Earlier this week on my Facebook page, I posted a disastrous list of America’s most popular snack brands – all of them containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Everyone was in uproar about their favorite brands – Nabisco, Frito Lay, Orville Redenbacher, and Kellogg’s heavy use of GMOs in their popular products and asked for alternatives. I created this handy chart below that lists some of my favorite organic and non-GMO snacks that are equivalent in taste and satisfaction to these popular snack brands. To be perfectly honest, I think the non-GMO and organic snacks taste better knowing they aren’t poisoning me with exposure to Roundup.
I usually don’t recommend many snack foods like these that often – I like to preach the gospel of whole real foods, however sometimes you just need to get your snack on and this is how you do it without consuming genetically modified ingredients and supporting companies that use GMOs who are trying to stop the effort to label GMOs and our right to know.
Recommended Non-GMO Snack Brands:
- Field Day Organics – Golden Round Crackers
- Kettle Organic Sea Salt Chips or Jackson’s Honest Chips (made with coconut oil!).
- Late July Organic Mild Green Mojo Multigrain Chips
- Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Dippers
- Eden Organic Popcorn
- Mary’s Gone Crackers Original
- Late July Organic Sea Salt Multigrain Chips
- Late July Organic Cheese Crackers
- Ak-mak Whole Wheat Crackers
- Instead of Cheese-It – Try Annie’s Organic Cheddar Squares (not pictured)
- Instead of Rold Gold – Try Unique Sprouted Wheat Pretzels (not pictured)
- Instead of Potato Chips – Try Brad’s Raw Chips or Jackson’s Honest Chips (made with coconut oil!). (not pictured)
- Instead of Conventional Crackers – Try Dr. Kracker Seedlanders (not pictured)
One thing I love about these alternative snack brands, is that they do not contain MSG, an ingredient that keeps you going back for more and more and more. This is why some of the GMO snack brands like Doritos are so addictive and have become “popular” as a result.
Take back your food, get your friends and family involved and share these products with them!
Have a great week!
Food Babe
The fact that those rats developed tumors all over their bodies and in their internal organs just changed my mind about the food industry. I am completely disgusted! However, I am thankful for a website such as this to get me on the right track!
Give me a break. “The fact that those rats developed tumors all over their bodies and in their internal organs just changed my mind about the food industry. ”
So many people take these studies at face value but when you dig deeper you see how inconclusive they actually are. Reading more into this study you will find that the types of rats used in this study are prone to those types of tumors. The sample size used was also too small.
Honestly just enjoy life. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow whether you eat GMOs or not. Stressing about this stuff is no way to live.
You assumed that I am “stressing” about GMOs and rats with tumors. Rather than assume, appreciate that myself and others are becoming more aware of what we eat and how we live. I live my life to the fullest. You have fun eating yourself into a coma, which is probably why you “need a break”. Now shoo.
Dearest Tabitha I do believe you lost yourself on Mike’s lesser meaning. The essence of his message being that factually you are wrong. The science behind the rat tumors was flawed and gives no support for or against GMO products. Whether or not Mike eats himself into a food coma of GMOs while you live a life free from them has nothing to do with the fact that you are still wrong and need to look into the science.
Now you can go shoo too.
However, the rats, in the study, who weren’t exposed to GMO’s did NOT get tumors. For that reason….to say the study is not valid due to these types of rats being prone to tumors is a moot point. Also, this study was replicated with the similar results.
Besides, I don’t need a study to tell me GMOs are bad news. If you look into the process of genetically engineering foods, it can’t be safe to eat.
Mike, sorry, but you were just being a jerk responding to Tabitha. Sure, maybe these studies are flawed, and we need more information. She was mainly stating that she is thankful for the information about substitute snacks, indicating that she is taking charge of what goes into her body, and is becoming aware of what the food industry is doing to our “food” supply. Further, flawed studies aside, there is MUCH reliable information pointing to damage that can be done from putting junk into our bodies. I, too, am thankful for all of this information, and choose to eat mostly whole foods. We all need a snack once in a while, so why not make the smart choice?
