10 Popular Snacks That Aren't Worth The Money

Who doesn't love a good snack? There are so many different popular snacks out there that it can almost feel like you have endless options to choose from. Whether you prefer sweet snacks or savory, salty ones, there are plenty of incredible snacks you can turn to the next time you get the midday munchies. But with grocery prices on the rise, you probably don't want to spend more on snacks than you really have to. This is why I'm taking a closer look at the popular snacks that just aren't worth the money. These snacks aren't necessarily bad, but their generally high price tags make them a bad option when you're trying to watch your grocery budget.

Of course, everyone has a different idea of what's "worth it" and what's not, so you may find yourself disagreeing with some of the items on this list (or there might be others that you think I should've added). But even if some of these items actually are worth it to you, this list might prompt you to think about the snacks you might be overspending on. The good news? If you're ready to make a change, you can find cheap and healthy snacks at Aldi as well as tasty Trader Joe's snacks for under $5.

Listen, I understand the protein hustle, I really do. And I commend you if you go above and beyond to meet your ambitious protein goals every day. But I'm here to tell you some bad news about your beloved protein bars: They're not worth it. Don't get me wrong — there are some delicious options out there, including some that straight up taste like dessert — but the cost just isn't justified. At my local grocery store, it's not uncommon to see single protein bars selling for $2.50, which is too much for something that doesn't taste that good to begin with and is gone in two or three bites.

Plus, you can fulfill your sweet cravings and meet your protein goals with more delicious protein-rich options. There are so many different ways to make Greek yogurt bowls, many of which involve a slew of sweet toppings. There are also creative ways to use cottage cheese, like blending it into a chocolate pudding, that help you get that same sweet profile you're looking for. A big tub of Greek yogurt has many servings and sells for as low as $3.99 at my local grocery store. This is a much better deal for getting your protein, even once you add the cost of most toppings.

Hear me out: I'm not a seaweed hater. In fact, I often keep my pantry stocked with nori for use in various recipes. However, seaweed snacks are a bit different. These roasted sheets of seaweed are generally packed in small plastic trays and are larger than an average cracker but smaller than a slice of bread. Sometimes, they're seasoned with flavors like sea salt or teriyaki, but some are also sold plain. As the name suggests, the product is made for snacking.

But although I love seaweed, I have to admit that a tiny tray of seaweed makes for a really, really sad snack. It doesn't offer much sustenance and leaves you feeling hungry immediately afterward, so it's not worth buying. And when you consider that you're paying a premium for these individually packaged trays of seaweed? It doesn't seem like a snack that makes much sense from either a budget or a satiety perspective.

I will say that you might want to buy seaweed snacks if you're trying to make little hand rolls at home. It allows you to skip the step of roasting your nori, and it makes for an especially easy meal. So, yes, there's a time and a place for seaweed snacks ... just not for actual snacking.

Almost everyone likes crispy and crunchy foods, which is why chips are such a tasty snack. But a lot of people try to avoid chips because they feel that they're not the best for their health. However, when those same people see a bag of veggie straws instead, they might assume that it's a healthier choice. These are chips made from vegetables, right? Well, in a lot of cases, veggie straws might not be that much better for you. That's because in a lot of cases, they're mostly just made with starch and fat, just like a standard chip. Sure, they may have small amounts of real vegetables in them, but they're actually considered less nutritious overall than plain old tortilla chips.

Therefore, there's a good chance that you're not actually getting a healthier product when you choose veggie straws over more conventional types of chips. But even worse? They just don't taste that good — certainly not as good as potato or tortilla chips. If you're going to indulge in a crunchy snack, you might as well go for the variety that actually tastes better. This is why, in my mind, veggie straws will never be worth the money — regardless of how much they cost.

I absolutely love beef jerky. But when it comes to the bougier jerky brands around, I can't justify the cost. Some of these fancy brands sell tiny bags of beef jerky for $7 to $8 — and it's basically only enough for a single snack. Want high-end wagyu jerky? You could be paying $27 for only two three-ounce bags. I'm sure that these jerkies are delicious, because if the companies can sell them at that price point, then I can only imagine that they taste incredible. But for budget-friendly snacking, these snacks don't make much sense.

Unfortunately, though, it's not just the fancy jerky brands that are pricey — this is a notoriously expensive snack, considering it's made with meat. You should still be able to find better jerky deals if you opt for more affordable grocery store jerky brands, though. Ultimately, if you're watching your grocery budget, you might want to cut back on the beef jerky altogether.

If you're going on a hike and want a snack that you won't get bored with after a few bites, then trail mix is the way to go. This is such an excellent snack because you get to enjoy multiple, separate snacks all in one. From nuts to raisins to little chocolate candies and beyond, a good trail mix is a snack to behold. But is it worth buying pre-made trail mixes? I don't think so. That's because it can often be a lot cheaper to simply buy the ingredients separately and mix them together yourself. Although it can be nice to spend on convenience from time to time, going for the more budget-friendly route can help you save money at the grocery store.

Not only that, but it also allows you to control what your trail mix tastes like more. For instance, there are a lot of sweet trail mixes. Why not go for a savory flavor profile instead? You can use crackers, salty nuts, wasabi peas, pretzels, and more. And if you're like me and always wish that there were more chocolate candies in your trail mix, you can also ensure that you get a little bit of chocolate in every bite.

