Best Healthy(ish) Game Day Snacks

You know what they say: There ain’t no party like a game day party because a game day party has snacks. That is to say, if you’re anything like me, the highlight of game day is never ever the big game. Unless the game is a board game. Then I’m ~on board~ (so to speak). But when the basketballs, hockeys, and footballs of the world need watching, the snacks of the world need eating. And while game day snacks are generally the tastiest junk food you can find, we recognize that sometimes all you want are some healthy game day snacks you can pick at from kickoff to overtime. As always, we gotchu covered. Here are our picks for the top eight healthy(ish) game day snacks.

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Whole Foods 365 Roasted Garlic Hummus

What’s more versatile than hummus? No, really, tell me a more versatile dip—I dare you. Hummus is perfect from everything from chips to veggies. It’s literally a choose-your-own-adventure dip. And while this hummus may be less indulgent than cream cheese- and sour cream-based dips, it doesn’t compromise on flavor. The roasted garlic hummus from Whole Foods is thick, lemony, sesame-y, and chock-full of roasted garlic, which “has a deep garlicky flavor with none of the pungency of the raw stuff,” according to former Sporked staff writer Danny Palumbo. This stuff is so simple it’s complex, and, yes, I did just wax poetic about hummus. 

Related: Best Hummus

Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips

Speaking of hummus…are you tired of crudité but don’t want to commit to tortilla or potato chips? Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita chips are a great pick for when you want something unhealthy (like chips), but you don’t want all the oil those chips are fried in (Stacy’s pita chips are baked). My buddy Stace really nailed it with this one. Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart pointed out that these magic chips have “no butter in the ingredients list, but they taste so buttery. There’s no garlic listed either, but I swear they have a hint of that savory goodness. And the richness of their baked flavor is completely addictive.” And these with hummus? Ugh *chef’s kiss*

Related: Best Pita Chips

Casa Sanchez Foods Hot Salsa Roja

Salsa is a game-day staple. I mean, if you have to watch the dude kick the thing through the thing for three hours then you may as well have a kind of sort of healthy fruit/vegetable puree to dip your tortilla chips in. Yes, I’m talking about salsa. Salsa is a vegetable. So is Ketchup. So is whipped cream. Now that we have that out of the way, this Casa Sanchez Salsa Roja is one of the best store-bought salsas out there, mainly because it taste so much like homemade salsa. It has a relatively short ingredient list—tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro, along with just a few other things—and all the flavors mesh into a delightful restaurant-style salsa.

Related: Best Store-Bought Salsa

Casa Sanchez Medium Roasted Salsa Verde

Oh, what’s this? It’s more salsa! Eat more salsa. That’s my new year’s resolution at least. This salsa verde from Casa Sanchez is every bit as life-changing as its roja counterpart. Honestly, why not get both and have yourself a li’l salsa-off to see which one you like better? This one has “big pieces of garlic, springs of cilantro, and whole pepper seeds make it seem homemade.” And, according to Sporked senior writer Jordan Myrick, “The flavor is bright, garlicky, and tart.” YUM. As a salsa verde fiend myself, I pronounce this game day snack choice a slam dunk. (Did I do it? Did I use the sports right?)

Related: Best Salsa Verde

Snyder’s of Hanover Snaps

Hey, who’s this? Why it’s none other than the queen of healthy(ish) snacking, miss pretzels. And these aren’t just any pretzels. Snyder’s Snaps are the crunchiest, butteriest, saltiest pretzels out there. Plus, as Danny pointed, the “tightly knitted grid of a snap is great for dipping.” And whether that’s hummus, salsa, mustard, bleu cheese dressing, or French onion dip, I’m sold. A dipped pretzel is next level, and these pretzels dip like a dream. 

Related: Best Pretzels

Cape Cod 40% Less Fat Kettle Cooked Original Potato Chips

Now, if ya gotta have potato chips (I get you, friendo—sometimes ya just gotta), these are a slightly less fat-filled take on a really good chip. But don’t worry, they aren’t so healthy that they taste sad and good for you and un-chiplike. These aren’t overly greasy, but according to Danny, they have “a noticeably unique texture that is crispy and light, yet still kettle-style crunchy. The potato flavor is excellent, and there’s just enough salt and oil that these don’t feel like ‘healthy’ chips.” Honestly, I’m currently imagining these dipped in Lipton Onion dip mix and my mouth is watering so much I just drooled a lil bit.

Related: Best Plain Potato Chips

Cheetos Baked Crunchy Cheese

Say what you will about baked chips—baked Cheetos deliver. If you are going to be parked in front of a Cheetos bag the entire afternoon watching dudes tackling each other and refs throwing those little yellow thingies, then you need a bag of Cheetos you can absolutely devour and still be able to function afterward. Now, I’m not saying you should always have these over normal Cheetos, but if you’re craving that good-good cheese with a bit less of the grease, these Cheetos are your guy. Also, because of the lack of grease, you can justify dipping these in something. Danny suggested that “the subtle cheese flavor in these would absolutely be enhanced by dunking them in a queso or French onion dip.” And Danny, I am totally on board with those choices.

Related: Best Cheetos Flavors

Brad’s Crunchy Kale Chips

I know you’re probably thinking something like, “KALE CHIPS?!? Ew. Yuck. Vegetables. Blech.” But believe me when I tell you these things are divine. This dude Brad knows his way around a kale chip. These crispy, leafy treats taste super savory and come in little nuggets coated in seasoning. As for what they taste like, Jordan said, “The taste is complex, but a little reminiscent of tomato soup.” I would agree with them on that. There also might be a hint of mustard in there? It’s super hard to pin down, but in a good way. But these kale chips are as delicious as they are complex, and if you are a kale chip newcomer, I highly recommend these bad boys. Plus, you are technically eating vegetables, so you can go on autopilot, watch the dudes on ice skates ram into each other, and down a whole bag of these because, in the scheme of things, it’s basically a salad. 

Related: Best Kale Chips