America's Unhealthiest Packaged Snack Foods
America's Unhealthiest Packaged Snack Foods
Walking down the "snacks" aisle of a supermarket can be an ordeal for someone who's watching his or her diet.
Potato Chips
Thicker chips, like Ruffles, and any chips flavored with cheese or other dairy products are often the ones with the most fat and calories.
Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream (Serving size: 1 ounce, about 11 chips or 28 grams)
Fat: 10 grams
Calories: 160
Sodium: 180 milligrams
Pringles Xtra Screamin' Dill Pickle (Serving size: 1 ounce, about 16 chips or 28 grams)
Fat: 9 grams
Calories: 150
Sodium: 105 milligrams
Sugars: 1 gram
Tortilla Chips
While tortilla chips are lower in fat and calories than potato chips, they're usually still fried and are certainly not healthy. Also, are you really going to stop eating after six chips?
Tostitos Hint of Lime (Serving size: 1 ounce, about 6 chips)
Fat: 7 grams
Calories: 150
Sodium: 125 milligrams
Doritos Toasted Corn Chips (Serving size: 1 ounce, about 13 chips or 28 grams)
Fat: 7 grams
Calories: 140
Sodium: 120 grams
Snack Mixes
Over-the-top sodium levels are especially common in snack mixes. The American Heart Association says that you should consume less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, so you can see that even these modest serving sizes can pack a wallop.
Chex Mix Bold Party Blend (Serving size: 1 cup)
Total fat: 9 grams
Calories: 240
Sodium: 400 milligrams
Cheez-It Snack Mix Double Cheese (Serving size: 3/4 cup or 30 grams)
Total Fat: 5 grams
Calories: 130
Sodium: 470 milligrams
Corn-Based Snacks
Highly processed corn contains little to no nutritional value, and once corn snacks are fried, loaded with sodium, and tossed in "cheese," they become some of the unhealthiest things you can eat.
Fritos Original (Serving size: 32 chips or 28 grams)
Fat: 10 grams
Calories: 160
Sodium: 170 milligrams
Cheetos Flamin' Hot Crunchy (Serving size: 1 ounce, about 21 pieces or 28 grams)
Fat: 11 grams
Calories: 160
Sodium: 250 milligrams
Gummy Candy
Not only are these gelatin-based snacks full of empty calories, but the sugar content is through the roof, too.
Fruit Gushers Variety Pack (Serving size: 1 pouch, or 25 grams)
Fat: 1 gram
Calories: 90
Sodium: 45 milligrams
Sugars: 12 grams
Starburst GummiBursts (Serving size: 9 pieces, or 40 grams)
Fat: 0 grams
Calories: 130
Sodium: 40 milligrams
Sugars: 22 grams
Hard Candy
For something that comes in such a tiny package, hard candy sure packs in a load of sugar — and not much else.
Jolly Ranchers Hard Candy Cherry Stix (Serving size: 1 piece)
Fat: 0 grams
Calories: 70
Sugars: 12 grams
Sodium: 25 milligrams
Werther's Original Hard Candy (Serving size: 3 pieces or about 16 grams)
Fat: 1.5 gram
Calories: 60
Sugars: 10 grams
Sodium: 45 milligrams
Cookies
Store-bought cookies aren't nearly as tasty as ones that come right from your oven, and in order to prolong shelf life, they're also usually loaded with trans fats.
Keebler's Chips Deluxe (Serving size: 2 cookies or 30 grams)
Fat: 8 grams
Calories: 160
Sodium: 105 milligrams
Sugars: 9 grams
Oreos (Serving size: 3 cookies or 34 grams)
Fat: 7 grams
Calories: 160
Sodium: 140 milligrams
Sugars: 14 grams
Snack Cakes
These highly sugared, nutrient-free treats may be tasty, but that's about the only good thing about them.
Twinkies (Serving size: 2 cakes)
Fat: 4.5g
Calories: 150
Sodium: 220 milligrams
Sugars: 18 grams
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls (Serving size: 2 cakes)
Fat: 12 grams
Calories: 270
Sodium: 140 milligrams
Sugars: 26 grams
Baked Goods
These products are loaded with a perfect storm of saturated fat, sodium, and copious amounts of sugar.
Drake's Fruit Pies — Apple with Real Apple Filling (Serving size: 113 grams)
Total fat: 16 grams
Calories: 440
Sodium: 240 milligrams
Sugars: 26 grams
Little Debbie Mini Powdered Donuts (Serving size: 4 donuts or 50 grams)
Fat: 11 grams
Calories: 220
Sodium: 190 milligrams
Sugars: 14 grams
Chocolate
Most chocolate bars contain more than 20 grams of sugar, and some have a lot more sugar (and fat, and calories) than others.
Twix (Serving size: 2 cookies)
Fat: 12 grams
Calories: 250
Sodium: 100 milligrams
Sugars: 24 grams
5th Avenue (Serving size: 1 bar)
Fat: 12 grams
Calories: 260
Sodium: 120 milligrams
Sugars: 29 grams