Unfortunately, this is one of those snack products that I have to rant about. I've tried many different products that are some version of a dippable snack (often in the form of crackers, pretzels, or even fresh veggies) and hummus. In theory, this sounds like a great idea. Who doesn't love a crunchy snack base? And who doesn't love the creamy texture and nutty flavor of hummus? But in practice, these snacks never hit. This is because of a problem that I've seen over and over when buying these snack packs: There's almost always way more hummus than you need for the small number of dippable items you get.

I love hummus, and I like to eat a lot of it. Ultimately, though, when I buy these snacks, I always have extra hummus left over. The companies making these products either need to cut back on the hummus (which would save them money anyway) or add more of the dippable item (which is obviously the preferred choice).

Generally speaking, though, it's cheaper not to opt for single-serving sizes in your snacks if you want to get the most bang for your buck. Buy some crackers and hummus separately (or learn to make hummus at home!), and then portion them. The best part is that you have full control of the cracker-to-hummus ratio.

If you're looking for ice cream that's lower in calories, then chances are you've come across Halo Top before. This brand is known for its line of ice cream pints that can have as few as 290 calories for an entire pint. Yes, you read that right: There are 290 to 490 calories per pint, not per serving. How is that possible, you ask? Well, it's largely through the use of sugar alternatives — along with some sugar — to make you feel like you're eating something super sweet. The brand uses both stevia and erythritol to achieve that sweetness.

With some packaged sugar-free or low-sugar products, it's not immediately clear that the company uses sugar alternatives until you look at the ingredients. Unfortunately, in my experience, that's not the case with Halo Top. The sweetness in the recipe tastes so noticeable that I didn't want to finish the pint anyway.

Although it's not a bad thing to choose lower-calorie alternatives if they help make up a diet you enjoy, if they don't taste good, what's the point? Eating a smaller amount of normal ice cream might be more satiating anyway. If I'm being honest, no matter how much Halo Top costs, I don't think it's worth the money. Plenty of Redditors agree: It doesn't taste good.

Sure, Coconut Cult has trendy packaging, and it certainly tastes good. But this arguably isn't why it's so popular. Rather, it's because the brand's yogurt is supposed to be good for your gut, with some on Reddit saying that it actually has improved their digestion. Others claim that it's introduced new health problems, including acne. And one Redditor said it worked for them initially, but stopped working after a while.

The other thing is, you're not supposed to eat too much of Coconut Cult's yogurt at one time. The brand recommends sticking to 2 fluid ounces when you start off. This could potentially help with your gut issues, sure, but it's not an excellent snack all on its own, since you'll probably still be hungry after you eat it.

Considering that an 8-ounce jar of Coconut Cult yogurt at my local Whole Foods costs a whopping $9.99, I don't think that this popular snack is worth it. That's around $2.50 per serving, which is small to begin with. To make matters worse, it can also be hard to find. If you have the extra cash to blow on fancy yogurt, go for it — you might notice some digestive benefits. Otherwise, there are plenty of other probiotic snacks that are more affordable per serving than this one.

Have you seen low-sugar sugar-free gummies seemingly everywhere recently? SmartSweets are now in seemingly every grocery store, and Joyride is often right there alongside them. I've found that these candies often taste okay, but they tend to have an extremely chewy texture that makes them significantly less pleasant than standard gummies. And if you're not used to the flavor of alternative sweeteners, you might find a metallic and generally unpleasant aftertaste in some of these gummies.

Although I don't think any of the varieties I've had are actively bad, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy them again, especially when you consider how expensive they can be. For comparison, my local grocery store sells a 1.8-ounce pack of SmartSweets for $2.99 at the time of writing. An 8-ounce pack of Sour Patch Kids that are the same flavor comes in at $3.49. Unless you're really trying to avoid that sugar, the low-sugar option isn't a very good deal.

And to make matters worse, some sugar-free gummies can affect your digestive system. Some say that Trader Joe's sugar-free gummies, for example, have a laxative effect. If that's not what you're looking for from a gummy, it may be best to opt for the full-sugar version instead.

If you have a busy household, then you know how nice it can be to have snacks ready to go. That way, when anyone gets hungry between meals, they can grab a portion to munch on and stay satisfied for a few more hours. A lot of families like using individually sized snack packs because they're so convenient, and they can help prevent overeating. You may not realize you're eating three servings if you're randomly reaching your hand into the bag. Instead, you have a better sense of how much you've actually eaten when you've finished your individually wrapped snack.

Buying individually packaged snacks is almost always going to be way more expensive than buying a standard-sized package and portioning them out yourself — snack packs are often more than 50% more expensive than buying in bulk. If you want to do your wallet a favor, avoid that markup and buy your favorite snacks in larger containers. You'll still get the same snack you love at a significantly lower price by sacrificing a little bit of short-term convenience.

I chose these particular snacks based on both my own opinions and opinions from Reddit. To determine which snacks belonged on this list, I considered both typical prices as well as the flavor, versatility, and usefulness of the snack in question. I also considered whether a similar alternative would be cheaper. I included snacks that, in my opinion, just don't taste very good, or snacks that one could portion themselves to save money, as well as those that promote a supposedly "healthier" option, even when that's not necessarily the case.