The Healthy Snack Time Guide

The Healthy Snack Time Guide We always advocate for fresh and unpackaged food for both health and environmental reasons, but, snacks in packages that are well labeled and full of good, healthy ingredients can ensure everyone’s safety and health, and satisfy our occasional cravings, too.

Content, product testing and layout by Borden Communications + Design

“If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don't.” is one of the many Food Rules by Michael Pollan we should all be following. And, although we can all agree that it's a good rule, and that we should be eating real food that we made ourselves above all else, rules are also meant to be bent and even broken.

An acceptable packaged product stands on their own goodness, not on a self-proclaimed claim, and offers FULL DISCLOSURE of all ingredients and activity. Please judge your food by what's IN the box, not by what's promised across the outside in big, fabulous exciting words. The bigger the claim, the more Healthwashed the product typically is. Of course, the snack stuff that doesn't have packaging and labels is the best -- like an organic apple!

In a day and age where allergies are increasing, it is even more important to have clear labeling, and to trust companies that know where their ingredients come from and care about them being good for your health.

In the pages following, I share some of my favourite packaged snacks that my family enjoys. Most are vegan, gluten-free, and organic, all of them taste great, are gmo-free, and are nut-free (but some are “may contain traces of nuts.” Please read the label each and every time you purchase if you have severe allergies, or are serving someone who does).

If you have some (or all) of the products in this guide in your pantry at all times, you'll be able to accommodate any guests with allergies, nutritional requirements, dietary restrictions and lifestyle choices, even if it's a last minute playdate, picnic or dinner date.

Happy, healthy snacking!

Salty Snacks

What do you get when you add sprouted whole

Luke was diagnosed with celiac disease at 7 years

grains & seeds to a tortilla chip? A Way Better

old, and couldn’t find a chip he loved, so he

Snack! Each of their six flavours are delicious,

created his own. Gluten-free, organic, and nut-

and are low in sodium and saturated fat,

free, these snacks are not just great tasting,

relatively speaking of course!

they’re also a great source of fiber and protein!

WAY BETTER SNACKS TORTILLA CHIPS www.gowaybetter.com

LUKE’S ORGANIC www.lukesorganic.com

Extremely tasty organic blue corn chips get a

Everyone loves a good pretzel, and Happy

little added health and flavour from added

Herbert’s has mastered making the delicious,

organic flax seeds. Don’t forget to pair this

crunchy snack. Bonus? The company states their

crunchy and salty tortilla with Neal Brothers

organic kamut pretzels are the only pretzels in

Organic Salsa in a glass jar.

the universe to be made with kamut grain.

NEAL BROTHERS TORTILLAS www.nealbrothersfoods.com

HAPPY HERBERT’S PRETZELS www.happyherberts.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Cookie Cravings

The entire Mary’s Gone Crackers line is made

Sweets from the Earth cakes, cupcakes and

with low glycemic sweeteners that still satisfy

cookies are not only made with safe and healthy

your sweet tooth, in 4 great flavours. Their

ingredients, it’s what’s NOT in them that will

“N’Oatmeal Raisin” cookie will remind you of

impress you even more - with every bite! Enjoy

your childhood oatmeal cookie, without the oats!

sweet, natural and sinfully delicious desserts!

MARY’S GONE CRACKERS COOKIES www.marysgonecrackers.com

SWEETS FROM THE EARTH COOKIES www.sweetsfromtheearth.com

Lovingly hand made for over a decade, these

Gogo Quinoa’s Chocolate Chip cookies are

cookies taste and feel like you baked them

absolutely incredible. They have a really crunchy

yourself right in your very own kitchen! They

texture thanks to the delicious and nutritious

have over eight different flavours so you’ll be

quinoa. One warning: they claim the serving size

sure to please any cookie lover.

is 2 cookies, we think it’s more like 8.

NEW MOON KITCHEN COOKIES www.newmoonkitchen.com

GOGO QUINOA COOKIES www.gogoquinoa.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Bustling Bars

Organic seeds dehydrated at a low temperature,

Hand crafted chocolate bars that are made to

making it LIVE, raw granola! Go Raw’s pledge is

enhance feel good moods and emotions in the

to provide the healthiest, most flavourful foods

hopes of one day changing the world (changing

ever made. No nonsense. No gimmicks. Makes

the world through raw, vegan chocolate…now

the perfect snack or meal replacement.

there's something to get giddy about!).

GO RAW BARS www.goraw.com

GIDDY YOYO RAW CHOCOLATE BARS www.giddyyoyo.com

Combining their passion for raw food and ethical

This sweet and crunchy, candy-like bar only has

living, Zimt offers delicious raw chocolate with

four ingredients, so you won’t find anything

tons of different nutritious & delicious organic

hidden in here. Made with Quinoa, a whole grain

ingredients, all wrapped up in beautifully

that’s high in fibre and filled with protein, makes

designed post consumer, compostable packaging!

this a great energy boosting snack.

