Many popular brands offer some variation of 100-calorie snack packs. These snacks can help people who are looking for ways to satisfy their between-meal hunger without losing sight of their healthy diet plan. The options are seemingly endless—you can get cookies, crackers, and even ice cream, but is the 100-calorie snack pack good for you?
Staying Full
While 100-calorie snack packs are convenient and flavorful, many of them lack nutritionally substantial ingredients, like protein or fiber. Eating snacks that are void of filling ingredients means you’re not going to stay satisfied, which could actually lead to overeating.
Portion Control
The whole point of these 100-calorie snack packs is to limit the quantity of crackers or cookies that you consume, but a recent study suggests that this is not the case. The Journal of Consumer Research reported that consumers ate twice as much when products came from small packaging. If you wind up eating more than one bag, then they are no longer beneficial to your healthy diet plan.
Ingredients
You also need to look at what’s in 100-calorie snack packs to determine if you should be eating them. In many cases, you’re still eating junk food and could be consuming things like partially hydrogenated oil.
Is the 100-Calorie Snack Pack Good for You?
If you can find a healthier snack pack and limit yourself to eating just one, then the snack is still beneficial. Sun Chips offer a snack pack with 5 grams of fiber and vitamin E. If you’re just craving a cookie, try Barbara’s Organic 100-Calorie Mini Cookies, which are free of artificial flavors and colors. Don’t forget that plenty of fruits and vegetables, like apples or carrot sticks, are less than 100 calories.