Try a snack that truly needs no introduction. Chia Crisps, Super 4 and Chia Pop are just a few delicious snacks that makes like easy! Enjoy without the worry Food Babe Army! #Belesserevil
You need to give us a break – so quick to dismiss what little YOU know about it.
Funny how NONE of the rats in ANY of the labs that were NOT exposed to the GMO or Roundup tainted foods got tumors- the ones that WERE exposed….well the pics are proof.
They raise a lot of GMO/Roundup ready corn plots where I live – and the farmers “Get” too feed the leftover corn stocks and ears of corn to their cattle.
Funny thing is that in a matter of a few weeks prior to fall butchering and them eating this BIOHAZARD (SIGNS ALL AROUND THE PLOTS) – the entire Gut sack is covered and filled with tumors and the entire thing explodes when it falls to the ground upon butchering of the Steer.
You keep believing what you want to believe.
How else can a farmer not rent his ground for $100 an ac. yet they pay $2500 an acre.
Like I said- Give ME a break
“Honestly just enjoy life. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow whether you eat GMOs or not. Stressing about this stuff is no way to live.” Really Mike?!
Tumors or no tumors, GMO’s are bad for the environment, unsustainable, and put billions of dollars in the pockets of the “big ag” companies. Any idea the kind of mess we’re leaving for the future generations? We NEED to be a little more responsible than this!
Can someone tell me why food genetically modified by humans are more harmful than food genetically modified by chance?
Food genetically modified by humans (corn, wheat, soybeans) have been modified to withstand the chemicals sprayed to eradicate weeds. The plant absorbs the chemicals and then the chemicals are introduced to the body when eaten.
On the off chance I am not hit by a bus, struck dead by lightening, or smashed by a meteor, I prefer to live a clean life instead of battling illness from unnecessary chemicals.
simply because we have had time to evolve around these plants and naturally occurring chemicals in them. that’s the only differences, time and adaptation. genes are highly self referential which is why so much information can be packed in such a small format, which means fiddling with one gene will affect the plant in random ways. further proof of this is when those gmo corn stalks started puncturing tires in the fields. they never intended for this effect so it was a random unwanted change, and it isn’t the only thing wrong with them.
(ps. i believe this blog is already hijacked by gmo grass roots level lobbyists, who don’t have the tenacity to identify themselves. as by law lobbyists are obligated to identify themselves to a politician, but online it’s free for all. i understand if in these tough economic times u have no other job offers, just know ur trolling won’t have the desired effect of derailing others.)
Plants that have mutated “naturally” over time are fundamentally no different than those done by humans (in fact, most human mutations happened in the fields too, over the last 10,000 years) the modifications that relate to pesticides are in fact quite a benefit as well; produce that doesn’t have these advantages is often drenched in pest killer by comparison.
I don’t have all the right words but here goes – the food we eat contains the building blocks for our cells. When the food is genetically modified, it changes the structure of the building blocks. We eat the changes and it changes us, usually not for the better. Genes are like a symphony and all work in conjunction to achieve harmony in our body. When you change one gene it throws the whole system out of alignment.
You are confusing two different things.
GMO vs Natural or Lab produced Cross Pollination.
BIG TIME DIFFERENCE!
I am glad I found this list, so that I can look for these brands at my local stores. Recently one store in my area started carrying Late July brand chips, and I fell in love with them! They’re so incredibly tasty and healthy too. I highly recommend them!
After preaching to and educating my mother about the dangers of GMOs, she seemed just as defiant as I was in avoiding GMO consumption. However, after noticing how ubiquitous GMOs were, her stance towards GMOs became less resolved, like she was ready to accept them because she was inevitably going to consume them in some sort of manner anyway.
Although I am not a fan of snacking, thank you very much for giving GMO snack suggestions and making a point that it is very much possible to avoid GMO foods altogether!
P.S. An alternative to Cheez-Its would be Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies (http://www.annies.com/products/Cheddar-Bunnies).
One of our favorite foods has become Hummus. Its so easy to make and so much better than anything store bought. I am now buying the organic dried chickpeas and going that route also. I dry zucchini-organic- and use organic chips when we run out of zucchini. What a wonderful snack. I asked my 22 year old son what he wanted for dinner tonight and he said Hummus. Can’t seem to make enough of it.