ZIMT CHOCOLATE BARS www.zimt.ca

OSKRI QUINOA BARS www.oskri.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Fruity Fun

Enjoy this tasty snack while getting your daily

Level Ground sulphite-free dried fruit is loved by

serving of fruit. You wouldn’t know it from

all! What’s also impressive and exciting is that

tasting it, but the only ingredient is banana! No

they are Direct Fair Trade and operate in a zero

added sugar, and it’s naturally gluten-free, vegan

waste facility, encouraging consumers to send

and delicious.

back their packaging so it can be upcycled.

IPANEMA VALLEY http://ipanemavalley.com

LEVEL GROUND DRIED FRUIT www.levelground.com

Bare Fruit is just that. Fruit undressed. You get

These aren’t your ordinary fruit strips or leathers.

the benefit of the fiber, vitamins, and energy fruit

These ones are made with organic whole fruits

provides, with nothing nasty added. Their bake-

AND veggies, and have no added sugars or

dried solution creates a crispy chip that gives you

preservatives. These tasty treats are sure to

a fruity crunch!

please even the pickiest of eaters.

BARE FRUIT DRIED FRUIT www.barefruitsnacks.com

VEGGIE-GO’S www.nakededgesnacks.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Justifiable Junk

An all natural chewing gum that comes packaged

The Surf Sweets line of candies are made with

in a box, not in plastic! No aspartame, BHT or

Organic Fruit Juice instead of conventional corn

other toxic chemicals, just real, vegan, and

syrup and doesn’t use anything fake to colour or

organic ingredients. Available in 5 great flavours,

flavour their gummy bears or worms. Great

you can enjoy this seriously good chew.

decoration for ice cream sundaes & cupcakes!

SIMPLY GUM www.simplygum.com

SURF SWEETS GUMMY BEARS www.surfsweets.com

Yummy Earth began with two dads who cared

Freshen your breath with the crisp, natural

about what their kids were eating. Only the

flavours of spearmint and peppermint. The

finest ingredients go into their candy - they even

natural green tea adds antioxidants and boosts

use black carrots and organic pumpkin for

your brain power to help you focus and get back

fabulous colour in their organic lollipops!

to work after your lunch break.

YUMMY EARTH LOLLIPOPS www.yummyearth.com

SENCHA GREEN TEA MINTS www.senchanaturals.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Healthy Handfuls

These sacha inchi seeds are the richest plant-

Satisfy your craving for something sweet or

based source of Omega-3 on the planet! Savi Seed

savory with these crunchy, raw, vegan, gmo-free,

is a complete protein so just a handful of any of

gluten-free snacks. Various superfood flavours

the three varieties (one being chocolate covered

taste great with some avocado, seed butter,

ones!) Can fill your tummy for hours.

coconut jam, or just enjoy plain on their own!

SAVI SEEDS www.myvega.com

NUD FUD www.nudfud.com

Kale chips are the perfect snack. If made properly,

You don’t need to wait for Halloween to enjoy

they taste like the most delicious chip, but with

tasty dehydrated pumpkin seeds. Go Raw’s

all the health benefits of a kale salad. Make your

sprouted organic seeds are as alive as any sprout.

own, or pick up chef-inspired flavours from chef

Eat them by the handful or sprinkle them on

Doug McNish’s Public Kitchen in Toronto.

salads, in soups or add to trail mix.

DOUG MCNISH’S PUBLIC KITCHEN www.dougmcnish.com

GO RAW SEEDS www.goraw.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Seaweed contains up to 10 times more calcium

Navitas Natural Mulberries are a true superfood -

than milk and purifies our blood. Seasnax is

being one of the few fruits to be considered a

made with three basic ingredients - seaweed,

protein source, boasting 3 grams of protein per

100% olive oil and a pinch of seasalt. This treat

ounce. Chewy, with a bit of a crunch, these dried

is not only super healthy, but strangely addictive!

berries are nature’s version of candy.

SEASNAX www.seasnax.com

NAVITAS NATURALS SUPERFOODS www.navitasnaturals.com

Mungbeans are well known for their high

Rockwell’s took the amazing benefits of organic

nutritional value and combine vitamins and

coconut and toasted it with a little sweetness,

other healthy nutrients into a delicious crunchy

into coconut chips - an incredibly delicious snack!

chip by naturally baking them. Their Green Pea

Eat them straight from the bag or pour them on

chips are equally as tasty!

top of your favourite ice cream!

MUSO FROM JAPAN www.muso-intl.com

ROCKWELL’S WHOLE FOODS www.rockwellswholefoods.com

www.lisabordenworks.com

Where's the “FOOD” Certification Symbol?!

THIS IS REAL

FOOD Instead of organic or all-natural, shouldn't we really brand a label that simply defines something as “FOOD”?

Author, and Activist Michael Pollan recommends that we create a Federal Definition of "food”.

"We need to stop flattering nutritionally worthless food-like substances by calling them "junk food"and instead make it clear that such products are not in fact food of any kind.”

JOIN THE HEALTHWASHING WALL OF SHAME

http://ow.ly/ewLp0