I’m into feel-good snacks

Hello, me again! It’s been a minute. And for good reason. The reason being a new baby girl named Nina DiLallo—who has kept me busy and hungry during all hours of the day. Snacks got me through my pregnancy, the fourth trimester, and these oh-so-very trying times. So this post is dedicated to snacks.

Some new and old faves worthy of adding to your snack rotation.

🍫 Sometimes products labeled “clean,” “unrefined,” or “alkalized” can make my eyes roll. Like most people, I want to believe that products are good and good for me. But I’m always skeptical about throwing any more money at another overhyped product. Well, believe the hype of Honey Mama’s Truffle Bars. These bars tout wellness all over but actually follow through on being healthy and tasty. Made from coconut meat, raw honey, and a few other simple ingredients, they have a surprisingly rich flavor and fudge-like consistency. They’re also a great energy booster—which I’m constantly seeking more of these days. I’ve got several stocked up in the fridge right now, but my go-to is always Lavender Rose.

🍿 BoomChikaPop Kettle Corn is the best kettle corn on the market. PERIOD. There’s nothing more to say except don’t bother getting the personal size bag. It’s just not enough kettle corn for any human being. Go big. Party size big.

🥜 Peanut butter–stuffed pretzels have always been… not that good. And that’s shockingly upsetting, because those two foods can hold their own. Shouldn’t A + B equal something amazing? Good news is somebody finally figured it out. The fine folks at Quinn’s make these Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets that put every other peanut butter snack to shame. They’ve got the best crunch, and the ratio of peanut butter to pretzel is perfect—more peanut butter than pretzel, obviously. They’re also gluten-free, ~if that’s your thing~. You and everyone else will quickly chomp away at these nugs, I promise.

🥭 I should have known there was more to dried mangos than what I could get at Costco—which don’t get me wrong is a very good dried mango. But the Irwin Dried Mangoes at Yun Hai shop out in Greenpoint, Brooklyn is truly a treat. Irwin mangos are the mangos of choice for Taiwanese shaved ice, so naturally, it was a mango worth highlighting in dried form. The mangos are super sweet without any added sugar, and the texture is soft and chewy without making you work for it.

😛 I’m the kinda chip snacker who has no self control. It’s the entire bag or bust. Thankfully, the chip industry has made real progress in making chips that you can have a lot of and not completely feel awful about. My picks are Good Health Sweet Potato Kettle Chips, Dang Foods Coconut Chips, and Flock Chicken Skin Chips—the last one being neither a vegetable nor a fruit but a delicious and somewhat healthy chip! It’s also quite filling because CHICKEN SKIN.