Calling All Snack Lovers!
Most packaged and processed food has preservatives. It can be difficult to find sulfite free snack brands with tasty options that are also made from natural ingredients. As a snack lover, I’ve made it my quest to find brands that have flavorful, nutrient-dense bites for at home and on the go.
Common ingredients in packaged foods that I try to avoid include natural flavors, artificial colors, enriched flours, citric acid, xanthan gum, inorganic starches, gums, corn syrups, nitrates, benzoates, etc. Typically the harder the ingredient is to pronounce, the more processed it can be. I’m also weary of oils, lecithins, and extracts. While I do not avoid all of these ingredients entirely, if there is more than one or two, I try to find a better option.
Of course the best snacks include things like homemade guacamole, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whatever it is you can make on your own. While I do enjoy making homemade granola, granola bars, cookies, desserts, protein balls, and much more, there are times I love a nice and easy ready to eat snack. And I personally think the ease of buying snacks for travel, road trips, and quick home bites tops homemade options when you’re short on time. So if you’re like me, these 5 brands are here to save the day!
1. GoRaw
GoRaw has all natural, organic sprouted superfoods that make for fantastic snacking. They have everything from sprouted seeds and sprouted bars to trail mix bars and granola. Their products are made from all organic ingredients including dates, bananas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cacao powder, agave nectar and coconut sugar.
I personally love the simplest snack they offer: the sprouted sunflower seeds. It’s great to travel with the single serve packs because I can enjoy them on their own or add them to oats, smoothies, salads, etc while on the go. They add the perfect bit of flavor and an enjoyable crunchy texture that enhances so many different meals.
If you’re looking for GoRaw seeds you can check out their website or find them in local organic grocery stores or Whole Foods. They’re also linked in my Amazon storefront page.
Here are some recipes I use GoRaw seeds in:
2. Wonderful Pistachio Nuts
Wonderful brand pistachio nuts are a lifesaver when it comes to on-the-go life. The salty sulfite free snack is jam packed with nutrients that can give you fuel for a long time. Sometimes it can be difficult to find safe food options if you’re not at home, which is why Wonderful brand pistachios are fantastic because they’re so common!
While the nuts are not organic, many of my sulfite-free companions have reached out to the brand to inquire about sulfites in their product. They have confirmed they do not use any sulfited salts on the nuts and do not bleach the shells (other pistachio brands can have bleached shells for visual satisfaction). Not only is it a fantastic option, it’s wonderful to find a brand that takes the time to be direct with their growing/packaging process and takes not of possible sulfite contamination.
3. Hu Chocolate
One of the most common sulfite related questions I get is if there is any sulfite free chocolate! Thankfully the answer is yes because I don’t think I could make it very long without chocolate. There are a few brands that I use, but my all around pick is Hu Chocolate.
They offer a couple completely sulfite free snacks including the chocolate bars, baking gems, hunks, and chocolate chips. My favorite chocolate bar flavors are the salty dark chocolate, hazelnut butter, almond butter and puffed quinoa, and crunchy mint. Their hunks include chocolate covered almonds with sea salt that quite honestly might be my favorite chocolate snack. And the baking gems and chocolate chips are perfect for cookies, brownies, and my homemade chocolate icing!
Check out where I use Hu chocolate in these recipes:
*Hu brand also offer crackers and cookies, but I personally avoid apple cider vinegar in the crackers and not organic ingredients like dates, flours, and eggs in the cookies. Everyone is different!
4. Unreal Snacks
A second chocolate sulfite free snack I love to recommend is Unreal snacks. They have a line of chocolate products that are mostly sulfite free; some products have non-organic ingredients which makes it hard to be 100% sure. However, the ingredients seem to be safe for most of our sulfite sensitive friends which is one reason I continue to support the brand.
The dark chocolate almond butter cups are my first choice and have nearly all organic ingredients with the exception of almonds and sunflower lectin. These have never been an issue for me and it’s incredible to have something so similar to a Reese’s peanut butter cup on hand at all times! You can buy them in individually wrapped packaged making them perfect to bring along anywhere you go.
5. GoMacro
Last but not least is the brand that always takes the cake for me! GoMacro bars were one of the first organic, all natural snacks I discovered after finding out about my sulfite sensitivity. They’re one of the very few “power bars / protein bars” that are made with preservative free real ingredients. Not only are they tasty but they are packed with nutrients that can keep you fueled for long period of time.
My favorite flavors seem to change with the season but I always gravitate towards “prolonged power” banana and almond butter, the “protein decadence” dark chocolate and almonds, and their newer bar “timeless treasure” salted caramel and chocolate chips. Notable mentions include the “everlasting joy” coconut and almonds and chocolate chips and the “pure promise” maple sea salt. Sounds like a lot of favorites, but they simply have too many delicious options to choose from. If you’re looking for the best travel bar out there, definitely check out GoMacro!
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Final Thoughts?
At the end of the day, there’s a lot of great brands that have snacks with natural ingredients. Checking the ingredients on any packaged food is important when you’re looking for the “healthiest” options for whatever your needs may be. If you’re looking for more brand recommendations you can check out my list of sulfite free foods here.
Happy Snacking 🙂
