Since we’re all in back-to-school mode, what better time to think about the tastiest, roundup of interesting and delightful snacks, most of them ‘better-for-you,” but a few indulgent snacks as well because we couldn’t resist! 

The Crispy Green Team recently exhibited at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis. As a better-for-you snack company, it was our first foray into participating in this show category. However, the timing was golden as this show now includes healthier, innovative new snacks—not just candy, cookies and the snacks we grew up with. There was actually an entire section devoted to Snacking Innovations, which is where we were located, so we had a front-seat view of an amazing lineup. 

The Crispy Green Taste Testers pose for a photo at the Sweets & Snacks Show. We tasted many of the newest snacks and sweets to share our reviews with you.

Our Crispy Fruit freeze-dried fruit snacks gained a great deal of attention and were featured in a recent article on Yahoo News!  We were at the top of their list of trends they referred to as “Crunchy Fruits.” Sweets & Snacks Show Top Trends. They were quite surprised by the crispy texture of our product—the antithesis of the traditional fruit snacks like fruit roll-ups and other gummy-like products that have been at the show for years. The fact that Crispy Fruit has NO SUGAR ADDED piqued their interest even more … and they did not disappoint! 

While the show is over, the new snack sensations are still fresh in our memories, and in some cases, now stacked in our pantries. We just couldn’t wait to share a few ideas for snacks to pack in the kiddos’ lunches and backpacks.  Don’t forget to hide some to hide on the high shelf just for mom!  

Cherie’s picks:  

• High Key Cookies  

Low-carb, sugar-free cookies sound like an oxymoron, right? Or at minimal, the expected result of such an unlikely combination doesn’t seem to end with a culinary triumph.  Our expectation was for a Gluten-Free, bone-dry chewfest that we might have to hide our faces from the nice folks at the booth. Boy were WE wrong! High Key Mini Cookies are downright delicious, moist and sweet! How do they DO it?  HighKey Snacks keto mini cookies are made with wholesome ingredients for when you need a sweet treat. Low in net carbs and sugar, these Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies are made with natural ingredients.  Almond flour, coconut oil, monk fruit, chocolate chips and more are in JUST the chocolate chip flavor. At the They also saved one bag of Snickerdoodles for me (my faves).  Again…mind blown by how tasty these cookies were (ok…I hid them from my team because I wanted them all for myself—true story!) These healthy snacks are ideal for curbing your sweet tooth without all the carbs and sugar found in traditional cookies.  We believe The Cookie Monster would approve!  Great for kids’ lunches and backpacks! 

High-Key cookies show that low carb cookies can indeed taste great! While the Chocolate Chip taste good, Cherie likes the Snickerdoodles even better! 

• Tru Fru  

As mentioned in the introduction, “crunchy fruits” was one of the top trends of the show. So, in addition to our Crispy Fruit Freeze-Dried Snacks, the brand “Tru Fru” was also recognized in this category.  This product line consists of chocolate-covered freeze-dried fruits that are a bit more indulgent than our pure-fruit freeze-dried snacks, but still a healthier option than many chocolate-coated candies. The dark chocolate-covered freeze-dried raspberries were to die for!  Save these snacks for mom (you can share with the kiddos once in a while…AFTER they clean their room and do their homework! 

Dark Chocolate covered freeze dried fruits make for an indulgent treat. Save these for Mom!

• Ka-pop  

Apparently, this brand was a big winner on “Shark Tank.” (Unfortunately, I missed that episode, bur it was promoted all over their booth. We were intrigued to learn more. So, what is Ka-pop? They are Allergen Friendly, Sorghum, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Non-GMO, Vegan, Whole Grain Snacks.  Sorghum is an ancient grain that retains nutrients lost in many modern grains. They have a great crispy texture; however, the flavor I tried (olive oil and sea salt) were a bit too salty for my taste. I did enjoy the Churro puffs for a sweeter snack (3 grams of sugar), but overall, it was not something I would be compelled to purchase on a regular basis. Time will tell if the Sharks got it right this time! 

Ka-pop touts its “Shark Tank” winner status. While winning points for health, Ka-pop didn’t win us over on flavor. Our favorite from the line is the Churro puffs.