We love hummus too and are always looking for new.recipes. would you mind sharing yours? Thanks!
I need a good hummus recipe – care to share?
We like the basic hummus from Real Simple. The trick is to blend everything but the chickpeas until smooth, then add them last. I use my blender for quicker clean up. You might want to try half the cumin then add more if you like. I use the full teaspoon.
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/five-minute-hummus-recipe-00000000033800/ Hope you like it!
What I find interesting is that the alternatives actually taste much better than their GMO counterparts. We also enjoy the Angie’s brand (I see it at Target). It is part of the non-GMO certified project. My favorite is their olive oil and sea salt popcorn.
I brought non-GMO snacks to an after school club last week and thrilled that the kids thought they all taste better than their GMO counterparts. I converted about 20 kids and 3 other teachers! Think I’m going to make “forever cookies” for each my my classes as another example of how good healthy food can taste.
Great job!
Also try Beanitos, chips made from pinto and black beans. Non-GMO Project verified and delicious!
I LOOOOOVE Beanitos! I usually find them at Earth Fare or Whole Foods but sometimes I get blessed and find them in Big Lots. They’re cheaper there. I always look for the Non-GMO Project Verified label.
I love Beanritos too(esp. the white bean ones)! It’s nice having a snack which tastes good with out yeast extract(hidden msg). I buy it cheapest at my local health food store(locally owned).
Love Late July sweet potato chips with chia seeds. Thanks for the list.
Air-popped popcorn (organic) drizzled with a little organic olive oil (infused with truffles) or sesame oil is divine! Takes seconds to make and is so much fresher and more affordable than bagged popcorn…
Well thankfully I do not shove any of this crap in my trap! My snack of choice is spaghetti squash or nori sheets! 🙂
Hi Vani.
I signed up and paid for my monthly shopping list and meals and I haven’t received anything for September. I have written already once and am wondering when I can expect it. I was under the impression that the stuff would arrive after labour day?
Help please!
Betts
It’s sad you do not live in TX. We have Central Market and they have their own Organics brands. Their corn chips are exceptional and certified GMO free!
What about Back to Nature brand snacks? I think their crispy thin wheat crackers are identical to Wheat Thins only better, but I know they are not 100% organic…does that mean they contain GMO’s? Please say it isn’t so!
The Late July chips are fantastic! I usually only buy snacks like these when on sale. Specifically, I enjoy the Late July Mojo chips the best, and I find I am satisfied after only a few chips, as opposed to the other brands that contain GMOs.
I had read somewhere that GMO corn doesn’t pop, therefore all popcorn is GMO free….I guess that isn’t true after all! Luckily for me I buy all organic products, but it is still good to know!!
Hi Erin – you are right. All popcorn is non GMO. It is other ingredients (like soybean oil) that are most likely GMO.
Ohhhh right!! I forgot about added oils!!! That’s how long it has been since I have looked at a box of popcorn haha I buy the organic kernels with organic coconut oil and my whirley pop does the rest!! 🙂
How is Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers on this safe list? I just read the post about what Trader Joe’s is hiding, where it states not to buy:
Trader Joe’s branded products or other processed products that contain high-risk GMO crop ingredients like corn, soy, cottonseed, papaya, sugar, canola, zucchini/squash (A majority of their products contain one or more of these ingredients, until they can be fully transparent, I would not trust them.)
Just looking to get some clarification. Thanks.
I remember her in that article stating that you can trust their organic products. You cannot trust those that aren’t certified organic 🙂
Great post! We buy our snacks mostly from Trader Joe’s, love the Kettle Chips. I’ve been trying to get a little healthier with my snacking, and in the summer desert heat my fave snack has turned out to be my fave juices frozen in ice cube trays. I put them in my water to add a little sweet flavor as they melt and then when they are small enough crunch on em. Ohmygods I’m addicted to sweet juice cubes, lol! Also I like snacking on cherry tomatoes, love them and they grow well on my patio. Growing them got me hooked on eating them like fruit.
