and are low in sugar. They’re also vegan.

Tosi Peanut Dark Chocolate Crunchy Meal Bar: These bars are high in protein and low in sodium and added sugar, and they contain 25% of the recommended daily fiber intake per serving. The almond variety also packs a decent amount of plant protein.

Kind Protein Crunchy Peanut Butter: While they do contain a small amount of added sugar, these bars pack a lot of protein (12 grams) and fiber (6 grams).

Simple Mills Nutty Banana Bread Soft Baked Bars: These bars contain simple ingredients such as almonds, bananas, coconut flour and sunflower, flax, and chia seeds.

Kind Dark Chocolate Nuts and Sea Salt: These bars are packed with nuts and contain seven grams of fiber, equivalent to 25% of the recommended daily fiber intake.

Most store-bought cookies are highly processed and loaded with saturated fat, sugar, and chemical additives. But all cookies aren’t created equal. Some have less sugar, fat, and additives than others. Whichever brand of cookie you choose, always be sure not to overdo it. Moderation is key.

Red flags:

Excess sugar: It’s not uncommon to find brands of cookies that have 20 grams of sugar or more per cookie — the equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar.

Saturated fat: Some brands contain six or more grams of saturated fat per serving, which is nearly half the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit for saturated fat intake.

Healthier options:

Urban Remedy Superfood Cookies Chocolate Chip (Bite-Sized): One serving, which is three cookies, has just four grams of added sugar and three grams of fiber.

Maxine’s Heavenly Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies: For a decadent treat, these chocolate chunk cookies are relatively low in sugar and saturated fat. Also, the pumpkin pecan spice cookies by the same brand contain just three grams of added sugar per cookie and two grams of saturated fat.