So-called ‘healthy’ snacks can be worse than normal crisps and as fattening as a BIG MAC, with 508 calories
To find a truly healthy alternative, Sun nutritionist AMANDA URSELL advises avoiding anything over 150 calories
SO-CALLED “healthy” snacks can be as fattening as a Big Mac, with 508 calories.
To find a truly healthy alternative, Sun nutritionist AMANDA URSELL advises: “Ignore the marketing hype and check the calories, fat, sugar and salt. Anything over 150 calories, I’d be really careful of – except nuts.”
Here CLAIRE O’REILLY gives the vital statistics on snack options and Amanda rates them out of five for healthiness.
SESAME SNAPS
4-Pack, 70p,
Calories per 30g pack: 163
Fat per pack: 9.5g
Amanda says: “The ingredients mean you get almost five teaspoons of sugar per 30g serving, leaving you just 10g for the rest of the day.”
★☆☆☆☆
KALLO DARK CHOCOLATE RICE CAKE THINS GLUTEN FREE
90g, £1.50,
Calories per rice cake: 55
Fat per rice cake: 2.7g
Amanda says: “Green &; Black’s chocolate gives a more sustained rise in blood sugar.
★★☆☆☆
RUDE HEALTH BEETROOT BAR
35g, 99p,
Calories per 35g bar: 128
Fat per bar: 5.1g
Amanda says: “An expensive snack which is essentially just dates, beetroot, sunflower seeds, water and oil. A piece of fruit would be half the price.”
★★★★☆
HIPPEAS CHICKPEA PUFFS SWEET & SMOKIN’
110g, £2.29,
Calories per 22g serving: 91
Fat per serving: 4g
Amanda says: “If you wade your way through the bag, that’s 450 cals. You can have an egg salad sandwich for this.”
★★☆☆☆
KETTLE CHIPS VEGETABLE
125g, £2.49,
Calories per 25g serving: 129
Fat per serving: 8.2g
Amanda says: “More fat than normal crisps. To add veg to your diet, buy them raw and cook them yourself.”
★★☆☆☆
NAKD COCOA ORANGE BARS
4-Pack, 35g a piece, £2.75,
Calories per 35g bar: 145
Fat per bar: 7g
Amanda says: “Not ‘bad’ but per 100g are hardly virtuous. They have the same calories and more than twice the fat of two digestive biscuits, which are way less expensive.”
★★★☆☆
ORGANIC ROASTED CACAO NIBS
400g, £5.99,
Calories per 25g serving: 151
Fat per serving: 12.5g
Amanda says: “High in calories. Limit portion size to benefit from antioxidants.”
★★★☆☆
NUDIE PREMIUM TOASTED COCONUT CHIPS
35g, 99p,
Calories per 35g: 199
Fat per pack: 21g
Amanda says: “If you are counting calories, per 100g these coconut chips have around the same calories as Walkers crisps and twice the fat.”
★☆☆☆☆
GOOD4U COCOA AND ORANGE SUPER BITES
40g, 85p,
Calories per 40g pack: 153. Fat per pack: 6.1g
Amanda says: “These give you a third of daily maximum sugar but half a woman’s daily 700mg calcium needs. Virtually salt-free.”
★★★☆☆
URBAN FRUIT DRIED MANGO SLICES
100g, £1.97,
Calories per 25g serving: 74
Fat per serving: Trace
Amanda says: “Mango is great for the antioxidant beta-carotene, nutrients and fibre. A great pick-me-up.”
★★★★★
FOOD DOCTOR ROASTED SOYA
175g, £2.99,
Calories per 25g serving: 105
Fat per serving: 5.1g
Amanda says: “One of the better pulse-based snacks. Soya has the benefit of being good for protein and is quite filling.”
★★★★★
THE RAWLICIOUS FOOD CO KALE CHIPS INDIAN SPICE
40g, £2.49,
Calories per 40g pack: 200
Fat per pack: 13.1g
Amanda says: “Don’t be fooled by the word kale. This has more fat than crisps per 100g.”
★★☆☆☆