9 Unhealthy Processed Snacks And 9 Snacks You Should Eat Instead
Processed snacks often sneak into our day with tempting flavors and convenience, but not all of them deserve a spot in your pantry.
Some pack in extra sugar, artificial ingredients, and empty calories that leave you feeling worse than before.
Luckily, there’s a tasty and healthier side to snacking that doesn’t skimp on satisfaction. Swapping out the guilty treats for smarter choices can make your snack time both guilt-free and delicious.
1. Doritos Nacho Cheese
Those orange-dusted triangles of temptation pack a serious flavor punch, but at what cost? The artificial cheese flavoring contains MSG that triggers your brain to crave more.
One serving delivers nearly a quarter of your daily sodium intake, plus a hefty dose of artificial colors and preservatives.
The empty calories offer virtually no nutritional benefits beyond a momentary taste sensation.
2. KIND Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
Crunchy, sweet, and satisfying without the guilt trip! These bars combine whole nuts, dark chocolate, and just enough sweetness to curb cravings.
Packed with protein and healthy fats, they keep hunger at bay for hours.
Unlike candy bars masquerading as health food, KIND bars contain ingredients you can actually pronounce and recognize – almonds, peanuts, honey, and cocoa.
3. Cheetos Crunchy
Chester Cheetah never mentions that his favorite snack contains more than ten artificial ingredients!
The bright orange coating sticks to fingers for a reason – it’s loaded with artificial colors and flavor enhancers.
A single serving contains almost no fiber or protein, just empty carbs and fat. The addictive crunch comes with a heavy dose of palm oil, linked to increased inflammation in the body.
4. RXBAR Peanut Butter
Honesty in snacking comes wrapped in this no-nonsense protein bar.
The ingredients list proudly displayed on the front packaging tells you exactly what you’re eating – egg whites, dates, nuts, and nothing mysterious.
Each bar delivers 12 grams of protein from real food sources.
The chewy texture and natural peanut butter flavor satisfy cravings without the sugar spike that leads to energy crashes later.
5. Lay’s Classic Potato Chips
Nobody can eat just one – and that’s by design! These thinly sliced potatoes are engineered for maximum crunchability and munchability, with salt levels carefully calibrated to keep you reaching for more.
The high-temperature frying process creates acrylamide, a potential carcinogen. Despite starting as actual potatoes, the nutritional value gets lost in processing, leaving mainly starch, oil, and sodium behind.
6. Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs
Chickpeas transformed into crunchy, airy puffs deliver the satisfying texture of traditional cheese puffs without the artificial baggage.
Plant-based protein and fiber make these a filling option that won’t leave you hungry twenty minutes later.
Free from artificial colors and flavors, these vegan-friendly snacks come in varieties like Vegan White Cheddar. The sustainable ingredient list makes them better for both your body and the planet.
7. Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
America’s favorite cookie hides a laundry list of processed ingredients behind that iconic cream filling. The first ingredient is sugar, followed closely by refined flour and palm oil – a nutritional triple threat.
That perfect twist-and-lick experience comes with artificial flavors and high-fructose corn syrup.
Just three cookies contain 14 grams of sugar, triggering dopamine responses that keep you craving more long after the package is empty.
8. Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips Sea Salt
Kale transforms from health food stereotype to legitimately craveable snack in these perfectly crispy chips.
Air-dried rather than fried, they maintain nutrients that would otherwise be destroyed by high heat. One serving delivers 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
The satisfying crunch rivals potato chips, while providing significant amounts of vitamins K, A and C – nutrients completely absent from most packaged snacks.
9. Hostess Twinkies
Golden sponge cake with creamy filling sounds innocent enough until you realize Twinkies contain over 30 ingredients!
The urban legend about their indefinite shelf life isn’t far off – they’re packed with preservatives that keep them soft for weeks.
Each cake delivers 16 grams of sugar and virtually no nutritional value. The creamy center contains partially hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors that your body struggles to process naturally.
10. Siete Sea Salt Grain-Free Tortilla Chips
Taco Tuesday gets a healthy upgrade with these cassava flour chips that crunch just like the corn-based originals.
Perfect for anyone avoiding grains or gluten, they satisfy chip cravings without inflammatory ingredients. Made with avocado oil instead of inflammatory seed oils, they provide a better fat profile.
The simple ingredient list focuses on real foods – cassava flour, coconut flour, and sea salt – making them suitable for paleo and Whole30 followers.
11. Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry
Breakfast or dessert? These morning pastries blur the line with more sugar than some candy bars!
The fruit filling contains minimal actual strawberries, relying instead on high-fructose corn syrup and food dyes. The colorful sprinkles add visual appeal but zero nutritional value.
Starting your day with two Pop-Tarts means consuming nearly 40 grams of sugar before you’ve even left the house, setting you up for an energy crash by mid-morning.
12. Bare Apple Cinnamon Chips
Simplicity wins with these crunchy apple slices that contain exactly two ingredients: apples and cinnamon. The baking process concentrates the natural sweetness, eliminating any need for added sugars.
Unlike many dried fruits, these chips aren’t treated with sulfites or preservatives.
They deliver the fiber and nutrients of fresh apples in a convenient, shelf-stable form that satisfies sweet cravings without the sugar spike of candy or cookies.
13. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
Nostalgia in snack form, these chocolate cake rolls hide a concerning nutrition label behind childhood memories.
The chocolate coating isn’t real chocolate but a mixture of sugar, oil, and cocoa processing agents. High-fructose corn syrup appears multiple times in the ingredients list.
One package contains nearly 30 grams of sugar plus artificial flavors and colors that have been banned in other countries due to potential health concerns.
14. Larabar Apple Pie
Dessert flavors meet clean eating in these bars made from just six ingredients you’d find in your kitchen.
The sweetness comes entirely from dates, with no added sugars or syrups. Nuts provide healthy fats and protein that stabilize blood sugar.
Unlike most packaged snacks, these bars contain significant amounts of potassium and magnesium from whole food sources, supporting proper muscle function and energy production throughout your day.
15. Cheez-It Original
Small squares with big flavor problems lurk in these popular crackers. While they proudly advertise real cheese, it’s accompanied by highly processed wheat flour and inflammatory seed oils.
The bright orange color comes partially from artificial food dyes.
Their small size makes portion control particularly challenging, with most people consuming several servings in a single sitting, racking up significant sodium intake that can contribute to water retention and blood pressure issues.
16. Chomps Original Beef Jerky Stick
Protein-packed snacking goes portable with these grass-fed beef sticks that contain no artificial preservatives.
Unlike conventional jerky loaded with sugar and MSG, these sticks rely on simple seasonings and natural preservation methods.
Each stick delivers 10 grams of complete protein with just 90 calories. The convenient packaging makes them perfect for on-the-go energy that won’t spike blood sugar or leave you hungry an hour later.
17. Pringles Original
Once you pop, the chemicals don’t stop! These perfectly stacked crisps aren’t actually potato chips but a formed mixture of dried potato, rice, wheat, and corn shaped into identical parabolas.
The uniform shape and stackability come from their highly processed nature.
Unlike traditional chips made from sliced potatoes, Pringles contain multiple artificial ingredients and flavor enhancers designed to hit all your taste receptors at once, triggering overconsumption.
18. Sabra Classic Hummus Singles
Portable protein meets Mediterranean flavor in these convenient single-serve hummus cups. The chickpea base provides fiber and plant protein that helps maintain steady energy levels between meals.
Rich in heart-healthy olive oil and tahini, hummus delivers monounsaturated fats that support brain health.
The pre-portioned containers solve the common problem of mindlessly consuming an entire tub of hummus in one sitting.