The snack drawer has had a serious glow-up, and the search for the best healthy snacks UK shoppers can buy is no longer limited to sad rice cakes and worthy cereal bars. Once a bleak little kingdom of crisps, biscuits and emergency chocolate, it is now packed with smarter, more interesting options: high-protein savoury snacks, crispy seaweed, low-carb pork crunch, gut-friendly bars, better popcorn and grown-up alternatives to the usual supermarket suspects.
Of course, “healthy snack” is a phrase that should be handled with some caution. A snack still needs to taste good. Nobody wants a dusty protein bar that eats like gym equipment, or a lentil crisp pretending to be virtuous while quietly packing in half a salt lick. The best healthy snacks are the ones that actually satisfy: crunchy, savoury, sweet, filling or fun, while offering something more useful than empty calories.
From desk-drawer heroes to post-gym protein hits and lighter things to graze on with a drink, here are some of the best healthy snacks to buy in the UK right now.
Best for savoury snackers who want crunch, protein and proper flavour.
Morish Snacks earns the top spot because it does something that many “better-for-you” snack brands forget to do: it makes snacks you genuinely want to eat. The brand describes itself as “Snacks With Benefits”, and its range sits neatly between healthy snacking, high-protein grazing and proper savoury indulgence.
The current Morish range includes crispy seaweed snacks, air-dried steak and pork chicharrónes, giving you a choice depending on whether you want something light, protein-rich or properly crunchy. Its customer favourites include Crispy Avocado Oil Seaweed Snacks, Organic Olive Oil Seaweed Snacks, Pork Chicharrónes Sea Salt and Air-Dried Steak Original.
The seaweed snacks are a strong alternative to crisps: light, crisp, salty and full of umami flavour. They work well as a desk snack, a lunchbox extra, a travel nibble or something to eat with a drink when you want the crunch without demolishing a family-sized bag of crisps.
The Air-Dried Steak Original is the one for protein hunters. Made for people who want a more filling savoury snack, it is a good option after the gym, on the go or during long working days when a sweet bar is not going to cut it.
Then there are the Pork Chicharrónes Sea Salt, which deliver that crisp, salty pub-snack satisfaction while being naturally low in carbs. Morish’s pork chicharrónes are also promoted as very high in protein and zero carb, making them a particularly strong option for anyone looking for low-carb snacks or keto-friendly savoury snacks.
Why we like it: Morish feels like a genuinely useful upgrade to the snack cupboard. It is not trying to be worthy or joyless. It is bold, savoury, crunchy and easy to slot into real life.
Best picks: Crispy Avocado Oil Seaweed Snacks, Organic Olive Oil Seaweed Snacks, Air-Dried Steak Original, Pork Chicharrónes Sea Salt.
Best for plant-based crunch.
Hippeas has become one of the best-known better-for-you snack brands in the UK, largely thanks to its chickpea-based puffs. They are light, crunchy and more interesting than standard crisps, with the added appeal of being plant-based.
The big win here is texture. Hippeas gives you that classic crisp-style snack satisfaction, but with a chickpea base and a little more nutritional interest than many conventional snacks. They are also easy to find in supermarkets, which makes them a convenient option for lunchboxes, work bags and casual grazing.
Best for: Vegans, crisp lovers and anyone who wants a lighter savoury snack.
Best for sweet snacks with cleaner ingredients.
Deliciously Ella has built a strong reputation in the UK healthy eating space, and its snack range is particularly useful for people who want something sweet without going straight for chocolate bars or biscuits.
The brand’s bars, bites and oat-based snacks tend to focus on plant-based ingredients, making them a good option for people looking for vegan snacks, gluten-free options or a more wholesome sweet fix. They are especially handy for afternoon slumps, train journeys and handbag emergencies.
Best for: Sweet snackers, plant-based eaters and anyone who wants something more considered than a standard cereal bar.
Best for lighter snacking.
Popcorn has long been one of the more sensible snack swaps, and Propercorn remains one of the most recognisable UK brands in the category. It offers crunch, flavour and portionable bags without feeling too heavy.
