Choosing healthy snacks can be a surprisingly complicated process when you’re not sure what to look for. Standing in front of the snacks at the supermarket with hundreds of options claiming they’re healthy because they’re high protein, natural, low sugar, gluten free, etc. can be confusing and overwhelming.
Luckily, our dietitians have put together a handy list of things we want you to know about processed and ultra-processed foods to make choosing healthy snacks easier for you!
Categories of Processed Foods
Processed foods
Processed foods are foods with some added ingredients to improve shelf-life and flavour. They include:
- Freshly baked bread
- Canned fish
- Dried, cured, and smoked meats
- Fruit in syrup
- Canned vegetables and legumes (in brine)
Ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods are ready-to-consume products with many ingredients that are chemically modified and additives to make them more palatable.
Added ingredients typically include sugar, oils/fats, and/or salt, as well as flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickeners, etc.
Ultra-processed foods are designed to be convenient, palatable and have a long shelf-life, but contain less whole foods and less fibre.
They include:
- Soft drinks
- Sweet and savoury packaged snacks
- Chocolates and lollies
- Pastries and cakes
- Energy bars and drinks
- Ready-to-heat products (pies, pasta, pizza, nuggets, burgers, instant noodles and soups)
Reading the Ingredients List
“Could I make this at home?”
This question can help you to judge a snack and its ingredients. If you pick up a snack and imagine recreating it at home, what would the ingredients list look like? The closer the ingredient list is to what you’d use or already have at home, the less processed it’s likely to be. Let’s have a look at two examples.
Milk Arrowroot ingredients: Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Condensed Milk, Salt, Wheat Starch, Baking Powder, Arrowroot Flour.
Fibre One Lemon Drizzle Squares ingredients: Chicory Root Extract, Wheat Flour, Icing Sugar, Vegetable Fats and Oils, Sugar, Wheat Fibre, Fructose, Milk Solids, Humectant, Egg White Powder, Raising Agents, Food Acids, Salt, Emulsifiers, Flavours, Thickeners, Colour.
We can see from these two example ingredient lists that Milk Arrowroom biscuits are less processed than the Lemon Drizzle Squares.
Look for wholefoods
Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest based on weight, so the first ingredients on the list are what makes up most of the product. Look for recognisable wholefoods (oats, wholegrain flour, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruit) at the start of the list.
Choosing more whole food options doesn’t just benefit your health by avoiding additives. Whole foods also provide fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and plant compounds that support gut and heart health.
Shorter ingredients lists are generally better
Don’t be scared of foods with long ingredients lists. Instead you can ask yourself “how many of these ingredients are actual foods?”
If the list is mostly made up of things like corn syrup, glucose, palm oil, emulsifiers, flavours, colours, antioxidants, and preservatives, you can know it’s more processed, and will offer less nutritional value.
Look for fibre
Most Australians don’t eat enough fibre, so aim for snacks containing about 3g of fibre (or more) per serve to up your fibre intake!
Fibre helps to:
- Keep you feeling fuller for longer
- Feed healthy gut bacteria
- Support bowel health
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Stabilise blood sugar levels
Dietitian recommended substitutions
Sweet Snacks
If you love sweet snacks, the snack aisle can be a tempting place. But try these alternatives instead for better nutrition.
| Instead of… | Try… | Why? |
| Chocolate muesli bars | Rolled oats muesli bar with nuts and seeds | More wholegrains and fibre |
| Fruit gummies or lollies | Fresh or dried fruit with cheese | Fibre and protein for longer-lasting energy |
| Iced biscuits | Wholegrain crackers with peanut butter | More protein and healthy fats |
| Breakfast or energy bar | Granola or muesli with berries and yoghurt | Higher protein and less added sugar |
| Ice cream every day | Frozen yoghurt with fruit | More calcium, protein, fibre and vitamins |
Keeping your sweet-tooth happy is still very do-able while nourishing your body with protein, fibre and essential vitamins.
Savoury Snacks
There are plenty of fantastic alternatives to highly processed savoury snacks, too.
| Instead of… | Try… | Why? |
| Potato chips | Air-popped popcorn | Wholegrain, higher fibre, and lower saturated fat |
| Flavoured rice crackers | Wholegrain crackers with hummus | More fibre and protein |
| Instant noodles | Leftover pasta salad or wholegrain noodles with some veggies and tuna or chicken | Better nutritional value, keep you fuller for longer |
| Salami or ham snack packs | Wholegrain crackers with cheese | Less sodium, more fibre and calcium |
| Flavoured corn chips | Roasted chickpeas | Higher protein and fibre |
Savoury snacks from our Dietitian-recommended alternatives will keep you fuller for longer, and provide essential nutrients for your body.
Key Take-Home Message
Ultra-processed foods can be a part of a balanced, healthy diet! We encourage a practical approach to healthy eating, especially when it comes to snacks; choose foods with recognisable ingredients, wholefoods and higher fibre are key.
Every snack is an opportunity to nourish your body.
Need help working out what’s right for your needs? Contact our team of Dietitians today. We’re here to help!
