Guides · 6 min read
How to choose better snacks
A simple, label-first snack buying guide — how to read ingredient lists, judge portion sizes, and pick snacks you'll actually enjoy.
By Coco Deli · Updated
Snack marketing is loud, but the answers are usually on the back of the pack. Here's a quick framework for choosing snacks with confidence.
1. Start with the ingredient list
Shorter is generally clearer. Look for a real, named base ingredient near the top of the list — a vegetable, a grain, a nut — rather than a long string of unfamiliar terms.
2. Check what it's cooked in
The oil matters for flavour and stability. Coconut oil, for instance, is a traditional Filipino cooking oil and gives fried snacks a clean, golden finish.
3. Be realistic about portions
Front-of-pack claims mean little if the portion is huge. Note the pack size and serving size, and portion accordingly.
4. Choose flavour you'll enjoy
- A snack you love satisfies in a smaller amount.
- Bold, real flavours (like umami mushroom or truffle) go a long way.
- Variety keeps snacking interesting without overeating any one thing.
A worked example
Coco Deli Mushroom Chips list a real vegetable — oyster mushrooms — as the base, are fried in coconut oil, come in an 80g bag, and deliver a bold umami flavour. That ticks the ingredient, oil, portion and flavour boxes. The full nutrition panel on the pack fills in the exact numbers.
Want to compare for yourself? Browse the Coco Deli shop.
Frequently asked.
Read the ingredient list first and look for a short list with a real, named base ingredient. Check what it's cooked in, be realistic about portion size, and pick a flavour you genuinely enjoy so a smaller amount satisfies.