Love your stuff 🙂
I love the juice cube idea! I’m going to do that – my kids will love it. I just bought some new silicone ice cube trays to freeze basil in – perfect.
hey! great post! I just stubled apon you through Marie Forleo and can’t wait to digg trough all the information on your side! I am working on a food-blog myself. living in germany, I am trying to find out what information concearns europeans, too. many of the labels you talk about, we have here too. I wonder wether the ingredients are the same. May I ask for the whole name of MSG? Great work, I am a huge fan already!
Hi, its pleasant post on the topic of media print, we all know media is a fantastic
source of facts.
Can you please make all these lists printer friendly. So much easier to take all the lists of GMO free food , GMO free snack list, GMO foods like Cheerios etc with us to the market and avoid where we can. I believe people are not educated enough, because how did the great people of CA vote against labeling. We need to educate and then keep trying to pass laws. Monsanto is the evil empire and they need to be stopped. Best way is with our money.
Wheat Thins..? .. I. Feel. Crushed. Doh! >.<
Such a sad face to see my favorite “Triscuits” on this list. 🙁
A delicious, non-GMO popcorn is Whole Foods’ 365 Organic Reduced Fat & Sodium Popcorn. Warning: it’s very addictive! 🙂
Recently found and tried Beanfields chips and they are great. They claim gluten and GMO free, all natural with no corn and vegan. The problem it is hard not to eat the whole bag. But they are good for you right?
Do you have a recommendation for Tortilla Chips? I’m in Texas, and that’s the one thing we can’t live without down here!
Michelle, I was wondering the same thing. I just bought Xochitl Organic Tortilla chips yesterday. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them but to be honest, I didn’t look at the label all that closely. I will do so when I get home tonight.
Michelle, try looking for WayBetter Snacks. I have found them at Whole Foods and my local international farmers market for a little less. They come in blue corn and a yellow also – and are gluten free as well as non-gmo project verified. I think they’re the perfect chip!
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll have to check both of those out!
Love WayBetter snacks! They are delicious… I am eating the multi-grain tortilla chips as I type…lol!
Mary’s Gone Crackers Original are very good! So are the Late July products. I also like Brad’s Raw Kale Chips, there is so much flavor in the Vampire Killer but not hot or spicy in my opinion.
Orville Redenbacher uses GMO corn??? I just recently read that GMO corn isn’t being used in popcorn yet. Was that wrong? I was buying organic popcorn until I read that, and last week bought a jug of Orville Redenbacher kernels!
I am curious to know about Pirate Booty. Do you have any information? This is a snack I am currently giving my kids…..
I was reading about someone who contacted that company and was told they can’t verify it as GMO free. If you email the company, they should be able to tell you. In case, there has been an update since then.
How about Garden of Eatin
Hello. I saw Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn on here. I recently stopped eating microwave popcorn and got an air popper. I purchased Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn and it says on the label its “Non-GMO Corn”. Is this untrue ? Or is it just this specific “line” and they use GMO Corn is others? Let me know. Thanks.
Snikiddy is one of our fav Non- GMO snack brands. They make really good baked cheese puffs. They sell them at Whole Foods.
I’m confused about the popcorn. I thought I read on your site that raw popcorn kernels were always non-GMO. I didn’t think you had to buy them organic…
The Real Deal brand of tortilla chips are amazing! Organic & GMO-free. My kids love them, and they won’t touch the typical Doritos/other brands anymore. We’ve all noticed how crappy we feel when we are out or at a party and eat GMO-filled foods. The more whole, unprocessed organic foods we eat, the more we notice when something “funny” gets into our diet. 🙂
Have you ever heard of Garden of Eden, Red hot Blues? They clam to be organic and gluten free, they are so good. Would love your opinion about them.
I was so pleased to find that Costco’s brand of kettle potato chips was labeled Non-GMO!!
Lumping all GM processes into one category – “BAD” – is ignorant. There are several types of GM. Cisgenesis, for example is the process of using genes from the host plant or from sexually compatible species. Using this technique genes can be taken from a breed of corn that isn’t very palatable but is naturally resistant to pests. These genes can be introduced into a similar breed of corn that is very palatable thus giving it a similar resistance to pests. Unfortunately a GM label or any research that results in determining a product uses GM ingredients does not give consumers the entire story.
So maybe give a label that says GMO-B for the bad stuff and a GMO-U for the stuff we have no idea what effect it will have for future generations, and I will take the product labeled non-GMO, please.
