If you reach for a bag of chips when the afternoon slump hits, you might be doing more damage than you realise. While these snacks might hit your sweet or savoury tooth, they could have long-term impacts on your health.
If you're after healthy sweet snacks, healthier savoury alternatives, or just something genuinely satisfying to munch on, this list gives you seven options that actually deliver on taste and nutrition.
Why Salty Snacks Are Worth Rethinking
Australians consume an average of 9.6 grams of salt per day – nearly double the recommended maximum of 5 grams according to the World Health Organisation.
Around 60% of Australians aged 2 or older exceed the recommended daily sodium intake, and approximately 80% of that sodium comes from processed and packaged foods.
The biggest culprit? Savoury snack foods Regular potato crisps, pretzels, and flavoured crackers can contain several hundred milligrams of sodium per serve – and let's be honest, nobody stops at one serve.
Excess sodium intake is directly linked to raised blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. That's not a reason to panic, but it is a solid reason to swap a few daily habits.
7 Healthier Snack Swaps to Try
1. Freeze-Dried Fruit Crisps
These are the best healthy sweet snacks going around. Unlike lollies or muesli bars loaded with added sugars, freeze-dried fruit delivers real fruit flavour with only naturally occurring sugars – no additives, preservatives, or surprises on the ingredients list.
Shary's Mixed Fruit Crisps are a great grab-and-go option. Light, crunchy, and genuinely satisfying when your sweet tooth strikes.
2. Veggie Chips
Most store-bought veggie chips are still deep-fried and loaded with added salt.
Freeze-dried veggie chips are a different story – the freeze-drying process locks in the natural flavour and nutrients of the vegetables without needing a salt bath to make them taste like something.
Mixed Veggie Crisps are one of the better healthy savoury snacks on the Australian market. Made from real vegetables, they hit that satisfying crunch without the sodium load of conventional chips. Choose from crispy mushroom snacks, pea snacks, dried beetroot snacks and more veggie flavours.
3. Air-Popped Popcorn
Plain air-popped popcorn is high in fibre and whole grains, and very low in sodium when you make it yourself. A 300mg sodium bucket of movie popcorn versus a home-made batch with a sprinkle of smoked paprika? No comparison.
Season with nutritional yeast, herbs, or a tiny pinch of sea salt, and you've got one of the easiest, healthiest crunchy snacks to prep in advance.
4. Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are high in plant-based protein (around 14g per 100g) and fibre, making them one of the more filling healthy sweet snacks alternatives – especially when seasoned with spices like cumin or smoked paprika rather than loads of added salt. You can roast a batch at home from a tin in under 30 minutes, or look for low-sodium packaged versions at the supermarket.
5. Rice Cakes
Rice cakes get dismissed as bland diet food, but that's mostly a seasoning problem. Plain, unsalted rice cakes are low in sodium and work well as a base for toppings like nut butter, avocado, or hummus. They're also one of the more kid-friendly healthy crunchy snacks because they're light, easy to eat, and widely available. Look for whole-grain varieties to get a bit more fibre out of them.
6. Unsalted Nuts
Nuts are calorie-dense, which puts some people off, but a small handful (around 30g) is genuinely satiating – and a far better afternoon option than refined snack foods that leave you hungry again twenty minutes later.
Almonds, cashews, and walnuts are all good choices. The keyword here is unsalted – salted nuts can contain anywhere from 100–250mg of sodium per 30g serve, which adds up fast if you're eating them daily. Unsalted versions give you all the protein, healthy fats, and fibre, with none of the unnecessary sodium.
7. Fresh Fruit
It sounds obvious, but fresh fruit is genuinely one of the best healthy sweet snacks you can reach for. The natural sugars in fruit come packaged with fibre, vitamins, and water – which means they're absorbed more slowly than added sugars and don't produce the same blood sugar spike as a lolly or a biscuit.
A banana, an apple, or a handful of grapes takes about the same effort as opening a packet of chips, and leaves you feeling a lot better half an hour later.
Making the Swap
The good news is you don't need to overhaul your entire diet to eat less salt. Start with one or two of these healthy savoury snack swaps a day – particularly during the times when you'd normally reach for chips or crackers. Read the sodium content on nutrition labels and aim for snacks with less than 120mg per 100g.
And when it comes to healthy sweet snacks, the rule of thumb is simple: look for products where the sweetness comes from real fruit, not an added-sugar ingredient list six items long.
Shary's range of freeze-dried fruit and veggie snacks is a good place to start – made from real produce, with no added salt, no preservatives, and nothing artificial.
FAQs
Are veggie chips really healthier than potato chips?
Often, but not always. Some veggie chips have fat and sodium levels similar to those of regular chips, so it depends on the brand and variety. The key is to compare nutrition panels directly. As a general rule, baked or freeze-dried varieties with shorter ingredient lists are the better choice.
What is the healthiest crunchy snack I can buy at Coles or Woolworths?
Air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, roasted chickpeas, and lightly salted nuts (where appropriate) are among the better options. For something chip-like, look for baked veggie or superfood chips with lower sodium and no artificial ingredients. Reading nutrition panels carefully is the best way to find a genuinely healthier option.
How do I stop craving salty snacks?
Salty cravings are often linked to habit, dehydration, or not eating enough satisfying meals. Drinking more water, eating regular, balanced meals with adequate protein, and gradually reducing your sodium intake can all help. If you do snack, choosing lower-sodium options trains your palate to need less salt over time.
Can I eat popcorn every day?
Plain or lightly salted air-popped popcorn is a whole grain and a reasonable daily snack in moderate amounts. It's high in fibre and relatively low in kilojoules. The concern is with heavily buttered, caramel-coated, or cinema-style varieties, which can be high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.
What are the best high-protein savoury snacks?
Good options available in Australia include roasted edamame, hard-boiled eggs, Greek yoghurt with a savoury dip, cheese and crackers, tuna snack packs, and roasted chickpeas.
For packaged snacks, look for those with at least 5g of protein per serve to help keep you satisfied between meals.