The 4 Best No-Sugar-Added Snacks to Buy at Costco

Reviewed by Dietitian Lisa Valente, M.S., RD

Key Points

• Costco is a great place to buy healthy snacks, and many options have no added sugar.

• Look for dried sweet potatoes, meat sticks, applesauce and granola on your next trip.

• No-sugar-added foods may still contain natural sugars from fruit, dairy or vegetables.

Costco is a snack-lovers’ paradise. With a rotating selection, plenty of options to buy in bulk and even the chance to snag some free samples, there’s no doubt that the grocer is a great place to stock up on your favorites or even try out some new picks.

But with so many options, how do you decide what to put in your cart and what to leave on the shelf? If you need some help settling on some snacks to put on your list for your next Costco run, we’ve got you covered with these tasty picks—all of which have no added sugar.

From naturally sweet applesauce to protein-packed cheese, these morsels are the perfect pick-me-up to help you cut back on sugar. So, if you’re in the mood for a snack that can help you meet your nutritional goals without skimping on flavor, give these options a try.

The SnakYard Organic Sweet Potato Sticks

Simple doesn’t have to mean boring, and that’s evident with these delicious sweet potato sticks. With just one ingredient (you guessed it, sweet potatoes!), these sticks transform a tasty dinner staple into a portable snack that’s perfect for on the go. Plus, thanks to sweet potato’s natural sweetness, the sticks don’t need to rely on added sugar to bring the flavor. With plenty of natural dietary fiber and zero fat or added sugar, they’re a superfood in snack form.

Kirkland Signature Organic Applesauce

Applesauce is a kid-friendly staple, but this option from Kirkland allows you to avoid the post-snack sugar rush. With no added sugar, these pouches retain the natural sweetness of the apples in a convenient option when you’re on the go. With 24 pouches per box and at 50 cents per pouch, this is a healthy, economical, delicious option at Costco for kids and adults alike.

Chomps Original Beef Sticks

With busy schedules, sometimes you need an easy snack to throw in your bag, and these Chomps Beef Sticks are perfect for just that. The individually wrapped sticks pack plenty of nutrition, with 10 grams of protein, 100 calories and zero added sugars per serving. Salty, slightly spiced and perfectly chewy, these are a savory alternative to traditional protein bars. Pick up a bag of 12 on your next Costco run.

NuTrail Nut Granola, Blueberry Cinnamon

Unlike many granola options on the market, this NuTrail granola is free of added sugar. Made with nuts, seeds and dried fruit instead of oats, it’s a healthier alternative that still manages to be perfectly sweet and crunchy. The blueberry-cinnamon flavor is the perfect addition to oatmeal or yogurt bowls, but it’s just as delicious when enjoyed on its own. Take this granola to checkout on your next Costco trip for a nutritious breakfast or snack option you’ll reach for again and again.

What Does “No Added Sugar” Really Mean?

While it might seem like every product that claims to have no sugar should have zero total sugar on the nutrition label, that is not necessarily the case. The claims “no-sugar-added” and “sugar-free” mean totally different things.

The “no-added-sugar” claim means that the product does not have sweeteners, such as sugar, corn syrup, honey or maple syrup, in the ingredients. While these products may have zero added sugar, they can have ingredients that have natural sugars. This can include fruit, dairy or vegetables. The “sugar-free” claim means that the product has zero sugar, both from natural sugars and added sugars. Products with either claim could contain a nonnutritive sweetener, such as monk fruit or allulose.

To get a better idea of where food products fit between these two classifications, take a quick look at the packaging. A lot of items will put splashy messages on the front, but the Nutrition Facts panel will give you the answers you’re looking for. If a product is sugar-free, you’ll see a zero on the total sugars line. If a product has no added sugars, you will see a zero next to added sugars, but might see some grams listed in total sugars.

The Bottom Line

Costco brings a lot to the table when it comes to grocery shopping, and that includes a wide variety of snack options to choose from. If you’re having trouble narrowing it down, we’ve put together this list of tasty snacks from the grocery chain, all with zero added sugar. So, if you’re trying to cut down on sugar, give these picks a try. From one-ingredient veggie bites to kid-friendly applesauce, these are the snacks you’ll put on your list again and again.

Read the original article on EatingWell