What to look for when shopping for snack foods

With the world moving at a faster pace than ever, it can feel hard to get through the day without a snack or two to keep you going. Whether you have energy drain on the job, you need a pre-workout pick-me-up, or you're packing up lunches for the kids, snacks come in handy. Keep your pantry packed with snacks, and you'll always be prepared for fueling the family on the go. Sugar-free, high-protein, gluten-free, and keto — snacks these days come in many forms. To find the tastiest options for any type of eater, take advantage of these shopping tips.

On-the-go snacks

Whether you're late for a cross-town meeting, running errands, or taking the kids to soccer practice, snacking in the car requires portable bites that are tasty but not too messy. Great options for on-the-go snacks include cereal bars, trail mix, pita chips, apple chips, snack mix, crackers, and cookies. If you're watching your calories, choose crackers or cookie crisps that come in pre-measured, 100-calorie packs. If you're having breakfast, lunch, or dinner on the run, combine a satisfying snack or two with a healthy meal-replacement drink.

Lunchbox favorites for the kids

If you're a parent, you know that kids can't live on sandwiches alone. A number of snacks make great lunchbox additions, and any leftovers provide fuel for kids between the end of school and extracurricular activities like music lessons and sports practice. When you're packing lunches for your children, consider adding fruit cups filled with applesauce, peaches, or mixed fruit. Or try carrots and celery sticks, yogurt tubes, pretzels, or granola bars. More ideas for the kids include fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups, potato chips, and cookies. For the healthiest options of these snacks, purchase dried fruit or fruit leather, baked potato chips, or whole grain fig cookies. The fiber in these healthy snacks helps keep kids full.

High-protein snacks

Sometimes, high-protein snacks make the perfect between-meal bites. Eating protein helps boost metabolism and reduce hunger, so high-protein snacks are perfect for athletes and people who are hoping to drop a few pounds. If you're looking for snacks packed with protein, try dried meats. For the healthiest dried meats, purchase jerky or meat sticks made from grass-fed organic beef or free-range turkey.

For more protein-powered snacks, pack your pantry and fridge with peanut butter squeeze packs, protein bars, grain-free granola, portable tuna packets, dry-roasted edamame, and single-serving Greek yogurt cups.

Sugar-free snacks

Are you diabetic or just watching the sugar content in your diet? If so, sugar-free snacks are a must-have. For snacks with loads of taste and little to no sugar, choose mixed nuts, raw veggies and dip, plain or buttered popcorn, sugar-free pudding cups, and whole grain crackers. When shopping for whole grain crackers, always read the label for nutritional information. Look for cracker products featuring 2 grams or less of sugar and at least 2 grams of fiber for a snack that's both low in sugar and satisfying.

Keto snacks

The keto diet involves eating higher amounts of fat, medium amounts of protein, and low levels of carbohydrates. This diet is popular for weight loss, and research suggests that it may also work well for people with certain health conditions like epilepsy and autism. If you're considering going on the keto diet, it's wise to check with your doctor before you start stocking up on snacks and low-carb meal ingredients. Good keto snack choices include string cheese, cheese crisps, dried coconut flakes, keto bars, pork rinds, and all kinds of nuts and seeds, including peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

Gluten-free snacks

While people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance need to avoid foods that contain gluten for health reasons, other people choose not to eat these foods as a matter of personal taste. Whether you can't have gluten or choose not to, it can be hard to find tasty snack options that don't contain wheat or other glutinous grains. Fortunately, many food manufacturers have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon, and good snacks are easier to find. The next time you go to the grocery store, pick up some crackers made from nut, rice, potato, or quinoa flour. More snack foods to throw in your cart include raisins and other dried fruits, chickpea puffs, kale chips, corn tortilla chips, and rice cakes. Always check ingredients lists carefully before purchasing these items.