I love Whole Foods; it's a utopia for snack lovers! However, it's confusing and hard to find healthy snacks there. You'd think that everything would be healthy at a place like Whole Foods, but that is not the case. There are a lot of brands that make false claims. Some examples are claiming that products contain "superfoods" or are "all natural". Many terms like "all natural" and "multigrain" aren't regulated by the FDA, meaning that food companies can slap these labels on almost anything. Food companies do this to make their products seem more nutritious than they actually are, which makes their target customers more likely to buy. Marketing ploys paired with the fact that Whole Foods is expensive can make shopping there really intimidating. We all know that the nickname for Whole Foods is Whole Paycheck, and that nickname exists for a reason!
I'm here to break down the best healthy snacks at Whole Foods that don't break the bank! If you want to be adventurous with your snack selection, always make sure to check the ingredients and nutrition facts of any items before you buy. Happy shopping!
1. Perfect Bars
Photo by Perfect Snacks
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I freaking love Perfect Snacks. It is a family business created by a group of siblings in 2005 in San Diego, California. After traveling across the country, their father, Bud Keith, created the formula that is now the Perfect Bar after being frustrated with the lack of healthy snacks available while on the road. A simple recipe is now a thriving business! Perfect Snacks has a variety of bars and peanut butter cups (my actual favorites) that are organic, non-GMO, high in protein, and made from real ingredients. In fact, the ingredients are so real that they need to be refrigerated!
Photo by Perfect Snacks
For a protein bar, the taste of these is as good as it gets. When I first tried a Perfect Bar, I thought it just tasted like a lump of peanut butter. That's a pretty silly thing to complain about!! Perfect Bar has a variety of flavors that have either a peanut butter or almond butter base. My favorite flavors are Chocolate Walnut Brownie (their only vegan flavor), Chocolate Hazelnut Crisp (I can only find it at Aldi!), and Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter. They have a new Salted Caramel flavor that I am dying to try. And all the flavors of their new peanut butter cups are incredible. I seriously can't recommend a protein bar more!!
2. Lesser Evil Snacks
Lesser Evil Snacks was also founded in 2005, but in Danbury, Connecticut. For the past 7 years, they have been producing their snacks in their own factory in Danbury. Their plant is non-GMO, certified organic, and kosher. Lesser Evil tries to source their ingredients locally, but the ones they can't are sourced ethically and responsibly from around the world.
Lesser Evil has a variety of snacks. I love their Paleo Puffs, which are basically healthy Cheetos. What's not to love? These puffs are grain free and certified paleo, with the base being cassava flour. The Himalayan Salt + Apple Cider Vinegar and "No Cheese" Cheesiness flavors are fire. Their Oh My Ghee popcorn is also incredible and I have been wanting to try their Egg White Curls so badly!
3. Siete Chips & Dips
Siete Foods is another family business that is based in Austin, Texas. They create a variety of Mexican-American inspired foods made of wholesome and anti-inflammatory ingredients. One of my favorite things they make is the grain-free tortillas. They offer a variety of them made from different types of flours, like almond flour, cassava flour, and (my favorite) chickpea flour. I just love how chickpea flour becomes more crispy in the oven, which is one of the many reasons why (fun fact!) it is used often in Indian cuisine! Siete also makes dairy-free queso and bean dip, Whole30 approved enchilada sauce and hot sauce (I love using it to make tacos!), and grain-free hard taco shells. But their main "attraction", I'd have to say, is their grain-free tortilla chips.
Siete's new Dip Chips are the perfect size!
Siete's tortilla chip recipe is a game changer. If you know me, you know that tortilla chips are probably my ultimate weakness. I could eat a whole bag of those little bite-size Tostitos, no problem. And while eating a whole bag of Siete chips isn't good to do, it's at least a little bit better for ya! Their grain-free tortilla chips are made primarily from cassava flour. They come in a variety of different flavors, like ranch, fuego, nacho, and lime. The lime and the sea salt flavors are my absolute favorites. The ingredients are amazing; everything is super simple and pronounceable too! No weird additives in these addicting tortilla chips, just real, tasty ingredients. These chips are absolutely incredible when dipped in Hope hummus, which I'll talk about right now:
4. Hope Foods Hummus
I honestly think that Hope was my first "health food" obsession. Hope Foods is based in Colorado and started out selling small batches of their Spicy Avocado Hummus at the Boulder County Farmers' Market. After selling out time and time again, they slowly expanded their line of products and started selling at speciality grocery stores. Now you can find their products at Whole Foods and other stores (like Target, Fresh Thyme, and Aldi) all around the United States! They use only the freshest ingredients and cleanest water to create their dips.
My first Hope obsession was the Thai Coconut Curry Hummus. Holy moley. I had never tasted anything like it before!! It is a bright yellow color with so much flavor from the jalapeños and coconut. I was so in love with it that I had it and some mini pita pockets at my junior recital reception (I was a music major) at Indiana University in 2017! I'm still so obsessed. Now, I probably buy the Original Recipe Hummus more than anything else from Hope. It is such a unique hummus, with more of a spicy, garlicky taste than traditional hummus. Also the texture is so thick and creamy and dreamy!
Hope Foods also makes guacamole, and their newest product addition is the cashew & almond dip. So far I have only tried the avocado ranch flavor, and I'm hoping to try the chipotle flavor ASAP!
5. Culina Yogurt
This is my newest Whole Foods find! Culina is woman-owned brand based in Austin, Texas. They create dairy-free & plant-based yogurt! Their yogurt is craft-fermented with real ingredients and no fillers, gums, or starches. The yogurt is made mostly of coconut cream and agar, therefore being ridiculously thick and creamy. Like most other yogurts, Culina is brimming with probiotics! So good for gut health! It is great to get probiotics from food rather than supplements, but if you are curious about what supplements I took while on a plant-based diet, you can check that blog post out here.
Culina makes a variety of flavors, like strawberry rose, bourbon vanilla, and and blueberry lavender. The botanical, floral flavors have got me hooked! Culina yogurts also come in these cute little 5 ounce glass jars, which are awesome to reuse for holding spices, making candles, and so many other creative things. We love a zero-waste moment!
And there are my five favorite healthy snacks you can find at Whole Foods! Did I miss any of your favorite products from Whole Foods Market? Let me know in the comments! Thank you for reading as always, xo.
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