Snack time glow-up

I’m settling back in after a family trip to South Florida over winter break, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from traveling with kids, it’s this: 1. You cannot control airline delays and cancellations. 2. Snacks. Always. Help. (And luckily, I can control those.)

Whether it’s a long cab ride, a delayed flight, keeping hangry meltdowns at bay, or making sure my kids aren’t living off of mystery airport muffins, I’ve come to appreciate the power of a well-packed snack bag (or two… or three).

So, for my second post, I’m diving into snack-time glow-ups—easy swaps that skip the worst offenders (artificial dyes, high-fructose corn syrup, titanium dioxide, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats). Of course, whole foods are always best, but let’s be real—sometimes, we need packaged snacks. The good news? There are better options.

While airports have upped their game a bit, most of what’s available is still ultra-processed. I’ve found that just a few minutes of prep before a trip sets us all up for success. The week before we left, I happened to do a Costco run and stocked up on MadeGood granola balls and Unreal chocolate. The kids packed their own snack bags (by choosing from the pile in the pic below) and kept them in their backpacks. I also brought along some cut-up fruit, veggies, and nuts. That, plus in-flight movies, usually gets us through. I pack a bunch of bagged snacks in my bag as well so I have a stash for the actual trip.  

NOW let’s get into the snack glow up.

Whether it’s travel snacks, school snacks, after-school snacks, or car snacks—SNACKS. SNACKS. SNACKS. We need them. But the truth about our food system is pretty sad—literally. The Standard American Diet (SAD) lives up to its name.

With so many snack options out there, most are specifically engineered to keep us eating—not to satisfy hunger—leaving us hungrier (and hangrier), BUT better options do exist! It just takes a little label reading and planning. Some of the swaps below do contain sugar, and some are cleaner than others. While most packaged snacks are processed to some degree, every option here is a step up from the usual go-to’s—and they actually taste good.

On the left, you’ll find snacks that contain one or more of the worst offenders (listed above). On the right, you’ll see better alternatives that skip those ingredients. No matter what, I always recommend reading labels so you know exactly what you’re eating—even if you’re choosing a cleaner swap suggested below.

My new(ish) all-stars: Mavericks sandwich crackers, Cheddies and Simply peanut butter crispies. Our whole household is obsessed—we seriously can’t stop eating them!

I’d love to hear if you’ve found any dupes or even cleaner alternatives. And let me know—should I share more clean swap posts?