FITNESS 2012 Healthy Food Awards: The Best Snacks

FITNESS Magazine
Claire Benoist/Fitness Magazine
Claire Benoist/Fitness Magazine

By Juno DeMelo

Every once in a while (or every afternoon, if you're like some of us!) you just have to have a treat that's crunchy and salty but not greasy. To help you get your fix, we worked with our team of nutritionists to choose eight snacks -- after taste-testing dozens -- that are totally satisfying yet contain no more than 150 calories and eight grams of fat per serving. Gratification without the guilt? Consider it in the bag.

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What Makes a Winner
Companies submitted more than 120 new salty snacks to FITNESS. Our experts -- Anar Allidina, RD, a dietitian in private practice in Toronto; Keri Gans, RD, the author of The Small Change Diet; and Marissa Lippert, RD, the author of The Cheater's Diet -- analyzed the ingredients and nutrition facts to help us determine which ones deserved to move to the next round of judging. Those finalists were sampled in blind taste tests and voted on by dozens of staffers throughout our company.

Kettle Brand Bakes Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips
Several taste testers used the phrase blast of flavor to describe biting into these substantial chips, which contain 65 percent less fat than fried versions. (120 calories per 20)

Kellogg's Special K Sweet and Salty Popcorn Chips
If you've ever polished off something savory only to reach for candy or cookies minutes later, this best-of-both-worlds pick is for you. "The corn-chip-meets-caramel-corn flavor is unexpected but totally delicious!" one staffer raved. (120 calories per 28)

Related: Editor-Tested Breakfast Bars We Love

Archer Farms Spicy Six Grain Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips with Ancient Grains
These triangles, made with protein-packed quinoa and amaranth, were the crunchiest of the bunch. "They're sturdy enough for chunky salsa but have a kick that makes them strong enough to stand alone," one tester said. (140 calories per 9)

North Fork Rosemary & Garlic Potato Chips
These deliver a "big, smoky taste" but about a third less fat than regular potato chips. "They're so flavorful, I don't think I could overeat them if I tried," a staffer said. (140 calories per 19)

Food Should Taste Good Salt & Vinegar Sweet Potato Chips
Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants, so it's no wonder a single serving of these "tart and tangy" crisps fulfills 150 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement. (150 calories per 14)

SunChips 6 Grain Medley Creamy Roasted Garlic MultiGrain Snacks
A rippled texture makes these perfect for scooping up dip, but with the cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheese in each chip, you may not need it. (140 calories per 15)

Related: Guilt-Free Frozen Desserts from the Store

Late July How Sweet Potato It Is Multigrain Snack Chips
Testers liked that these hearty, not-too-salty chips "would pair perfectly with hummus or guac," while our nutritionists loved that they had the least sodium -- just 65 milligrams -- of any of our winners. (130 calories per 9)

Orville Redenbacher's Classic Kettle Korn
Popcorn is a whole grain, so this snack counts toward the three or more servings you should be eating daily. Bonus: Extra-fluffy kernels mean a pumped-up portion size. (140 calories per 2 1/2 cups)

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