snack foods

If there's one thing that helps us get through the day, it's snacks with plenty of flavor that give us that extra oomph. That's why we're munching on smoked almonds and dried orange slices that fit right in with National Snack Food Month.

We'd love to see how you're snacking, whether it's at your desk, on the go, or at home. Share all your photos of bites with us! All you need to do is upload your photos to Instagram and include the hashtag #savorysight in your caption. Keep checking back because you could be featured in a slideshow of our favorite submissions. And make sure to follow us on Instagram (@POPSUGARfood) for mouthwatering inspiration. If Instagram's not your thing, don't worry: you can still participate by sharing snaps of your dishes and drinks in our Savory Sights community group.

Dried fruit snacks are making a huge resurgence in the food market as of late, but these Simple & Crisp dried fruit crisps ($11) are an ingenious spin. While you can snack on them as is, the thin, cylindrical shape makes them ideal cracker substitutes for prosciutto, foie gras, or cheese.

We tried the whole line (including pear and orange), but we decided the apple is our favorite. Our tasters loved the tart flavor and easy-to-chew, almost juicy texture. Upon biting, the apple chip instantly dissolves, and tasters imagined snacking on these all day with a jar of peanut butter or some caramel.

The $11 per container is a hefty sum, even if the produce is organic and picked at optimal ripeness. However, for the special occasion party, I think these crisps would be a great addition to a charcuterie platter. You can find the crisps at Whole Foods or order them online at Dean and Deluca.

While we're always excited about the newest Hershey's candy or next Cheetos flavor, we adore trying handmade, artisanal products from smaller vendors. In our new series Artisanal Pick, we're highlighting small-batch products that we've tried, tested, and devoured.

If you told me a few months back that I'd be swooning over a jar of pickled cauliflower, I'd likely scoff. But, in this case, I couldn't be happier to be wrong. Full of tangy-vinegar punch and with a perfect crisp, but not too crisp texture, these pickles from Emmy's Pickles and Jams were one of my favorite things I tasted as a judge at the Good Food Awards, and I wasn't even judging the pickles category!

Since my first tentative nibble (I'm typically a rather stalwart broccoli and cauliflower-hater) I've been smitten. In fact, I couldn't help but pop one after another of the tender florets in my mouth, despite initially trying these briny, Indian-spiced pickles on a rather full stomach. Just ask the food team; I cannot and will not stop talking about them, so it seemed that it was time to finally bring in a jar to the office to share.

Not too surprisingly, the consensus was that they're a game changer of sorts. Novel, but not so out of the box to remain squarely in the "interesting" category, these pickles are an excellent snack eaten plain — I somewhat shamefully often eat them straight from the jar — but they'd add zing to any manner of dishes, in particular, as an excellent foil for fatty meats as part of a charcuterie spread. All in all, I'd suggest you cast aside any doubts you might have about the concept of pickled cauliflower and snap up a jar; they're really just that good.

Do you have a nostalgic love for Stretch Island's classic fruit leathers but wish they came in a less sticky and therefore more convenient form? Then the latest addition to the brand's fruit-snack family might just be for you.Similar in size to more traditional fruit snacks but with a texture and flavor consistent with the wholesome snack company's other products, these fruit chews are easy to eat on the go — and a boon to those with a busy lifestyle.

We rallied our tasting panel to ask for their thoughts on Stretch Island's fruit chew flavors.

Stretch Island Oh So Very Strawberry Fruit Chews

Tart and tangy with a true-to-life dried strawberry flavor, these tiny fruit chews were a fast favorite among our tasting crew. Most found that they successfully captured the essence of strawberry and were enticing — even dangerous. As one taster put it, "I could eat 500 of these — but that might be the problem."

Tasters' average rating:

Keep reading to find out how the cherry and raspberry iterations fared.

Did you know February is National Snacking Month? Partake by whipping up these easy recipes for pick-me-up snacks at your desk or appetizers before dinner — because really, there's nothing like yummy small bites to get you through the day.

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips	Bell Pepper With Seasoning	Truffle-Parmesan Popcorn
Spiced Chickpeas	Cheddar Phyllo Crackers	Rosemary-Sesame Pecans

From left to right: Lay's Chicken & Waffles, Sriracha, and Cheesy Garlic Bread chips

We hold a lot of taste tests in our office, sampling everything from exceptional bottles of red wine to gingerbread Peeps, but yesterday's sampling of Lay's newfangled fan-generated flavors was easily our most eagerly anticipated taste test to date. In the span of a short morning, not one but 10 of my office mates stopped by my desk to inspect the wares, ready to see if the novel — and quite frankly, a bit out there — flavors like Chicken & Waffles, Sriracha, and Cheesy Garlic Bread could translate well as crisp and crunchy chips.

Lay's Chicken & Waffles Flavored Potato Chips

Easily the most wacky flavor of the bunch, these Southern-brunch-staple-inspired chips drew the largest crowd of tasters, likely due to their undeniable novelty factor. Here's the thing: while we'd love to say these were an unmitigated success, it quickly became clear why Chicken & Waffles had yet to be immortalized in salty snack form. More waffle than chicken — many tasters complained of an overpowering fake-maple-syrup flavor — most would relegate these to a late-night drunk munchies snack only. That said, they won over a few with their intriguing blend of sweet, salty, and savory (think maple and chicken bouillon). All in all, they're worth trying at least once simply to say that you did it.

Tasters' average rating:

Keep reading to find out how the Sriracha and Cheesy Garlic Bread flavors fared.

Few pairings work better than crisp corn chips and fiery salsa; unfortunately, this classic Mexican-restaurant starter rarely translates well to supermarket offerings. Tostitos aims to change this with its latest line of restaurant-style chips and salsa, so naturally we felt compelled to see if they could stack up to this oft-insurmountable task.

Tostitos Cantina Chipotle Restaurant-Style Salsa

Fans of smoky heat were smitten with this option, praising its prominent chipotle punch and perfect level of heat that tingles taste buds without lighting one's mouth on fire, making it all too easy to come back for seconds. One taster even noted that it lived up to its promise, as it reminded her of her favorite cantina's salsa. That said, it was a touch too smoky for some, so if you're not a chipotle super fan, skip the jar.

Tasters' average rating:

Tostitos Cantina Roasted Garlic Thick & Chunky Salsa

This roasted garlic-laced salsa left some tasters uninspired, citing a slightly too-sweet flavor and watery texture as its undoing, though most found it better than standard supermarket salsa. Those who enjoyed it touted its just-right level of punchy garlic, tanginess, and balanced saltiness. All in all, try this one for yourself: essentially, it came down to a matter of personal preference.

Tasters' average rating:

Keep reading to learn how their tortilla chips fared.

I'm an avid snacker and a spicy-food devotee, so when we received a shipment of Saffron Road's new line of crunchy chickpeas, it felt as though the stars had aligned. Sustainably farmed, organic, and halal, these nibbles are relatively guilt-free as far as packaged snacks go, so it was with much excitement that I giddily tore open a bag (or three) to share with my officemates.

Crunchy Chickpeas are a new offering from Saffron Road and come in three different flavors: Falafel, Bombay Spice, and Wasabi. Find out what we thought of all the flavors.

Falafel

Perhaps the bag we had was a dud, but these falafel-inspired goodies had a slightly stale crunch that put off many tasters. Otherwise we generally appreciated their authentic falafel flavor, moderately intense heat, and pungent spice-coating.

Snack or skip? Snack.

Keep reading to see reviews of the other two flavors.