The Sweetest..."Not half bad at all!" snacks

Assalamu aleikum/'ala man ittaba'alahuda,

Ever since that woeful Biochemistry class when my professor dissected the nutritional value of Peak Frean's assorted cookies (*sob!*) and elaborated - in all grisly biochemical detail - the awfulness of those trans-hydrogenated glycerides (that was before "Trans fat" was part of the vernacular, let alone the nutritional labels - a truly awesome instructor!) - well, ever since then, I have been prowling the supermarket aisles, looking for snacks that will be kinder to me, my cells and various organs, and my arteries. While natural and organic is indeed the ideal, and though homemade can be even better, I do believe that with some care and awareness, one can still find ordinary grocery shelf products in your regular supermarket that are better to consume, and reasonable for your wallet. Of course, moderation is always key. I'm always on the lookout for interesting snacks

- that don't have a laundry list of ingredients
- whose ingredients I recognize to be reasonable, without fillers or flavour enhancers
- with preferrably no added sugar or preservatives, or - if dessert - not an exorbitant amount of sugar
- with no trans-fat; yes, we all know that, but I try to avoid emulsifiers like mono/di-glycerides if I can (that's really tough though. Try it.)

Here's a list of some of my favourites "better alternatives" snacks. Please note that (sadly?) I receive no money for any mention of any product. Oh, and these are all my personal picks and hence my personal opinion. If this list interests you, you can check back from time to time to see if I've updated it by clicking the category on the sidebar ("The Sweetest...").

Vinta crackers (Dare) - The downside: preservatives (TBHQ - as most things, to be avoided in large quantities), shortening. The upside: I really like how they taste, ingredients are generally understandable and very reasonable (wheat flour, various sorts of seeds), salt level is ok too.

Unsweetened applesauce (various flavours and brands) -Recently I was given applesauce to try (I was very bemused, I assure you - prior to this experience I equated applesauce with baby food), and since then I have found that, given the right flavour, and chilled to a semi-frozen state, they are a nice alternative way of getting a fruit serving. Usually just fruit with no added flavours or preservatives.

Simple salsa -Instead of reaching for the biggest brand, you can usually find salsa that has 6 ingredients or less, all natural with a reasonable amount of salt, for a price similar to the alternative. For example: I personally like Herdez Salsa Casera.

Simple Pleasures - Chocolate Thins (Dare) - The downside: preservative (TBHQ). The upside: a simple, great tasting cookie that fulfills my craving for something sweet and chocolatey.