My latest snack food obsessions 🥨 🍿
Issue No. 10: The store-bought snack foods I’m eating right now (plus a few homemade favorites) and a short survey
Welcome back to Dish Lister!
As I sit down to write my tenth issue, I am taking a moment to reflect on the last three and a half months, and how incredibly grateful I am for the support of each and every one of you. Your enthusiasm and positive words mean everything and motivate and excite me to write these posts.
I also have been thinking about how I can make the Dish Lister experience even better—something you will look forward to reading every week. With that in mind, I want to better understand which elements of the newsletter you’ve been enjoying most, as well as what new content you’d like to see. If you could please answer the short two-question survey at the end of this post (keep scrolling down until you see the “Start Survey” button), it would be much appreciated. Thanks, and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Now let’s dish on snacks!
Put these healthy-ish snack foods on your shopping list
I’m generally not the biggest snacker, preferring two to three planned-out meals every day. However, on days when I’m recipe testing, anticipating a bigger meal to come, or just too darn busy, I’ll eat a few smaller, relatively nutritious bites/ snacks throughout the day to keep me sustained and satisfied. Enter my latest go-to snack foods.
As a more healthy, balanced eater, I tend to gravitate toward snack foods that are organic, made with natural ingredients, non-GMO, and lower in sugar. Of course, since life is all about balance, there are exceptions to this rule. But one thing I will never compromise on is taste!
These store-bought snacks have become staples in my pantry and are definitely worth seeking out on your next shopping trip:
Siete Grain-Free Cinnamon Chips, Churro Strips. These allergy-friendly (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free) chips, from a Mexican American family-owned, Texas-based brand, are a delicious cross between a Sun Chip and a churro. Made with all-natural, healthier ingredients like avocado oil, coconut sugar, and cassava flour, they’re light, crispy, slightly sweet, and very tasty.
PopCorners, Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn. This “air-popped never fried” popped corn snack is like if a rice cake, a Dorito, and Kettle Corn popcorn had a baby. I’m a sucker for a sweet and salty flavor combo, but it’s the crispy yet airy texture (which almost effortlessly dissolves in your mouth) that gets me every time. Also gluten-free and non-GMO.
Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels, Honey Mustard Seasoned Pretzel Twists. Dot’s Honey Mustard Seasoned Pretzel Twists—originating in the Midwest and now nationally distributed—are sweet, zesty, and just plain delicious. Due to an irresistible blend of spices, I can effortlessly consume a sizable portion of these in one sitting. Licking the residual seasoning dust off your fingers is completely optional, but highly encouraged.
Kettle Brand Air-Fried Potato Chips, Himalayan Salt. I love potato chips, but don’t care as much for their greasiness and mess (along with how I feel after consuming a few too many!). These winning air-fried Kettle brand chips have the taste and texture of a really good, crunchy potato chip, but without any crumbs or greasy residue.
SkinnyPop Popcorn, Sea Salt. Sometimes I just want a plain and simple snack like popcorn. Made with three simple ingredients (popcorn, sunflower oil, and sea salt), Skinny Pop is a non-GMO, gluten-free brand that’s lightly salted and delicately crispy—true popcorn perfection.
Fruit Riot! Sour Grapes. These frozen fruit snacks (real fruit that’s frozen and dipped in lemon juice and a sour-candy coating) were so popular for a while that grocery stores couldn’t restock them fast enough. I like the Sour Grapes best, but they also have Sour Pineapple and Sour Mango.
Tony’s Chocolonely Lil’ Bits, Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt & Cookie Mix. If you’ve been reading my newsletters since Day One, you know I’m a fan of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars. I recently discovered their Lil’Bites, which capture the essence of the chocolate bar in a more portion-friendly format, and I will eat a handful when I’m craving a little something sweet.
If homemade snacks are more your thing..
Some days I like to make my own snacks. In those moments, these are a few of the quick and easy bites I turn to (that don’t involve turning on a stove, oven, or microwave). You should try them too!
GORP (“good old raisins and peanuts”) aka trail mix. This is an ideal snack to eat on the go. Besides its portability, I love that it can be customized with just about any combination of dried fruit, nut, and/or chocolate. I make a big batch and keep small bags of it in my purse to easily reach for when my energy dips. My favorite mix includes dried cranberries or golden raisins, lightly salted roasted almonds, and dark chocolate chips; and when I’m feeling extra special, I’ll toss in some toasted coconut flakes.
My favorite, quick energy GORP / trail mix combo Peanut butter banana bites. I’m very into these frozen mini chocolate-covered peanut butter banana bites. My recipe, inspired by various versions on social media, can be found in my September 24 “After school snacks” issue—check it out here or in my Substack archives. TruFru Frozen Bananas, available in the freezer section of your grocery store, are a decent (but, imo, less exciting) substitute if you prefer convenience over effort.
These Banana Bites are next-level yummy! Date bark. I’m hooked on this viral recipe, which is made by flattening pitted dates, slathering them with peanut butter (always crunchy for me), melted chocolate, and flaky sea salt, and freezing until firm. I was inspired by this version from Broma Bakery’s Sarah Fennel, and let it be known that I now keep a permanent stash, along with my banana bites, in the freezer to snack on as needed.
These insanely good date bars are a permanent fixture in my freezer. “Everything But the Bagel Sandwich On A Log”. When I want a protein-packed, lighter snack, I make these celery sticks filled with cream cheese and topped with smoked nova salmon and everything but the bagel seasoning. They are like an Ants on a Log style classic everything bagel and lox sandwich, minus the bagel. I am looking for a shorter, catchier name though, and welcome any ideas!
A perfectly light, protein-forward snack
I’m constantly searching for new ideas and inspiration and would love to hear what YOU are snacking on (and loving) these days. Let me know by leaving a comment below!
Lastly, below is the survey I mentioned earlier. It should take less than a minute to complete (maybe two minutes max, as some of you might be prompted to sign into Substack first). Your responses will be extremely helpful in deciding where I should focus more in future issues. Just click on the “Start Survey” button below to begin. THANK YOU!!
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Your peanut butter banana bites are so good!!! I’ll definitely have to try the date bark next.