Yahoo News Best snacks for picnics, work, road trips and flights
After debating football scores and the weather, talking about and consuming snacks is practically a national obsession.
It could be favourite crisp (Co-op Salt & Vinegar, every time), a preferred biscuit to dunk into tea or naturally-sweetened energy balls to give you a healthy boost when you need it most.
In fact, new research proves it. A study by the Dried Fruit Alliance shows that London is obsessed with snacking, with more than a third of Londoners (36 per cent) saying they snacked more than three times a day, compared with 15 per cent admitting this from the South East.
While everyone has a go-to, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye out for new snacks to keep your tastebuds on their toes.
Whether you're gathering friends for a party, thinking of airport security-safe nibbles to munch on the plane or need something to quieten the 4pm hunger pangs at your desk, daily snacks are crucial.
That’s why we’ve put together this edit of the best snacks to share (or not), perfect to keep you going through whatever is on the your schedule.
Aside from sustaining you between meals, they’ll save you in times of trouble when you don’t like, can’t eat, or refuse to shell out for whatever’s on offer.
Never again feel as though you’re being held hostage by a feeble food menu. These snacks are here to save the day.
See our favourites below.
Howdah
Less of a crisp, more of a nibble, Howdah is the latest brand making a play for your salty snack go-to.
The brand offers Indian snacks such as Onion Bhaji (crunchy, perfect with a pint), Masala Dippers (mini flatbreads, great with dips), Bakarwadi (curious honeyed pinwheel pastries) and a re-jigged version of the all-time classic Bombay Mix (spiked with the most addictive masala that will have you clawing the inside of the packet for scraps by the end) that will delight snackers everywhere.
But this is also a brand with heart; every pack pays for a school lunch in India for a child who needs it most. To date, they’ve provided more than 85,000 school meals, but they want to feed more. Doing your bit for charity never tasted so good.
£2.75 | Harvey Nichols | Buy it now
Gloriously Grown fruit and nut snack
The Gloriously Grown range brings you fruit and nuts from around the globe in the purest form possible. These unprocessed delicacies include unique flavour combos like red walnuts and sorbet raisins, Vietnamese jumbo wrapped cashews or wrapped pili nuts from the Philippines, harvested by hand from the foot of the volcanoes in Bicol and Romblon.
If you're bored of the same old snack mix this entirely unique range will inspire a new and healthy habit.
£3 | Sainbury's | Buy it now
Jack Links Biltong
Strictly for carnivores only, snack on 100 per cent lean beef Biltong, seasoned and air-dried to perfection. Biltong, which originated many centuries ago in South Africa, began as a way to preserve meat using salt, but somewhere along the line, people figured out it was a pretty tasty, low-cal snack too.
The protein-rich bites have taken off in a major way in the UK. One of our favourite brands is Jack Links whose wafer thin slices have a gently peppery flavour that we could happily munch all day in place of our regular packet of salt and vinegar.
It does feel a bit like chomping on survival rations but that’s no bad thing when faced with the stampede of the commute.
£1 for a 25g pack | ASDA | Buy it now *On sale from £1.50
Lily O’Brien's Share Bags
A few words of warning: these chocs are dangerously moreish, which is why the brand offers snack bags so you can share with a friend.
The melt-in-your-mouth sweets come in winning combos such as Mega Milk Chocolate, 70 per cent Dark Belgian Chocolate, Crunchy Salted Almond and Creamy Caramel & Sea Salt, our favourite. They’re ideal cinema treats and would work well for camping trips or a picnic too – just keep them in the cool box to stop them melting.
£8 | Lily O’Briens | Buy it now
RXBAR Chocolate Sea Salt
If you’re fed up of trying to decipher the ingredients list on the back of packets, you’ll love RX Bars. They’re protein bars made with such a short list of ingredients, the company proudly displays the on the front in extra large print so you know exactly what’s in each one.
There are four flavours to choose from - Chocolate Sea Salt, Blueberry, Peanut Butter and Coconut Chocolate – and each pack contains an incredible 12g of protein, making them perfect for a healthy energy boost whether you’re off on a hike or heading to your next spin class.
£2.50 | Ocado | Buy it now
Tony Chocolonely
A recent launch in the UK, Tony Chocolonely is wildly popular in its home country - the Netherlands.
Each sharing block resembles a section of crazy paving (which means you never get an even block, helpful if you want just a nibble of sweetness) and come in exciting Wonka-esque flavours such as Dark Milk Pretzel Toffee and Milk Chocolate Almond Honey Nougat (now there’s a mouthful).
The brand is about more than just the sweet stuff – its focus closely follows fair trade practices and ensures every step of the chocolate production supply chain is ethically produced.
£3.49 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Olly’s Olives
Olives are a great snack choice, low in calories and providing a satisfying savoury kick when the mood strikes. However they can be notoriously messy to pack for trips – and we’ve got the oil-stained holiday wardrobe to prove it.
Thankfully the answer to your olive-focused prayers is here with Olly’s Olives, who sell the juiciest Halkidiki olives in sealed leak-proof pouches. They come doused in vibrant marinades like Jalapeño-Chipotle, fresh Chilli and Rosemary and the classic, Lemon and Thyme.
Choose from 50g pouches or 180g pots, both perfect for solo snacking or sharing with a friend over a couple of cold ones.
£1.75 | Ocado | Buy it now
Nairn’s Oat Bars
If you’ve got an early morning start that means choosing between precious minutes of slumber and fixing yourself breakfast, a eat-on-the-run breakfast bar is the answer to your problems. But while most are packed with sugar, there are healthier alternatives available.
Nairn’s flapjack-style Oat Bars are made with wholegrain oats, vegan-friendly and contain 40 per cent less sugar than a typical portion of fruit or cereal - saintly or what? You'll feel anything but deprived with one of these though, the three flavours (Cacao & Orange, Mixed Seeds & Protein, Apple & Cinnamon) feel far richer and luscious than the ‘less than 170 calories’ label would have you believe.
£2.49 | Waitrose | Buy it now
Kettle & Beetroot Slices Goat Cheese & Caramelised Onion
We’ve seen a fair few posh crisps in our time, but the latest making a play for a dinner party invite is Kettle’s vegetable crisps.
Available in a trio of flavours, it’s a healthier twist on a classic crisp that thankfully doesn’t scrimp one iota on flavour. Try the Sweet Potato version (flavoured with smoked chipotle and crème fraiche) or Kettle & Apple Slices Norfolk Pork Sausage which really are as lip-smackingly tasty as they sound.
£2.25 | Tesco | Buy it now
Nooro Lemon + Ginger Raw Oat CBD Bar
Our curiosity into the world of CBD shows no sign of waning – in fact it’s an industry that’s now contributing more than £100m a year to the UK’s economy, such is our collective demand for the ingredient in everything from moisturisers to manicures.
Designed to keep the grumbling of hunger at bay while offering balance to fast-paced city lives, Nooro is the world’s first CBD snack bar. There are three flavour combos – lemon and ginger, banana and cinnamon and cacao and coconut – all vegan and all made with a mix of oats and raw ingredients.
Each bar contains 25mg of organic CBD grown in the UK, all above board and without any psychoactive effects. It’s all the tasty benefits of CBD without any downsides – what’s not to love?
£2.95 | Planet Organic | Buy it now
