When it comes to keeping your family healthy and energized, don’t roll the dice with just any snacks. Strategize a day of balanced eating with choices that bring flavor and fun. For Good Housekeeping’s sixth annual Snack Awards, we nibbled our way through thousands of samples to find the best options on the shelf that excel in both nutrition and taste.
Each snack is carefully assessed for flavor, nutritional value, ingredient quality, packaging, innovation and more. The process involves taste tests, product comparisons and discussions to ensure that each winner is truly exceptional. Our dietitians team up with culinary pros and over 1,000 at-home testers to evaluate ingredients, taste, convenience and more. Here are the snacks that made the cut!
How We Tested
We take our snack game seriously here at the Good Housekeeping Institute! Our winners are creative, delicious and nutritious options that prioritize the following criteria:
- Made with real and recognizable ingredients you can pronounce
- Highlight fiber-filled and protein-rich sources
- Free from trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils
- No artificial flavors or food dyes
- 300 calories or less per serving
- 10 g of added sugar or less per serving
- 400 mg sodium or less per serving
☑ Nutrition Evaluation
Registered dietitians in the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab spent months rigorously analyzing nutrition fact labels, ingredient lists and marketing claims on thousands of snack samples sent to our Lab for evaluation. We focused on products with real, whole foods as the first ingredient alongside a simple, recognizable ingredient list. Our top picks are free from artificial flavors and food dyes, yet still convenient for snacking.
☑ Beverage Assessment
From flavored seltzers to plant-based milk, the beverage aisle has never been more innovative. Water is king, but shaking up your hydration routine with other nutritious sips may be just what you need to keep things interesting. We looked for drinks with minimal, purposely used ingredients and low added-sugar counts that were delightful to sip. Plus, we checked out product claims, certifications and more to bring you the best picks.
☑ Culinary Consideration
While nutrition is always our top priority, we believe great snacks should never skimp on flavor. That’s why our food and nutrition experts made taste testing a key part of the process. With input from our culinary pros – who bring decades of experience in everything from evaluating food products to crafting recipes – we ensured that every pick would be as delicious as it was nutritious.
☑ In-Person Taste Tests
Along with expert evaluations, we hosted in-person taste tests with dozens of staffers. Having explored flavor profiles across categories, we are confident that our top picks deliver the perfect blend of great nutrition, wholesome ingredients and unbeatable taste.
☑ At-Home Consumer Testers
The best way to find winning snacks: Let the people decide! We had over a thousand consumer testers from across the country try the snacks and share their thoughts on flavor, texture, consistency, convenience and more. We even brought in a panel of tiny taste testers for our Kids & Baby Snacks category to make sure each winner passed the picky-eater test, because let’s face it, if it doesn't taste amazing, there’s no chance that someone will actually eat it.
Meet the Experts
The judges for the Good Housekeeping Snack Awards are a team of food and nutrition experts including registered dietitians, chefs, cookbook authors and culinary influencers, each offering a unique background and specific insights. Together, we dive into an extensive evaluation process to select the best of the best. This thorough, collaborative approach helps us spotlight snacks that are wholesome and will appeal to snackers of all ages.
Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.N.
Stefani is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer, and the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition & Fitness Lab, where she oversees all nutrition-related content, testing and evaluation. She is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. Stefani is a nationally recognized nutrition expert, and her expertise is frequently featured on television and radio, online, and in print. She also spearheads Good Housekeeping's annual Snack Awards, spotlighting nutritious and delicious options for every lifestyle. A champion for healthy living, Stefani hopes to inspire others to prioritize their health and well-being.
Instagram: @stefanisassos
Valerie Agyeman, R.D.N., L.D.N.
Valerie is a nationally recognized women's health dietitian, founder, and host of The Flourish Heights Podcast, where she produces science-driven content covering overlooked nutrition and women’s health topics. She has more than 10 years of combined nutrition communications, corporate wellness and clinical nutrition experience. In recent years, she has brought hundreds of women together to inspire change, empower and educate, and build stronger, healthier communities. Valerie is a trusted expert in the media, regularly appearing on networks such as Fox 5 DC, NY's PIX-11, and ABC’s Good Morning Washington. She is also a contributing expert to publications like Women’s Health Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and The Everygirl.
Instagram: @flourishheights
Susan Choung
Susan is the recipe editor for Good Housekeeping, where she produces food content and leads all drinks coverage for the brand. In the Test Kitchen, she works with developers to create the best recipes possible. A graduate of Brown University and a collaborator on several cookbooks, her previous experience includes stints at Food & Wine, Food Network, three meal kit companies, a wine shop in Brooklyn and Chez Panisse, the pioneering restaurant in Berkeley, California. This is her third year as a GH Snack Awards judge. She is particularly enthusiastic about cheese, chips and dips, tea and flaky pastries.
Instagram: @suddenly_susan
Kevin Curry
Kevin is an entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of FitMenCook, the highly popular food blog and cookbook that has inspired millions of people around the world to live healthier, happier and more balanced lives through food. With millions of followers worldwide, Kevin has become one of today's most sought-after personalities in nutrition, health and wellness. He is also the founder of the FitMenCook™ App, which has consistently been ranked as one of the top Food & Drink apps globally and has been downloaded by more than 2 million people worldwide. In 2018, he released his first cookbook featuring over 100 quick & easy meal prep recipes to help jumpstart your wellness journey. Kevin is a regular contributor on TODAY and has made frequent appearances on Good Morning America, Live with Kelly & Ryan and many others.
Instagram: @fitmencook
TikTok: @fitmencook
Yumna Jawad
Yumna is an entrepreneur, social media influencer, and recipe developer. She is the CEO and founder of the popular Feel Good Foodie brand, a website dedicated to healthy-ish recipes with feel-good ingredients. With her love for all things oats, she founded Oath Oats – a unique brand specializing in overnight oat mixes. A graduate from the University of Michigan Business School, Yumna has created a massive social media following with 10 million followers on multiple platforms, where she shares food hacks, tips and tricks along with Mediterranean-inspired recipes that are “so good.” She and her viral food trends have been featured by Live with Kelly & Ryan, The Today Show, Good Morning America, PEOPLE, Vogue, and The New York Times. Yumna lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband and two kids and just launched her debut cookbook last year!
Instagram: @feelgoodfoodie
TikTok: @feelgoodfoodie
Alejandra Ramos
Alejandra is a television host, writer and on-air TODAY Show contributor. Currently, she is the host of The Great American Recipe on PBS (Season 4 premiering Summer 2025). Known for her vibrant, playful culinary point of view and passion for style and art both in and out of the kitchen, Alejandra’s ability to inspire in a way that is fun and approachable has made her a favorite with audiences nationwide. Alejandra lives in Manhattan with her husband Eugene and their dog, Jojo. A lifelong learner, she’s recently returned to school to pursue a degree in Art History at Columbia University, which means most of her off-camera time is spent in class or at the library. This is Alejandra's third year serving as a GH Snack Awards judge.
Instagram: @alwaysalejandra
Photo credits: Mike Garten and courtesy of judges and testers
