Despite what you may have heard, snacking isn’t inherently bad! Choosing nutritious snacks rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants can help satisfy cravings and prevent overeating. However, unhealthy snacks, often highly processed and packed with added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats, can leave you hungrier and derail your health goals.
The purpose of snacking is to curb hunger between meals with nutrient-dense options. Protein-heavy snacks can reduce hunger levels and appetite, while fiber-rich snacks can keep you full by slowing digestion. Snacks without enough fiber or protein can leave you unsatisfied and trigger overeating. Many unhealthy snacks also contain high levels of sodium and added sugars, which can be harmful to your health. But what are some of the unhealthiest snacks you’d commonly find at the grocery store and are better off avoiding?
If you want to find healthy snacks that can leave you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal, it’s important to be able to weed out some of the unhealthy snacks that won’t help you with your goals. Read on to learn about 40 of the unhealthiest snacks on the market today, then check out the 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.
Little Debbie Zebra Cakes
CALORIES: 320
FAT: 14 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
SODIUM: 150 mg
CARBS: 47 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 34 g)
PROTEIN: 2 g
With 34 grams of added sugar, Little Debbie’s Zebra Cakes won’t fill you up or energize you. This amount of sugar exceeds the recommended daily intake, and these cakes lack fiber and protein to sustain you until your next meal.
Smucker’s Goober Grape
CALORIES: 220
FAT: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 2.5 g)
SODIUM: 125 mg
CARBS: 30 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 21 g)
PROTEIN: 5 g
We love the nostalgia of a PB&J snack, but if you’re craving a healthier peanut butter and jelly combo, you may want to skip Smucker’s Goober Grape. It’s easy to think that a spread like this wouldn’t be too bad, but 21 grams of added sugar per serving is almost an entire day’s worth.
Ritz Bits Cheese Sandwich Crackers
CALORIES: 160
FAT: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
SODIUM: 160 mg
CARBS: 19 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 4 g)
PROTEIN: 2 g
“These little sandwich snacks barely contain any protein and are lacking fiber,” says Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim and member of our Medical Expert Board. “This makes it a very low-protein and low-fiber snack while being high in fat.” In other words, they’re an unhealthy snack.
Turtle Chex Mix
CALORIES: 140
FAT: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
SODIUM: 105 mg
CARBS: 21 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 8 g)
PROTEIN: 2 g
Sweet and savory lovers may opt for snacks like Turtle Chex Mix, but this blend of Chex, nuts, pretzels, chocolate, and caramel-coated popcorn isn’t a healthy option. It only has 2 grams of protein and less than one gram of fiber, and it contains artificial dyes like red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6—all of which are potentially carcinogenic and may lead to hypersensitivity reactions.
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
CALORIES: 280
FAT: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
SODIUM: 140 mg
CARBS: 40 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 28 g)
PROTEIN: 2 g
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls will definitely satisfy your sweet cravings, but with 28 grams of added sugar per package, you’ll be snacking on more than a day’s worth of sugar. Also, there’s zero fiber and hardly any protein to help keep you feeling full, which means you may be tempted to keep snacking before your next meal.
Check out the FULL List HERE!
