I like crunching down on some Doritos or Pringles and taking down a sleeve of Double Stuf Oreos as much, if not more than the next person. However, I sometimes like to step out of the snack box and get a little fancier. I guess you can translate “fancy” or “bougie” to “healthier,” but that’s a whole other soapbox about how our systems are flawed because the artificial stuff is more accessible than then real stuff, etc. Needless to say, when I have my snacks that are a little different from the mainstream, it’s not uncommon to be accused of being “bougie.” So, here’s a list of my favorite “bougie” snacks right now.

Chomps Beef Sticks

The beef stick. You might associate it with convenience stores and truck driver snacks. Maybe you can still hear those Slim Jim commercials with Macho Man Randy Savage saying, “Snap into a Slim Jim, oh yeah!” It’s kind of beef jerky, but kind of not. It is likely not a snack that you would call “fancy” or “high class” or “bougie.” But Chomps makes a better beef stick and has elevated the game of dried, preserved meats.  In the Chomps stick, you don’t get all of those preservatives and additives. Reading the ingredients list won’t make you want to hurl. So Chomps sticks are a great way to work in some extra protein. Get Chomps here. 

Tony’s Chocolonely Bars

Maybe I’m using the term “bougie” liberally, but these candy bars fall into the category because they are usually around $4-6 in the store and aren’t available everywhere. I bought my last ones at Whole Foods and they were on sale, 2 for $7. This is not your 89 cents impulse buy at the checkout counter. They’re pretty big bars though and when I eat them, I usually eat them over the course of a few days. They also make me think of what Willy Wonka bars would be like if Willy Wonka really existed. Unlike Willy Wonka though, Tony’s is candy company that refuses to use slavery to make their chocolate. Apparently, slavery is a huge deal in the chocolate industry. Thanks to Tony’s, we’re now more aware.  Get Tony’s here.  

SnoFrisk Spreadable Cheese

I freak out anytime I see this stuff in the store. The only place that consistently has it is Whole Foods, and I don’t make it over there that often. The first time I tried it, it was a random, limited time item at Aldi. Just one spread, and I was in love. So was Brittany. We text each other about this cheese. It’s like a cream cheese, but lighter. It’s 80% goat’s milk and 20% cow’s milk. It’s Norwegian. It feels indulgent, but clean all at the same time.

Smart Sweets

One day I was going down a YouTube video hole and started watching a video of Antoni Porowski in his kitchen, talking about things that he liked in his kitchen. He showed off his candy jar and in that candy jar were Smart Sweets. I had never heard of Smart Sweets, but Anotoni explained that they are lower in sugar than regular candy, but aren’t artificial. I don’t think that he was paid by Smart Sweets, he just really liked them. So from there, I started my “researching” and discovered that these candies are plant based, only about 3 or 4 grams of sugar per bag (depending on the candy you get), are high in fiber, and are a women owned business. Even better, I learned that I could actually buy them at my local Target. I hauled myself down to the store and they were already scarce on the shelves, but I purchased what was available. I’m grateful that I did. They taste similar to other candies, but not as sickeningly sweet. Their texture is a bit different because of the natural ingredients used, but I think that they’re pretty dang good. And I don’t feel gross and regretful after eating a bag of them.

Topo-Chico

We need something to wash all of this food down. I don’t think that this was ever intended to feel bougie, but when “hipster” Millennials (me, kind of) brought it out of obscurity from the Mexican foods shelf of the grocery store, its value and price (sorry about that) went up. Glass bottles just feel more expensive with their weight and metal bottle caps that you have to pry off. To my dismay, Coca-Cola acquired it recently, but fortunately have not seemed to have messed with the product too much. Topo-Chico is the crispest sparkling water that you will drink. I mean, there might be something else out there, but if there is, it probably shoots completely off the bougie charts. Water sommeliers are a thing, so anything is possible. Anyway, when I want to feel extra fancy, I add some lemon or lime (or both) slices to my Topo-Chico and for a moment, all is right with the world.