I'm An Avid Snacker, So I Decided To Give These 12 Healthier Treats A Try This Month
Hey everyone! My name's Hannah, and I've been known to sample and review my fair share of snacks. Though I'm usually more known for sipping new alcohol releases or taste-testing trending foods (like these Little Debbie ice creams), I decided to change things up this month and try out snacks that are sustainable and more nutritious. Here's all that I sampled:
Note: BuzzFeed received products for free, but was under no obligation to post a positive review.
1.tbh Hazelnut Cocoa Spread
This spread is vegan and made without palm oil.
Look at that gorgeous texture!
I decided to spread it on toast and add raspberries for some extra ✨pizzazz.✨
I'm not gonna lie — I also totally ate an entire spoonful of the spread on its own just to *assess the flavor.* My consensus: It bangs. It's very similar to Nutella, so obviously, I'm on board. But, I do like that it's less sweet than Nutella. It still retains all that chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness, but since it's a little less sweet, I'd almost say the flavor is richer! Plus, it's vegan, gluten free, and made with an array of natural ingredients. It's a taste-good, feel-good kind of treat!
Get a pack of two from Snack TBH for $25.99+ (also available in a pack of four).
2.reHarvest Provisions Superfood Smoothie Pops
These pops are packed with vegetables, fruits, and superfoods. You can buy a box of each individual flavor, or you can get a multipack with all four flavors.
Frosé All Day ~Chill~
This was pretty refreshing, but unlike a fresh glass of frosé, this pop does taste healthy. The taste and texture reminded me of a less-sweet açaí bowl. It was tart and very cherry-forward. I really couldn't taste the beets, and I'm grateful for that.
Get a box of five from reHarvest for $14.99.
Very Berry ~Glow~
The best way to describe this flavor is a combination of blueberries and dates. I think I detected a hint of the goji berries as well. It's very dark and I really tasted the tannins.
Get a box of five from reHarvest for $14.99.
Tropical Bliss ~Recover~
This one was hands-down the tastiest. I really love anything with pineapple, mango, peaches, or coconut, so this was a home run for me. The texture was a bit creamier than the other pops, and it was super mango-forward. In hindsight, I probably wouldn't opt for the variety pack again, as this was the superior smoothie pop.
Get a box of five from reHarvest for $14.99.
Super Greens ~Detox~
A green smoothie isn't really my thing (sorry to my green juice girlies out there), so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this pop. Overall, it wasn't bad, but it certainly tasted very 🌱green🌱 and herbal. I would even venture to say that it tasted a bit like tea. Hey, I like tea. That's not a bad thing! It's just nottt what I expected.
Get a box of five from reHarvest for $14.99.
3.Joolies California Superfruit
These dates are hand-picked from the Coachella Valley, all organic, and fresh, never dried. Yeah, these dates are the closest I'll ever get to Coachella.
Initially, I was like, "Only three dates in the entire package?" and then I opened it up and was like, "Oh yeah, I guess that adds up." Dates are more robust than raisins!!!
I'm not really a raisin gal, so I didn't expect for my spirit to be moved by these dates. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how tasty they were! Their flavor is dark and rich — almost like molasses. Sure, they're no gummy candy, but they still made for a nice, chewy treat. Considering I honestly thought I'd hate them, I was very happy to actually enjoy them!!!
Get a snack pack from Joolies or at a store near you starting at $19.99.
4.Feel Good Foods Wildberry Pancake Bites
They are gluten-free and celiac-safe, and filled with all-natural ingredients.
They look like cute, little muffins! And, they cooked so quickly in the microwave.
They really reminded me of little blueberry muffin tops! Very yummy. Five was wayyy too many to try and eat at once, though. These puppies are dense. I fully expected to be able to put away all five, but by pancake bite #3, I had reached my maximum.
Get them from select online retailers, or in a store near you for $7.49.
5.gimMe Snacks Organic Seaweed
Grown sustainably off the shore of South Korea, this seaweed is roasted twice and paired with hand-picked seasonings to make a tasty, unique snack!
Each container was light as air, but stuffed to the gills! Haha, fish joke. 🐠
Sea Salt
The texture was so interesting because obviously each piece is paper-thin and crispy, but there's also a lotttt of oil on the surface. Be prepared to have shiny fingers! It was super salty and had that distinct, ocean-y flavor.
