Top 10 #SafeSnacking Snacks To Fuel Your Soul and Protect Our planet

Crunchy, salty, chewy, gooey, sour, spicy, and sweet. These are a list of words we use to describe some of our favorite treats. But lets be real. When it comes to favorite treats, “healthy” is rarley a term we use. At Foreal Foods we said enough with the low-fat cookie imposters. Good food has to start with real food.

Take our Chili Lime flavored Coconut Jerky for example. Made strictly from young coconut and sourced sustainably from local farms it hits those salty, sweet, and spicy key notes without the use of any additional garbage. Let’s be honest, I love our product but I wanted to shout out to other snack companies that are out there delivering flavor and keeping our planet, and our bodies, fresh and healthy.

So without further adieu, I present, in no particular order, 10 healthy snacks that will keep you and our planet full and clean.

1. To start our list I wanted to introduce our jerky sister of the sea. Kelp Jerky by Akua is a jerky product that has taken the bountiful carbon-neutralizing plants of the sea and turned them into a perfect midday treat. This little piece of jerky may look small but packs a potent nutrient punch with superfood ingredients like shitake mushrooms, spirulina, and an array of sea greens. They also claim that their farming practices not only reduce climate change but reverses it.
2. Next on our list are Sea Salt & Vinegar Plantain Chips by Barnana. These crispy treats are a great replacement for any over-salted potato chip. I like to call these no-regret chips because just like many of these snacks, you’re not going to be able to eat just one. But with 100% organic, nutrient-dense ingredients, it’s hard to feel bad about the indulgence. These guys make their stance in sustainability by using upcycled bananas that would normally go to waste and transform them into banana chips. This stuff is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
3. Who doesn’t have a memory of the silver wrapped tart treats that tasted great after a quick turn in our toaster oven? Well the FROSTED BERRY STRAWBERRY™ TOASTER PASTRIES by Nature’s Path gives us an upcycled way to enjoy these breakfast favorites by using real strawberries and ditching the high fructose corn syrup. But replacing imitation flavors with real food isn’t the only thing these guys do. They created a circular shopping platform that allows people to buy products with reusable containers and return them using their “milk-man” style delivery service.
4. Now I know chocolate has gotten a lot of attention for its mistreatment of farmers and their environment but the team at Alter Eco gives us a ray of hope for the chocolate industry by giving us 100% certified fair trade products. Now fair trade chocolate does come with a fair trade price at 3.99 per bar but they do offer a small discount when buying in bulk. Our advice? Pair it with some organic marshmallows and some sustainable graham crackers and have yourself a fair trade treat!
5. When it comes to sustainable, organic snacking CLIF is looked at as one of the OGs. They supply energizing Granola Bars with flavors varying from Caramel Macchiato to Carrot cake. Picking a favorite is nearly impossible but lately, it seems White Chocolate Macadamia has been seen floating around some of our employee’s desks. What makes these guys special is they refused a 120 million dollar buyout to make sure their original values stayed true and they haven’t looked back since. I applaud CLIF for staying true to their values but I do ask please no more carrot cake granola bars.
6. With all these snacks it’s only appropriate that I list one of our favorite beverages to help wash down all that goodness. Whether it’s 5 O’Clock in New York or in “Aloha time” a Big Wave Golden Ale by Kona Brewerygives us a refreshing crisp relaxer. Even better, the guys at Kona use solar panels to produce much of their electrical needs, and their two restaurant establishments are rated as some of the top green-friendly establishments on the islands. Rumor has it if you hold the bottle up to your ear you can hear the ocean, but that might just be the beer talking.
7. That chocolate nutty spread that I know to love has gotten an upgrade with Hazelnut Spread by Nutiva. Just like its name its ingredients are simple, allowing them to offer 40% less sugar per container then the leading brand. This vegan certified spread makes use of palm oil through sustainable means which is great — Improper harvesting of palm oil is harmful to our rainforest which is home to an estimated 50,000 different species.
8. There’s a lot of vegan cheese out there but no one comes close to Vegan Mozzarella by Miyoko’s Creamery in terms of consistency, taste, and health. Miyoko has been making vegan cheese since vegan cheese was a word and her product shows it. This nut-based cheese melts, tastes, spreads and feels like real cheese. Although they don’t scream sustainability, it’s no longer a mystery that a little vegan goes a long way and as long as they keep pumping out products like these, we’ll have no problem adding some extra vegan to our routine.
9. If you’re familiar with our brand then you know I believe simple is delicious. That’s why I’ve included simple Sea Salted Hazelnuts by Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards. These guys offer no frills or gimmicks, just good ol’ fashion farmers producing good old fashioned hazelnuts. Why hazelnuts? Hazelnuts are a superfood when it comes to sustainability. They use little water, help reduce greenhouse gasses, and combat soil erosion. Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards’ website keeps the good nuts rolling with a bunch of recipes you can make using their delicious product. For more info on the benefits of hazelnuts click here.
10. At the end of the day, who doesn’t love to sit back, turn on a movie, and crunch away on some salty treats. I suggest ditching the microwave pop-corn and trying out some Mexican Street Corn Supergrain Puffs by Regrained. Regrained takes leftover grain used from making beer and turns it into super grain puffs. This stuff is packed with nutrients like protein, prebiotic fiber, and micronutrients and since the sugar stays in the beer it’s naturally sugar free. I’ll be honest, I haven’t tried this product yet but any time you give me the option to eat beer I’m game.

At Foreal Foods we believe snacking doesn’t have to be unhealthy but it needs to stay delicious. By implementing sustainable and healthy practices these guys join us on the journey to create a safe snacking world. If I missed your favorite brand let us know. If you learned something new give this a share. Hungry? Click on your favorite link and start #safesnacking.

Author : Christopher Parent

-Foreal Foods Intern