In the past two years healthy foods have exploded in availability and popularity. Items that were impossible to find or relegated to the aisles of specialized health food stores have now made their way to your local supermarket. All the big food retailers now have health food sections and checkout aisles are being stocked with healthy snacks alongside the usual choices of chocolates.
It’s easier to access healthy foods, but there’s still a misconception that healthy choices are pricier than non-healthy ones. While that may sometimes be the case, it’s not always. It is possible to make healthy choices with a budget in mind. To prove that, we hit up every big retailer selling food in search of the best healthy snacks.
Our criteria to make the list was:
1. Each item could not cost more than R15 at full price.
2. Each item had to be portable and non-perishable. This automatically eliminated fruits, vegetables and fridge items, which are great healthy snack items. But, we wanted to choose healthy snacks that you can keep in your office desk drawer, handbag or pack along when travelling or hiking. Times when you’re hungry and don’t have the time or access to something fresh. Healthy snacks that won’t squish, leak or expire fast.
3. Each item had to be made up of familiar ingredients and the fewer the better. As much as possible we made sure that we were familiar with ingredients. This means that the ingredient list was short, as we found the longer the ingredient list, the more the products contained sugars, additives and ingredients that make you go “huh?”.
4. Sugar couldn’t be listed as ingredient. We eliminated snacks that included sugar as an ingredient. We did however allow unrefined sugar such as honey or fruit (and fruit purees / concentrates). This means that some of the healthy snacks do have sugar in them, but they are from unrefined sources. Some snacks listed come in various flavours, some of which do contain sugar so always look at ingredients. We found the simpler the flavour the less likely it was to contain sugar especially when it came to flavoured chip like snacks.
5. We didn’t count calories. Numbers aren’t what defines something as healthy, ingredients do. Nutritionally dense ingredients are often more calorie heavy, but they fill you up better, which means you’ll feel satisfied after one portion instead of wanting another. We do however list calories for those of you who are following calorie specific diets (which are often needed when trying to obtain a specific weight goal or dietary requirement).
6. All the snacks listed are in single serve packets. This makes it easier to control the amount you eat and consume it as a healthy snack not a meal.
Sweet Healthy Snacks
Woolworths Mixed Berry Fruit Bar
These resemble dried fruit ruler bars and are made with only fruit. It’s the same length as an iPhone, so if your pocket can accommodate a phone, it’s thin enough to fit in for a during workout snack.
Ingredients: Pear puree, berry puree, apple puree
Nutritional information : 159kj, 0.3g protein, 9g carbohydrates of which 8.6g is sugar, 0.3g fat
Size: 18g
Price: R7.99 (available here)
Simple Truth Coconut & Lemon Bar
Described as a zesty snack with a twist of lemon and pinch of coconut. It’s a soft bar made from pressed ingredients and contains almonds and soy crisps to give it a nice protein content. It’s also small enough to stuff into the zip of shorts or leggings for long runs, rides or hikes.
Ingredients: Dates, coconut, almonds, soy crisps (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch), desert salt, flavouring.
Nutritional Information: 384 kj, 2.7 g protein, 10g carbs of which 10g is sugar, 4.1g fat
Size: 30g
Price: R9.99 (available here)
Oh My Goodness Banana Fruit Gums
These are described as high fibre fruit gums made locally and packed with 99% real fruit. They don’t have the traditional feel or taste of a gummy and are closer to dried fruit / pressed fruit snack.
Ingredients: Banana pulp, apple pulp, pear pulp, flavourings, vitamin C, gelling agent (agar).
Nutritional information: 363 kj, 0.6g protein, 19.1g carbs of which 18.4g is sugar, 0.1g fat, 2.9g fibre
Size: 30g
Price: R9.99 (available here)
Oh My Goodness Mixed Berry Moon Melts
These are described as freeze-dried mixed berry and yogurt drops. They look like candy melts but have the light and airy feel and texture of freeze-dried fruit.
Ingredients: Apple pulp, strawberry puree, pear pulp, raspberry puree, skimmed milk yogurt powder, tapioca starch, colourant (blackcurrant juice concentrate), flavourings
Nutritional information: 66kj, 0.7g protein, 3g carbohydrates of which 2.6g is sugar, 0.1g fat
Size: 6g
Price: R10.99 (available here)
BEAR Pure Fruit Yoyo’s in Mango
These are described as pure fruit rolls and are unique in that unlike most other pressed fruit snacks the BEAR Yoyo’s are made from 100% pure fruit and veg and not from concentrate or purees. Each pack has two fruit rolls. They also come in apple, raspberry and strawberry.
Ingredients: Apples, pears, mango
Nutritional information: 112kj, 0.2g protein, 6g carbohydrates of which 4g is sugar, 0g fat
Size: 20g
Price: R11.95 (available at Dischem)
Clicks Smart bite No Added Sugar Cocoa and Coconut Bar
This is a soft pressed fruit and nut bar. If your pockets can take a phone, they can take this bar as well.
Ingredients: Dates, almonds, pecan nuts, sunflower seeds, cocoa, coconut flakes, coconut oil.
Nutritional information: 566kj, 2.3g protein, 19g carbohydrates of which 17.8g is sugar, 1.6g fat
Size: 35g
Price: R11.99 (available here)
Live Well Cocoa and Espresso Date Balls
These are snack balls aka snack balls that were everywhere in 2017 as documented by us here. They’re soft and made up of dried fruit and nuts.
