Sure gasoline is expensive, but it’s nothing compared to the cost of the snacks you grab on your walk to the register. Individually packaged treats might be easy on your wallet, but you can be sure they’re taking a massive toll on your waistline. And what’s worse is that most of this junk is so low-octane that it doesn’t even touch your hunger. It’s like sugar in your gas tank—literally. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of foods to avoid at the convenience store along with the best alternatives keeping your engine revved high. Read about the best and worst cereals too!
Worst Crunchy Snack
Lay’s Classic Potato Chips (1 oz)150 calories
- 10 g fat (1 g saturated)
- 2 g protein
- 180 mg sodium
The real problem with potato chips isn’t what they provide—it’s what they don’t. That means you can’t trust calories alone. Sure this little bag carries a modest energy load, but every time you pick it up you’re missing out on something better, something that can actually have an impact on your hunger. Switch to the pork skins and you’ll get 16 extra grams of protein for only 10 extra calories.
Eat This Instead!
Fried Pork Skins (1 oz)
- 160 calories
- 9 g fat (3 g saturated)
- 18 g protein
- 520 mg sodium
Worst Hunger Fighter
Nature Valley Crunchy Peanut Butter Granola Bar
- 190 calories
- 7 g fat (1 g saturated)
- 5 g protein
- 11 g sugars
Rare is the granola bar that actually lives up to its health-food status. Sure this thing is made from oats, but it’s the torrent of sugar that keeps it bound into a neat little brick. Not convinced? Just look at the numbers. Nature Valley packs this bar with 36 percent more calories from sugar than it does from protein and fiber combined. Jerky, on the other hand, doesn’t get nearly the praise it deserves. It delivers a reasonable load of fat, virtually zero sugar, and a strong punch of hunger-fighting protein.
Eat This Instead!
Applegate Farms Pepperoni Joy Stick (1 oz)
- 100 calories
- 7 g fat (3 g saturated)
- 9 g protein
- 700 mg sodium
Worst Cheese Cracker
Cheez-It (17 crackers)
- 150 calories
- 8 g fat (2 g saturated)
- 250 mg sodium
Goldfish have two major advantages over Cheez-Its: 1. They contain less vegetable oil, which amounts fewer calories from fat, and 2. They’re incredibly small. That means that unless you’re shoveling them in by the fistful, you’re forced to eat slower and give your stomach a chance to acknowledge that it’s getting full. In fact, the simple act of chewing is one of the mechanisms your brain uses to register a filling stomach, so with 55 crackers to a serving, Goldfish stand a pretty decent chance of putting a dent on your hunger.
Eat This Instead!
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cheddar (55 pieces)
- 140 calories
- 5 g fat (1 g saturated)
- 250 mg sodium
Worst Sweet Pastry
Hostess Pudding Pie (1 package)
- 520 calories
- 24 g fat (12 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
- 45 g sugars
Bound within this oily crust are a quarter of your day’s calories, more than half your saturated fat, and 75 percent of your maximum daily intake of trans fat. That’s a terrible decision no matter how rushed you are. You could fare better in every nutritional category by driving through McDonald’s and ordering two hamburgers. But if you’re jonesing for something sweet, opt for Snoballs. They’re relatively harmless so long has you have a friend to split the pack with you.
Eat This Instead!
Hostess Snoballs (1 snoball)
- 180 calories
- 5.5 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
- 23 g sugars
Worst Trail Mix
Planters Trail Mix Nut & Chocolate (3 Tbsp)
- 160 calories
- 10 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
- 13 g sugars
- 20 mg sodium
No trail mix is complete without a touch of sweetness to help balance the salty bite of mixed nuts and seeds. And what’s the ideal source of that sweetness? Well, it’s certainly not chocolate. Look for a trail mix that earns its calories from a blend of nuts and fruit. Otherwise you might as well just eat a Snickers bar. Want to learn more about sugar?
Eat This Instead!
Emerald Trail Mix Berry Blend (3 Tbsp)
- 120 calories
- 6 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
- 11 g sugars
- 45 mg sodium
Worst Chocolate Snack Bar
Kashi GoLean Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (1 bar, 78 g)
- 280 calories
- 5 g fat (3 g saturated)
- 13 g protein
- 6 g fiber
- 33 g sugars
Kashi makes some decent products, but this just isn’t one of them. It has more calories and sugar than a Butterfinger candy bar. So instead look for the best sweet treat in the gas station: Larabar’s Chocolate Jocalat. The sugar in this one comes entirely from dates, and thanks to a nutty trio of almonds, walnuts, and cashews, it earns a stomach-filling heft of ultra-healthy protein, fat, and fiber.
Eat This Instead!
Larabar Jocalat Chocolate
- 190 calories
- 10 g fat (2 g saturated)
- 5 g protein
- 5 g fiber
- 18 g sugars