25 Healthy Snacks at Walmart That Won’t Break the Bank

Mary’s Gone Crackers Superseed Everything Crackers are vegan, gluten-free, organic, and made with whole grains. Even better: they have zero grams of sugar and three grams of protein per 12-cracker serving. They’re loaded up with pumpkin, sunflower, flax, and sesame seeds which are a good source of zinc and iron.

We searched high and low on Walmart’s shelves for a reasonably healthy chip. Most brands (even the infamous Late July Multigrain Chips we all reach for when we’re *trying* to be healthier) use canola or seed oils to fry their chips. We love that Siete cooks their chips in heart-healthy avocado oil, which is rich in linoleic acid and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease (8). Gluten free snackers will also love that Siete’s chips are grain-free.

When you need a Cheeto (or 20), stat, grab Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs instead. They have the same addicting, cheesy crunch as Cheetos but are baked instead of fried. Hippeas are comparatively low in sugar and carbs, with a nice little boost of protein and fiber. They also contain zero artificial preservatives. The Sunshine Sriracha is our personal favorite flavor, but the Vegan White Cheddar is by far and away the most popular.

According to longevity expert Dan Buettner, popcorn is an underappreciated healthy snack. In an Instagram post, Buettner deemed popcorn a Blue Zones food—AKA a food that’s commonly eaten by specific populations of people around the world that tend to live longer than the rest of us.That said, the palm oil found in popular microwavable popcorn (like Orville Redenbacher and Pop Secret) isn’t so great. Even Orville Redenbacher’s Avocado Oil Popcorn contains mono- and diglycerides which is their sneaky way of still adding trans fats (!) to their recipe. Rude. Go with Lesser Evil Popcorn with Himalayan Sea Salt, instead. You won’t find popcorn with a cleaner ingredients list—just organic non-GMO popcorn, organic extra virgin coconut oil, and Himalayan pink salt. Plus, three whole cups of the stuff only contains 120 calories.

Edamame offers some of the highest quality protein you can get in a small volume. One cup of shelled edamame packs 18 grams of complete protein (meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids). Fresh edamame doesn’t exactly travel well, so we like to have these roasted edamame snacks by The Only Bean available to grab and go when we’re rushing out the door. Don’t miss out on the variety pack which comes with Buffalo, Sriracha, and their OG Sea Salt blend.

Whisps Cheese Crisps are a crunchy cracker-like snack made with only one ingredient: real cheese. The crisps come in a variety of flavors like asiago pepper jack, cheddar, and parmesan, and pack an impressive 10 to 13 grams of protein per serving. Just watch the saturated fat—at 10 grams per serving, you can easily run over your daily recommended intake in one sitting.

Pistachios are loaded with nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese, thiamine, and copper. We’re fans of Wonderful’s No Shell Pistachios which are superior in situations when you need to be hands-free (i.e. while driving or working at your desk). They come in three fun flavors: Roasted and Salted, Salt and Vinegar, and Chili Roasted.

Nuts and dried fruit are nutrient-dense, which means they also tend to be calorie-dense. And if you’ve ever let yourself take free reign of a Costco-sized bag of almonds, you know how easy it is to overconsume. Emerald 100-calorie packs make it easy to keep the munching under control. The Walnuts & Almonds With Dried Cherries are the perfect sweet and salty treat, or stick to the Salt & Pepper Cashews and Dry Roasted Almonds to steer clear of sugar.

Cheese is a surprisingly decent source of protein. Hard varieties like parmesan, asiago, and cheddar tend to be higher in protein and have less fat than soft or creamy types like brie. These Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese Snack Bars feature 5 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, and only 90 calories. Great on its own or paired with nuts, fruit, and seed-crackers for a DIY protein-packed snack plate.

For a cheese option that’s a little lighter on calories (50) but not the protein (5 grams), reach for Babybel Light Semisoft Cheese. We know what you’re thinking: ‘There’s no way a “light” cheese is satisfying.’ Try us. These little bites are just as tasty as the original Babybels without the weird fake taste that typically comes along with anything labeled light.

Yogurt can be a healthy snack, so long as you steer clear of options high in added sugar and unnecessary additives (like YoCrunch and Yoplait). Lean towards Greek yogurt, or skyr varieties which tend to feature more protein, less sugar, and gut-healthy probiotics. Fage is a good bet with 14 grams of protein and only five grams of sugar (no added sugar) per serving. The 0% or 2% fat might be a better option to cut calories, but we like the full-fat version. According to nutritionist Autumn Bates, full-fat yogurt stimulates your satiety hormone, cholecystokinin (CCK), which keeps you feeling fuller for longer and can aid in weight loss (9).

Lorissa’s Kitchen jerky and beef sticks are a staple. Their jerky is nitrate-free and keto friendly. While many beef jerky recipes are laced with added sugar, Lorissa’s Kitchen Beef Original Jerky and Ginger Teriyaki Chicken Cuts only have five grams per serving. We prefer the chicken which is a little higher in protein (11 grams) over the beef (9 grams).