Get a 6-pack from gimMe Organic or at a store near you for $6.59.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Though this wasn't as "fishy" as the first flavor, it was still like taking a bite of the sea. I could definitely taste (and feel) the olive oil. These would be so good crunched up over a rice bowl.
Get a 6-pack from gimMe Organic or at a store near you for $6.59.
Teriyaki
Teriyaki was by far my favorite flavor, which I pretty much expected to be the case before my taste test. I loveee teriyaki anything, so I was glad that these tasted thoroughly seasoned. Again, these would be great crunched over a rice bowl or some teriyaki chicken. They'd add a nice pop of flavor and texture. Side note: After eating a bit of seaweed, except to get the "seaweed burps." It's a taste that lingers, folks!
Get a 6-pack from gimMe Organic or at a store near you for $6.59.
6.Brave Robot Ice Cream
Ice cream made with animal-free dairy...WHAT? Yeah, my mind can barely process it. As their site says, it's "dairy without the cow." This ice cream uses animal-free whey protein. So, molecularly, it's dairy. BUT, it's created in a vegan, lactose-free, antibiotic-free, cruelty-free, sustainable way! Where there's a will, there's a "whey!"
Here's how Brave Robot breaks down the creation of their ice cream on their site.
Image 1, Microflora: "Tiny organisms (like yeast), are given the genetic blueprints for making whey protein."
Image 2, Plants: "The stuff cows eat."
Image 3, Fermentation: "Like beer and wine, but engineered to make dairy."
Image 4, Non-Animal Whey Protein: "Molecularly identical to whey protein from cow's milk."
Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk
I honestly didn't expect the texture to be so good! I've had some "healthy" ice creams in the past with god-awful textures. Graininess, grit, no creaminess whatsoever. This wasn't the case! Flavor-wise, it was very nutty. The hazelnut flavor was definitely stronger than the chocolate flavor, but I liked it a lot. This is a very solid bite of ice cream.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (new flavor!)
Ummm, it tasted a little like weed??? I don't even know how else to say it. It still tasted like a vanilla ice cream, but with some sort of added *surprise.* I'm not sure why? I was CONFUSED.
Mint Chocolate Chip (new flavor!)
Quite minty, but with a good ice cream to chocolate chip ratio. No surprises here! Creamy, tasty, and refreshing.
Chocolate Cherry Brownie (new flavor!)
Yeeessss, my favorite. It tasted like a really rich, chocolatey ice cream. LOVE. I didn't ~really~ taste the cherries, and I'm a big fan of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, so I missed that cherry flavor. But, it was fudgey and lovely. There were cherry chunks that were a nice surprise, but I still could've done with more of a cherry punch! Overall, these ice creams were pretty good. The science behind them is also VERY fascinating, but they're pretty pricy.
Get a four-pack from Brave Robot for $58.
7.Supernola
Supernola is a sustainably-created snack featuring high-quality, natural ingredients.
Banana Nut Crunch
The granola was a light, tasty snack that would've been great crumbled over a smoothie bowl or cup of yogurt! Don't be intimidated by the wording in the description on the package — I'm gonna be honest, I feel like it makes the granola sound a little less appealing than it actually is. The "sprouted nuts" kind of threw me for a loop, so upon googling it, I learned you probably shouldn't try sprouting your nuts at home. Sorry to disappoint! Commercially sprouted nuts have to be made in a sterile environment. No food-borne illnesses for me, thanks!
Get a box of 12 from Supernola or in select stores starting at $32.99.
Dark Chocolate Nut Crunch
I was worried the banana flavor was going to be super overpowering, but I actually liked the chocolate-banana pairing. The granola isn't excessively flavorful or sweet, but it's subtle and would go great with something on the side for an extra punch.
Get a box of 12 from Supernola or in select stores starting at $32.99.
8.Olyra
These organic and nutritious biscuits are made using a blend of Greek grains, spelt, oat, barley, and lupine. My inner Greek mythology-obsessed nerd is QUAKING.