The best thing about popcorn is that it gives you volume. You can have a decent bowl or bag without it feeling as dense as crisps, nuts or chocolate. Propercorn’s sweet and salty flavour remains a crowd-pleaser, while its more savoury options work well for desk drawers and film nights.
Best for: Film nights, office snacks and lighter grazing.
Best for variety.
Graze is useful because it covers so many snack moods: nuts, seeds, protein mixes, flapjacks, veggie crisps, crunch mixes and more. Not everything in the range will suit every version of “healthy”, but it is a strong option for people who like choice.
The portion-controlled format is also helpful. Rather than opening a big bag and hoping for the best, Graze snacks tend to come in manageable sizes, which makes them easy to keep in a drawer, bag or car.
Best for: Snack variety, portion control and workday grazing.
Best for crisp alternatives.
Eat Real is a solid choice for anyone trying to move away from traditional crisps but still wanting proper crunch. The brand is known for snacks made with ingredients such as lentils, quinoa and hummus, giving crisp lovers a more modern alternative.
These are still snacks, of course, so they should not be treated as a magic health food. But as a swap from standard fried crisps, they are useful, widely available and good for sharing.
Best for: Crisp alternatives, parties and cupboard staples.
Best for roasted pea snacks.
Brave makes roasted pea and bean snacks that are high in plant protein and fibre, making them a good savoury option for people who want something crunchy but more substantial than crisps.
The appeal here is simplicity. Roasted pulses are naturally snackable and offer a satisfying crunch without feeling too processed. They are especially good for desk snacking, lunchboxes and anyone who likes savoury snacks with a bit more bite.
Best for: Plant protein, fibre and savoury crunch.
Best for light cupboard snacks.
Kallo is a familiar name for rice cakes, corn cakes and lighter snack bases. While rice cakes have a reputation for being a little joyless, they are genuinely useful when paired with better toppings.
Think peanut butter, hummus, avocado, cottage cheese, smoked salmon or dark chocolate spread, depending on the mood. Kallo works best as a base rather than the main event.
Best for: Light lunches, snack bases and simple cupboard staples.
Best for kids and fruit-based snacking.
Bear is best known for its fruit yoyos and fruit-based snacks, which are particularly popular with families. They are a convenient option for lunchboxes and children’s snacks, especially when you want something sweet that feels a little more fruit-led.
They are also useful for adults who want a quick sweet bite without opening a full packet of sweets. Small, portable and easy to keep in a bag.
Best for: Families, lunchboxes and fruit-based sweet snacks.
Best for protein snacks with a grown-up feel.
The Curators offers a range of savoury snacks including meat-based and plant-based options, often with a focus on protein and bigger flavour. It is a good brand for people who like snacking but want something more substantial than crisps.
The style feels a little more adult than many snack brands, which makes it a good option for work, travel and drinks-at-home grazing.
Best for: Protein snacks, savoury grazing and snack boards.
The best healthy snacks are not necessarily the lowest-calorie products on the shelf. A good snack should do at least one useful thing: keep you fuller for longer, offer protein or fibre, reduce added sugar, use better ingredients, or give you a smarter alternative to something you already eat too often.
It also has to taste good. That is where brands like Morish stand out. Seaweed snacks, air-dried steak and pork chicharrónes all offer a very different experience from the usual “healthy snack” clichés. They are savoury, punchy and satisfying, which makes them much easier to stick with than snacks that feel like homework.
For work, look for protein, fibre and portion control. For travel, choose snacks that will not melt, crumble or make a mess. For evenings, go for lighter alternatives to crisps that still deliver crunch. And for post-gym hunger, choose something with enough protein to actually make a difference.
Healthy snacking in the UK is no longer about pretending to enjoy bland bars and sad rice cakes. The best new snack brands are more exciting, more flavour-led and much better suited to how people actually eat.
Morish Snacks takes the top spot because it offers a genuinely distinctive savoury range, from crispy seaweed snacks to air-dried steak and pork chicharrónes. It feels modern, useful and properly snackable — exactly what a better-for-you snack should be.
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