Ingredients: Dates, raisins, almonds, cocoa powder, coffee, coconut oil
Nutritional information: 666kj, 2.2g protein, 32g carbohydrates of which 19g is sugar, 1.5g fat
Size: 45g
Price: R11.99 (available at Pick n Pay)
Simple Truth Skinny Dipped Roasted Almonds
Almonds dipped into a raspberry flavoured dark chocolate for a snack that’s a mix of sweet and savoury. This is the only snack here that has sugar listed as an ingredient. It’s in the dark chocolate and we figured a little dark chocolate is good for you 😉.
Ingredients: Almonds, dark chocolate (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, soy lecithin), berry flavouring, raspberry powder.
Nutritional information: 668kj, 5.6g protein, 7g carbohydrates of which 6.4g is sugar, 11.3g fat
Size: 30g
Price: R12.99 (available here)
Woolworths Hazelnut and cocoa nibbles
They resemble granola clusters but are carb conscious and so have no oats but rather seeds and nuts.
Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, oligofructose (chicory fibre), blanched almonds, almond butter, hazelnuts, coconut flakes, preservative sulphur dioxide, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, cocoa powder, water, honey, flavourings, avocado oil, emulsifier, salt
Nutritional information: 600kj, 7g protein, 2g carbohydrates of which 1.4g is sugar, 12.3g fat
Size: 40g
Price: R14.99 (available here)
Woolworths Mango, Pineapple, Apricot and Apple Chunks
Simple dried fruit that’s soft and cut into bite sized pieces.
Ingredients: Mango, pineapple, apricot, apple, preservative sulphur dioxide
Nutritional information: 487kj, 1g protein, 27g carbohydrates of which 23.3g is sugar, 0g fat
Size: 40g
Price: R14.99 (available here)
Savoury Healthy Snacks
Lifestyle Food Corn Pops with Ancient Grains in Thai Sweet Chilli
These are best described as mini crispy rice cakes with added flavour.
Ingredients: Corn, vegetable oil (sunflower seed), flavouring, red quinoa, sorghum, millet
Nutritional information: 409kj, 2g protein, 18g carbohydrates of which 1.7g is sugar, 2.8g fat
Size: 25g
Price: R5.95 (get it here)
Safari roasted and salted peanuts
A classic no fail snack. Choose a mix with raisins for a sweet and salty choice
Ingredients: Peanuts, vegetable oil, salt
Nutritional information: 1372kj, 13.4g protein, 7g carbohydrates of which 3.7g is sugar, 26g fat
Size: 60g
Price: R6.99 (available here)
Eat Naked Natural Peanut Butter
Described as peanuts with a swirl of pure honey and a smattering of salt. Packaged in a convenient single serve sachet.
Ingredients: Peanuts, honey, sea salt
Nutritional Information: Not given.
Size: 32g
Price: R7.50 (available here)
Trigz Crunchy Popped Chips in Sea Salt
These are flavoured crispy popped corn chips big enough to be a dipper.
Ingredients: Yellow corn, sea salt, vegetable oil (sunflower seed, antioxidant TBHQ).
Nutritional information: 109 cal, 2.2g protein, 18.9g carbohydrates of which 0g is sugar, 2.4g fat
Size: 28g
Price: R7.95 (available here)
Nu Seed Original Roasted Seeds with Himalayan Salt
Just roasted seeds sprinkled with salt.
Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, soya sauce (water, extract of soya beans, wheat, salt), sesame seeds, Himalayan salt
Nutritional information: 617kj, 7.3g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 12.3g fat
Size: 30g
Price: R7.95 (available here)
Woolworths Wholegrain brown rice crackers with pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Described as baked, not fried light crisp wholegrain brown rice crackers. They have seeds for some added crunch.
Ingredients: Brown rice, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, soy tocopherol
Nutritional information: 373kj, 1.7g protein, 16g carbohydrates of which 0.1g is sugar, 1.8g fat
Size: 25g
Price: R8.99 (available here)
Safari Snack Mix Something Light
This snack mix is a blend of cranberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and puffed sorghum.
Ingredients: Cranberries, almonds, coconut flakes, puffed sorghum
Nutritional information: 852kj, 8.3g protein, 10g carbohydrates of which 8.7g is sugar, 13.8g fat
Size: 40g
Price: R10.99 (available at Pick n Pay)
Oh Mega Almond Butter
An almond butter made from dry roasted crushed almonds. Nothing else.
Ingredients: Almonds
Nutritional information: 799kj, 8.3g protein, 1.4g carbohydrates of which 1.4g is sugar, 17.2g fat
Size: 32g
Price: R12.50 (available here)
Buttanut Almond and Macadamia Squeeze pack
Dry roasted almonds and macadamias blended into a convenient single serve sachet.
Ingredients: Dry roasted macadamias, dry roasted almonds
Nutritional information: 881kj, 4.8g protein, 5g carbohydrates of which 1.4g is sugar, 20.6g fat
Size: 32g
Price: R12.99 (available here)
Nature’s Choice Mixed Nuts Snack Pack
This is a mix of three tree nuts in a single serve packet
Ingredients: Macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, almond nuts
Nutritional information: 929kj, 5.3g protein, 2g carbohydrates of which 1.4g is sugar, 22.7g fat
Size:30g
Price: R13.99 (available at Pick n Pay)
Clicks Cashew Nuts snack pack
I was listening to a podcast where one of the hosts was saying that the mark of whether you’re doing well financially is the ability to put cashew nuts in your cart and not feel guilty about the splurge. This little bag lets you feel like you’re indulging even on days your bank balance is saying not today.
Ingredients: cashew nuts
Nutritional information: 698kj, 6.3g protein, 5g carbohydrates of which 2.2g is sugar, 12.7g fat
Size:30g
Price: R14.99 (available at Clicks)
