20 Best Paleo Snacks Of All Time
Eat like a caveman, feel like a king.
getty When it comes to diets, I’ve done them all. From fad diets like the 3-day Liquid Diet to more established ones like Atkins, I’m a veteran of trying new things that could potentially make me lose weight. Most diet trends that I’ve seen aren’t really good, either because they are unsafe or unsustainable in the long-term.
The Paleo Diet, on the other hand, is actually pretty doable — at least, in small doses. This diet encourages people to give up sugar, grains, and (if you’re really hardcore) dairy. The idea behind it is simple: by eating the way that people in the Paleolithic Age ate, you end up slimmer and healthier. It’s a way to cut out all the junk that makes our food unhealthy.
Personally, I’m a fan of paleo and have tried a number of yummy paleo recipes. But in between meals, our bodies need some kind of sustenance. And this is especially true when it comes to snack foods.
Paleo snacks are amazingly delicious, low calorie, and, at times, also surprisingly filling. Here are some of the best ones I swear by when I’m out and about.
1. Homegrown Organic Farms Freeze-Dried Grapes
Grapes are already delicious in their natural state, but have you ever tried them in their freeze-dried form? They are incredible. Freeze-drying brings out the natural sugars in grapes without adding synthetic sugar. These crunchy treats are amazing for people who miss candy and love a little grape-flavored goodness.
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2. Spread the Love Unsalted Almond Butter
Peanuts are legumes, and are therefore not Paleo, but almonds sure are. If you yearn for the classic childhood taste of “ants on a log,” switch out your peanut butter for almond butter. It tastes phenomenal. Spread the Love makes an almond butter that has no added sugar or salt. Season it as you see fit.
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3. Natierra Organic Freeze-Dried Pineapples
If you want a tangier taste to your desserts, give freeze-dried pineapple a try. It’s super-sweet, has a really epic texture, and fills you up surprisingly quickly, too. Natierra’s makes some great freeze dried deliciousness.
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4. Hard Boiled Eggs
Believe it or not, one of the healthiest protein-filled snacks you can grab on the go is a hard boiled egg. They are under 90 calories a pop, filled with protein, and have more vitamin D than you can shake a stick at.
5. Epic Chicken Sriracha Bars
Unlike many of the other snacks on this list, this snack bar isn’t homemade. It’s made by Epic, a food company that specializes in paleo snacks made with high-quality meats. Though all their bars are pretty good, their Chicken Sriracha Bars seem to be the biggest hit from their arsenal of treats.
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6. Caveman Sweet & Smoky Chicken Bites
This is another ready-made snack that’s paleo-friendly and pointedly tasty. Each bag from Caveman comes with some savory, sweet, and slightly smoky bites that you can just sink your teeth into. They’re pricey, but well worth it.
(Caveman Foods, $27.49/12 bags)
7. Artisan Tropic Plantain Strips with Sea Salt
People who go full paleo have to make a lot of major dietary sacrifices, and one of the most difficult is giving up the all-American goodie known as potato chips. Thankfully, there is a way to keep things Paleolithic. Rather than eat potatoes, give plantains a chance. (The trick to keeping things healthy is to look for chips that only have plantains, canola oil, and salt in their ingredients list.)
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8. Caveman Grain Free Blueberry Almond Granola Bars
A major craving many people have when they go against the grain (literally) is the delightful feeling and taste of a granola bar. Caveman did some seriously epic legwork by creating granola-free granola bars that offer that chewy, sweet satisfaction in every bite. Grab one for on-the-go snacking, and your camping trips will be better than ever.
(Caveman Foods, $19.99/12 bars)
9. That's it. Organic Dark Chocolate Banana Truffle Fruit Bites
Paleo-friendly chocolate is out there, people! If you love chocolate and want to enjoy it like a true caveman, buy it up, melt it, and dip bananas in it. Once your banana bites are dipped, place them on a plate and put them in a freezer. Your tastebuds will thank you.