Yes, there needs to be more detailed labeling and people need to educate themselves. By dismissing all genetic manipulation as bad we are contributing to a stigma that is not completely accurate. There are countries in Africa (Zambia, for example) that have rejected food donations from the US because of GM. It is easy for the well fed to say “good for them”. But if you were a common person in Zambia watching your child starve you would probably take a different stance.
European Union study on GMO:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/biosociety/pdf/a_decade_of_eu-funded_gmo_research.pdf
Page 16:
“The main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 independent research groups, is that biotechnology, and in particular GMOs, are not per se more risky than e.g. conventional plant breeding technologies.”
(To David)
You should read a little more into your sources. What did you expect the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food to say in their “report”. Anyone can find an opinion that supports the outcome they want to see. Kind of like Monsanto funding a study on agent orange ingredients and saying they’re ok. No worries, chemicals are nature’s way of making us healthier. Lol Just drink the kool-aid. Also, they are quick to point out that this report is from the European Commission?? not the EU.
I’ll stick to Organic and non-GMO. Thanks FoodBabe!!
Food Babe you need to look up “way better snacks” company, they are the way of the future!!! Simply delicious and soooo nutritious!!
Sure would like to know about Crunchmasters Crackers which are gluten free.
Crunchmaster multigrain crackers are GMO free. Some of the others are not.
Thanks Laurie! I only buy their multigrain crackers. They’re quite good!
Why is there an ad for McDonald’s on this page? That seems like a sell-out move.
What about gluten-free and corn-free snacks? Are Terra Taro Chips ok? Is there a good brand of store-bought sweet potato chips?
My favorite non-GMO snack is Alive and Radiant’s Quite Cheezy Kale Krunch. It kind of tastes like Cheez-its, only much better.
I recently discovered Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers. As a lifelong Frito eater, I think the Trader Joe’s organic version tastes better. They’re probably cheaper, not addictive (I don’t think), and best of all they don’t cause my ankles to swell.
Please provide documentation that any popcorn is GMO. I am not aware of any in production.
I would like to give a nod to trail mix and sesame seeds and some of the other open bin snacks at your grocer
Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips and Wrights of Texas Green Salsa. Yum!
I like a brand called Way Better Snacks! All made with spouted seeds and non gmo….sweet potato and unbeatable blue corn chips are the best!
We love pirate booty at our house.is this a gmo product?
F.B, As a scientist I am less concerned with the content of GMOs than I am with the content of man made chems in our food. A plain bag of potato chips is potatoes, oil and salt. but a bag of flavored chips reads like a class in non organic chemistry! They should not be sold or at best avoided!
GMO’S the new global warming. suppose we paid GMOs in our food for what 20-30 years yet we are living longer
Love your site!! So valuable!! Check out my blog with non-gmo recipes!! callmecrazy.theblogpress.com
I like what you do and agree with 95% of your posts. This is all well and good for people in or close to a big city. The nearest you can find any of these snacks or a real “health food” store is about 100 miles from where we live. Azure does deliver close by, but that is once a month. Makes it tough.
Order on Amazon.
Most of the time my kids ran out these snacks and they are bit more pricey… I make sure there is always organic fruit available to them. I put them on a tray in the middle of the table. And now they don’t even make it to the pantry instead the go for apples, clementines or bananas! You just need to try different things and they might like it.
I live in Korea and can’t find these healthy alternatives. So I order from iherb.com. Great prices. And if you’re in the States, they often have free shipping. 🙂
Thanks
Try http://www.vitacost.com I haven’t checked for these particular items. They have good prices, and shipping on orders over $49 is free.
Have you ever ordered from Vitacost? They have lots of good healthy snacks and other items and if you spend more than $40, shipping is free. You will be amazed at what you can get there.
I don’t live in a big city, and though I am an hour away from one I know I could get by with the stores available in my area. Wal Mart is getting better at offering GMO free options and a TJ Maxx nearby often has ate July brands! ordering online is best and often cheaper too!
I have found using Amazon is helpful. The prices are good and you can get free shipping if you order over $35.oo and shipped from Amazon.
Also can buy at Abe’s Market online. I do that when on sale.