Hazelnut Cocoa Sandwich
I really love a breakfast biscuit (I've thrown so much money at BelVita over the years for those tasty biscuits), so perhaps this comes with some bias. I knew I'd like these. They're kind of like cookies for breakfast, but obviously less sweet. They aren't very big, but they're definitely filling. I thought there was no way I'd be full from just one (my track record with cookies, breakfast bars, crackers, etc. suggests otherwise), but one at a time was plenty! I do recommend eating some fruit with the biscuit if you're eating it for breakfast (and not just a midday pick-me-up), just so you can balance your meal a bit.
Get a trial kit from Olyra for $5.99 or buy a bundle online for $32.99.
Greek Yogurt Blueberry Sandwich
9.Day One Sparkling Water + CBD
Day One is a sparkling water beverage that contains 20 mg of CBD and comes in lemon, lime, and grapefruit flavors. When I say it rocked my world, I am not being hyperbolic. I genuinely felt happier and more relaxed within half an hour, and after perhaps an hour, I was knocked out. Though I usually wake up in the middle of the night to pee (and I fully expected to after having this drink before bed), I slept like a rock through the night. The grapefruit flavor was refreshing and delightful. It is NO easy feat getting me to relax. This magic potion turned me into a puddle within an hour. I haven't always had that reaction to CBD in the past, but now I'm a believer.
Get a 12-pack from Day One for $36.
10.Prevail Beef Jerky
Prevail Jerky is made from 100% grass-fed beef and contains none of the top eight allergens.
Umami Beef Jerky
I'd never had beef jerky until I bravely gave this a go. I opened the bag and was immediately hit with the familiar smell of the dog treats we used to feed my sweet pup. Meat in a bag is a hard sell for me. Tensions were high after this first, leathery bite.
Get it from Prevail Jerky starting at $6.99.
Original Beef Jerky
OK, this was more my speed. My nose was NOT met with the aroma of dog treats upon opening this bag. I actually ate a few pieces of this jerky WILLINGLY in one sitting. I still felt a little bit like a dog who just did her business outside, but I prevailed. Haha. I'm full of jokes today.
Get it from Prevail Jerky starting at $6.99.
11.Daily Crunch Cacao + Sea Salt Sprouted Almonds
Daily Crunch sprouted almonds are gluten-free, keto, paleo, and vegan.
I guess I expected them to be a little bit more cacao-coated, like the chocolate-covered almonds I buy from the grocery store.
The cacao flavor was not as strong as I anticipated. I like almonds and almond-flavored things, but I'm not really a "grab-a-handful-of-nuts-as-a-snack" person. They were good and salty, but there was nothing groundbreaking about them. They were filling, but not life-changing. I guess you could say I didn't go nuts for these almonds. If you're a big almond fan, you will love them. If you're pretty neutral about almonds, you'll be pretty neutral about them. It's not rocket science!
Get an individual bag from Daily Crunch for $15.
12.Like Air White Cheddar Baked Puffcorn
Like Air Baked Puffcorn is a satisfying, gluten-free snack with no artificial ingredients.
FINALLY! A bag that isn't 80% air (which feels ironic since the snack is called Like Air)!
Where has this been all my life? Full disclosure, I also tried a bag of the classic flavor and devoured it with my roommate before I even documented it. This puffcorn is TOP TIER. It's been all I can think about for days. I won't be at peace until I can obtain more.
Get a bundle of two flavors from Like Air for $12.99.
My final thoughts:
Of everything I tried, here are my top three favs:
1. tbh Hazelnut Cocoa Spread: It's DELICIOUS with strawberries and bananas. I can't get enough!
2. Like Air Puffcorn: UNREAL. My roommate and I have been trying to find a store near us that has the original and white cheddar flavors because we now don't know how to function without our midday puffcorn break.
3. Day One Sparkling Water + CBD: Seriously, best sleep of my freakin' life. I felt SO relaxed, and I am NEVER relaxed. 😅
No matter what you're choosing to snack on, you should enjoy it! If I'm craving M&Ms or Doritos, I'm still gonna get myself the M&Ms or the Doritos. But, I enjoyed learning about a variety of snacks that are better for me, and, in many cases, better for the planet! Though I might not be a passionate lover of beef jerky or dates now, I still tried something new. It's cool to learn about the diverse range of snacking options out there. Plus, I'm also walking away with some new favorites to add to my pantry. Happy snacking!