Yes, meat sticks are the salty, chewy road trip snack of your dreams. But they tend to vary drastically in additives like nitrates, sugar, and sodium. Reach for a healthier option like Chomps. Their grass-fed and finished beef sticks are keto, paleo, and Whole30-compliant and clock in at 9 grams of protein and 90 calories each. Plus, they come in fun flavors like Taco Seasoned Beef, and Jalapeno Beef. But don’t sleep on the Original Turkey which has 10 grams of protein and only 60 calories per stick.

At six grams of protein and only 60ish calories a pop (depending on the size), eggs are one of the best sources of protein around. Ditch the yolk to cut calories, and you’ll still get six grams of protein. However, we prefer to eat the whole egg. Egg yolks contain high amounts of choline, selenium, and vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12—which can boost your energy levels and mood. Great Value Cage Free Hard Boiled Eggs are cooked to perfection and come pre-cracked, taking the annoyingly delicate and messy process of peeling your own eggs out of the equation.

Chocolate milk is inarguably one of the best snacks for swift post-workout recovery. It’s the perfect balance of protein and carbs that your muscles crave after a tough workout. While chocolate milk tends to be high in added sugar (case in point: Nesquik has a whopping 39 grams of sugar per serving). Fairlife Chocolate Milk is ultra-filtered to remove natural sugars and lactose and concentrate goodness like protein and calcium. One serving offers 12 grams of sugar and 13 grams of protein.

If you prefer a snack that resembles a hot meal (with less calories, of course) Applegate’s Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets are a solid option. Each six nugget serving contains 11 grams of protein for only 160 calories. We love that these nuggets are made with ingredients we’d use to make our own chicken nuggets from scratch like tapioca starch and simple seasonings like sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Edamame is a tasty option for complete protein—a rare find for plant-based foods. Each pack contains 9 grams of protein and only 90 calories. We love that these packs are individually packaged and frozen so you can steam a single serving size whenever the mood strikes.

Perfect bars are a decent choice for those looking for a protein bar based on whole food ingredients. The full-sized bars offer a whopping 17 grams of protein, but are also pretty energy-dense at 340 calories—which in our opinion is creeping into small meal territory. To keep the calories down, grab a pack of the snack sized bars. Each bar has six grams of protein and only 130 calories.

If you want a bar with a little more substance for fewer calories, RXBAR is a good bet. The Chocolate Sea Salt flavor offers 12 grams of protein at only 210 calories. The brand has always done a bang-up job of making bars out of recognizable ingredients like egg whites and dates. Plus, egg whites are one of the highest-quality protein sources you can find.

Another bar worth adding to your stash: Aloha protein bars. A favorite amongst registered dietitians, these non-GMO, plant-based bars are made with USDA-certified organic ingredients and proudly avoid gluten, dairy, soy, stevia, and sugar alcohol sweeteners. Each bar packs 14 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. The Peanut Butter Cup is a fan-favorite but according to reviewers on the brand’s site, no flavor should be left out of the running.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack—protein waffles hit the spot any time of day. While it’d certainly be healthier to whip up your own batch of protein waffles at home, Kodiak Cakes are a nice back up when you just want to pop something in the toaster and get on with your day. The Frozen Blueberry Protein-Packed Power Waffles contain 240 calories, 12 grams of protein, and only five grams of added sugar per serving.

We love snacking on plain and simple fruit when we want something sweet, but these dark chocolate peanut butter banana bites are even better. Just watch the serving size. Two bites are 100 calories and three grams of added sugar, but eat the full bag (you know you want to) and you’re knocking on the door of 800 calories in a single sitting.

If you’re a gummy bear stan, you’ve found your healthy swap. Kencko Organic Fruit Snacks are made with mostly fruits and veggies, and sweetened with agave. They clock in at eight grams of added sugar, so you’ll want to stick to a single bag. We love pairing the Berrylicious flavor with peanuts for a little PB&J inspired snack with more protein and fat to balance out the carbs.

You can’t go wrong with a square or two of dark chocolate, and Hu’s Salty Dark Chocolate Bar is the slightly elevated upgrade that your desk snack stash definitely deserves. We love that Hu uses just four simple ingredients: Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar, organic cocoa butter, and sea salt. Half a bar will only set you back 190 calories with six grams of added sugars, and three grams of protein.

No matter how you slice it, Oreos aren’t healthy. They’re packed with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and palm oil—which is high in saturated fat. Next time the sweet crunch and creamy filling is calling your name grab Simple Mills Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies instead. Simple Mills cookies still have more sugar than we would prefer in a snack, at 14 grams of sugar per serving. But we do appreciate that Simple Mills’ ingredient list leans on non-GMO ingredients like flour from cashews and peanuts, buckwheat flour, and coconut sugar.