• Dots 

I’m not gonna lie: I was a bit of a fan girl when I met the actual “Dot” of Dot’s Pretzel’s fame.  I even went so far as telling her she can have the slogan I crafted for this addictive snack – ‘the crack of snack.’ She looked at me strangely but then filled my bag with several of her products. (It was the last day of the show, and fun fact: exhibitors actually don’t want to bring any product back!).  Here’s a little background: Dot’s Pretzels is a special family snack created many years ago by Dot in her home kitchen. They’re a family-owned business, as well as a proud member of the Pride of Dakota Brand. With bakeries located in North Dakota, Arizona and Kansas, they’re striving to grow their pretzel brand far enough so anyone who would like to enjoy them, can. They have recently added several new items to the product line including pretzel bars and cheese curls.  The original seasoned pretzels have no added sugars; however, are high in sodium. They are super delicious, but snack at your own risk…did I mention they were addictive? They do have single-serve bags for lunches or backpacks. 

“Did I mention they were addictive?” Cherie reviews Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. These seasoned pretzels contain no added sugar but are high in sodium if that’s an issue for you. Look for Dot’s new pretzel bars and cheese curls.

Gab’s picks:  

• Yum Earth 
  

  
  Our sweet tooth cravings wouldn’t let us pass by Yum Earth’s booth without sampling their delicious treats! Yum Earth is here to curb your sweets cravings (the healthy way). Their mission is to make life’s moments a little sweeter, simpler and filled with joy! Yum Earth’s delicious, allergy-friendly candies, gummies and chocolates are gluten, soy, egg, dairy, peanut AND tree nut free. Their “friendly sweets” make the yummiest treats without high fructose corn syrup, artificial dies or GMOs – can you believe it? Yum Earth’s sweet treats are also safe for the classroom, so stock up on all your favorites for the new school year.  

Yum Earth Organic pops contain zero high fructose corn syrup. They also score well on the allergy-free list.  Their candies, gummies and chocolates are gluten, soy, egg, dairy, peanut AND tree nut free. 

• Roam Mushroom Crisps  

  Roam Snacks is “spicing” up the snacking industry with their whole, crunchy, plant-based Mushroom Crisps. Not only are their flavored shiitake mushroom snacks incredibly tasty, but they are sourced from family farms with raw, quality ingredients and packaged using compostable materials that are environmentally friendly. You can find flavors such as cool + zesty ranch, sriracha and Kansas City BBQ.  We love them all! You can purchase their snack varieties online at roamsnacks.com. 

Mushroom snacks are tasty and come in several savory flavors. The packaging is also eco-friendly. Try the Kansas City BBQ or sriracha flavors! 

• Oh Snap 

  OH SNAP! I think this is one of our new favorite snacks. OH SNAP is bringing the “pickle” game to a whole new level. They make snacking on individually wrapped pickles and veggies exciting and satisfying. Their pickled line of carrots, green beans, snap peas, and pickles are conveniently wrapped in single-serve packaging, perfectly seasoned and are consistently fresh. You can enjoy them with a meal, on the road, in a lunchbox or as a midday snack. We couldn’t get enough of their “cool beans” pickled green beans… we had to go back to their booth for more. Get yours on Amazon or in a store near you today! 

Pickled green beans on the go! Want to get more vegetables into your diet? Cool Beans are wrapped in single-serve packaging, so you can throw them into the lunch box without worrying about the pickle juice spreading into your child’s sandwich. We know that would be a no-no! We tasted them and liked the nice seasoning. 

• Lily’s chocolate 

  
  How could we attend the Sweets & Snacks show and NOT sample chocolate? We stopped by Lily’s Sweets to find out how they are reimagining sweets. At Lily’s, they believe chocolate should fit in everyone’s diet (and we agree), which is why they craft delicious, drool-worthy treats that do not contain any added sugar.  You heard that right… no added sugar! Lily’s uses stevia extract as one of their main ingredients, which is a zero-calorie botanical sweetener. Sourced with Non-GMO and gluten free ingredients harvested through Fair Trade practices, Lily’s sweets makes snacking on chocolate THAT much “sweeter”. Purchase your favorite Lily’s products on Amazon.   

You might be familiar with Lily’s chocolate chips. Check out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. They come in dark or milk chocolate. No sugar is added. What is the secret? Lily’s uses stevia extract as one of their main ingredients. These are also gluten-free and Non-GMO.

–Cherie Boldt and Gabriella Costantini