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10. The New Primal Sea Salt Beef Thins
Beef jerky is, for the most part, all paleo-friendly. As long as you don’t have sugar or other no-go seasoning it, you’re good to go. That being said, a lot of the more mainstream beef jerky companies tend to load up their goods with preservatives that may make more staunch adherents uncomfortable. If you want to try some seriously premo jerky, give the stuff from the New Primal a try.
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11. Sliced Cucumbers With Salt
At times, all you really need in a snack is a good amount of crunch and a little salinity. For times when you want an ultra low calorie treat, nothing beats slicing up a cuke and topping it with salt.
12. SeaSnax Roasted Seaweed Snack
This snack is only recently starting to gain traction in the United States, but it’s extremely popular in Japan. Nori seaweed is known for being rich in vitamin A and iron, super low calorie, and incredibly good with just a pinch of seasoning. Some studies even suggest that eating a fair share of nori can even help with weight loss endeavors. Lightly salted nori is my favorite, especially from SeaSnax.
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13. So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk Dairy-Free Yogurt
One of the more popular dairy substitutes among paleo eaters is coconut milk yogurt, which can be obtained in a sugar-free form. Though coconut yogurt is made with brown rice and may not be good for strict adherents, it’s still way better than most other alternatives in terms of quality.
(So Delicious Dairy Free, prices vary)
14. Dang Gluten Free Toasted Coconut Chips
The first time I tried coconut chips, it was part of a classmate’s school project discussing Hawaiian culture. I was hooked ever since. Coconut chips are just amazing. They are buttery, slightly nutty, and have a subtle natural sweetness to them that can’t be beat.
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15. Oloves Chili & Garlic Snack Olives
Most olives are totally paleo-friendly as long as no sugar or grains have been added to them. This is a great snack for people who love sour goodies, especially if you are low on vitamin C. Believe it or not, Oloves made olives into a tasty to-go snack. At 50 calories a pack, it’s truly a guiltless treat.
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16. Core + Rind Spicy Chipotle Cashew Cheesy Sauce
Crudites like celery sticks, carrots, and broccoli are about as primal as they get. They’re raw, crunchy, and jam-packed with all-natural vitamins and minerals. Dips, though, can get dodgy. However, if you choose wisely, you’ll be able to turn raw veggies into one of the best pre-meal paleo snacks in history. If you’re feeling something cheesy, try this Chipotle Cashew Cheesy Sauce that’s made for paleo fans.
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17. Kale Chips
I don’t understand how kale chips stopped being hyper-popular, but trust me, they are still well-liked in the health food crowd. Kale is more nutritious than spinach, and can provide the delicious crunch that you’ve been craving. Give them a shot if you haven’t already. Most kale chips on the market use cane sugar, so you’re best baking your own.
(Make your own on All Recipes)
18. Baked Pumpkin Slices
Pumpkin is a squash, and believe it or not, works amazingly well as a quick snack on a cold winter day. Slice up your pumpkin, top it with maple syrup and cinnamon, and bake it until it’s ready to eat. Just going to point out, this works as both a dessert and a snack. Kids love it too!
(Make your own on Genius Kitchen)
19. Oh Snap! Fresh Dill Pickle Snacking Cuts
Assuming that no sugar or grain was used in the pickling process, the majority of pickles are totally fine with paleo palates. Fans of salty foods are going to enjoy sinking their teeth into these. Oh Snap! makes some pretty good pickles.
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20. Bare Fruit Naturally Baked Crunchy, Fuji & Reds Apple Chips
Before you run to the store and snap up every apple chip bag you see, you should be aware that there’s a caveat here. A lot of store-bought apple chips aren’t paleo because they are drenched in sugar or use bad oils to deep fry them. Grabbing apple chips made via freeze-drying is your best bet.
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Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of Red Bank, New Jersey. She writes primarily about lifestyle, food, finance, and relationships. You can follow her @bluntandwitty on Twitter.
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