Organically Good--Not Expensive

Crunch into a savory crunchy snack that is organically good and good for you. O Organics is one of the nation’s largest organic brands (by retail sales) and offers consumers and retailers a complete, multi-category lifestyle solution with over 300 products in 50+ categories. Launched in October 2005 at Safeway stores, O Organics now offers to retailers nationwide a complete range of the highest quality organic foods and supplements at affordable prices.

Available in regular grocers, O Organics simplifies shopping since many organic and conventional foods are now in a one location.

Here are just a few of the savory delights:

Blue Corn Chips with Sesame Seeds

Lightly Salted Cashews and Almonds

White Cheddar Popcorn

Fire Roasted Salsa-- the Mild is really more like a medium--nice and piquante.

You'll find many more so pick and choose a few different snacks each week.

The Complete Cracker

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to snack on a cracker that was so delicious and crunchy and, thanks to interesting blends of flavors, had a taste that was so unexpected and delicious that it didn’t need a dip or even cheese to top it off?

Your wish is granted. Back to Nature, the Wisconsin-based purveyor of cookies, granolas, trail mixes, and more has several varieties of crackers to intrigue the palate.

Sunflower Basil—crisp savory crackers with crunchy sunflower kernels and fragrant basil. No cholesterol no trans fat, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors or colors. Thanks to a touch of olive oil, sea salt a dash of black pepper, there is plenty of flavor.

Sesame Tarragon— sprinkled with golden sesame seeds and Tarragon with snippets of Parsley, basil, olive oil, sea salt.

Poppy Thyme -- These crackers are sprinkled with Poppy Seeds and Chopped Thyme with a bit of Parsley, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Who needs cheese or dips? But feel free to serve these tasty savory crackers with whatever you choose. You can’t go wrong.

Fruit Stretch

If you would like to a have sweet snack on hand, perhaps a kind of steam-rolled fruit, but not the kinds that are overly sweet and maybe not that good for you, try Stretch Island Fruit Co’s FruitaBÜ fruit roll-ups and flats—“organic smooshed fruit” . The "Flats" flavors include Country Cranberry Rasberry, Smooshed Apple, Smooshed Grape, Smooshed Raspberry, to name a few.

It is, of course easier to reach for the fruit snacks on sale at the supermarket—you know, the ones in the shapes of every cartoon character you, or your offspring, can think of-- but FruitaBu (they’ve been making this healthy and sweet confection for more than 30 years) travels well and if you open the compact pack at the corner where it says “tear here”, you can almost eat it without getting the sweet, sticky goodness on your fingers.

The other version is a roll of dried but chewy pressed fruit, which, when unraveled, might be a little messy—just a little—but it is worth it. (Just have some of those moist hand-wipes available).

Both versions are thoroughly enjoyable, portable pick-me ups that can keep you going just a little longer, with no regrets.

Healthy eating on the Go

Suppose you want a snack that is more on the savory side—something with a bit of crunch, but not detrimental to any healthy eating plan you are trying to “become one with.” Something tasty to munch on that will tide you over until your next meal, or if you are more of a “grazer” something to be your next small meal. And if it had a few extra health benefits—even better.
Here are a few suggestions—Snacktrition, a part of Mellace Family Brands, based in California, is a line of about five inspired treats each packed neatly in a re-useable container. Just the names will make you long for a taste—Sea Salt Cashews with Fiber, Sea Salt Almonds with Calcium, Salt & Pepper Cashews with Fiber, Smoked Almonds with Calcium and Fruit & Nut Mix with Fiber and Calcium. What’s especially appealing is these treats are portable and can help you stick to your eating plan. It is also appealing that a portion of each sale promises to “Help Those Who Would Otherwise be Forgotten!” through the company’s Mama Cares Foundation.
Another savory snack comes in a bigger box but you can easily pack the contents into smaller snack-size bags or containers. La Jolla-based Kashi offers several varieties of TLC crackers—the cheddar cheese taste as good—or better- than Cheez-Its and are better for you. Not a big fan of cheese? Try their Fire-Roasted Vegetable, Homey Sesame, Natural Ranch, or Original 7-Grain. They also offer several varieties of “Party Crackers” that we haven’t yet tried, but they look promising.
Another way to thwart an attack of machine munchies is to pack a few snack-size bags of plain almonds or walnuts in your bag or briefcase. Coupled with a bottle of water or juice, or a piece of fresh fruit, and you just built yourself a little fortress against sidetracks to healthy eating.

Snack Bars, healthy or not so?

When you want a snack to take with you when you know you’re going to have a busy day, you want to put something in your purse or briefcase that isn’t going to get crushed and get crumbs everywhere. But you still want a little something that will placate the hunger or the urge to stuff something you’ll regret later in your mouth—like almost anything from a food cart inside or outside—and vending machines? Those wheat crackers only look healthy because they are lined between cookies and candy bars. (Why are the mints and chewing gum always on the bottom tier, anyway?)
There are a lot of choices for portable noshing out there. Some are tastier than others. Some are healthier than others. Do all the unhealthy snack bars all taste better than the good-for-you kinds? Or is it possible to find healthier snack bars that taste pretty much like they couldn’t be good for you. But they are.
We’ll be taking a look at several brands, including:
Nature Valley Granola Bars, Kashi bars, Kudos, SoyJoy, and others.
Until then, be careful what kind of pick-me-up you pack. A pick-me-up shouldn’t plump you up.