9 Snack Foods: Healthy or Not?

Healthy eating is often a challenge, particularly when we're surrounded by so many foods that seem to disguise themselves as good for us. We know some fats are necessary, whole grains are good, and getting adequate amounts of fruits and veggies is paramount, but sometimes the grocery store can still feel like a nutritional maze.

The problem with assessing the health-value of many foods is that consumers are "led by the advertisement on the front of the package, and that becomes a selling point," said Constance Brown-Riggs, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The best thing to do is to pick up a package and turn it around. For example, healthy snacks should be no more than 200 calories, and should have plenty of fiber, little sugar and almost no fat, Brown-Riggs said. Reading the list of ingredients, along with the nutrition label, is a good way to understand what you're really eating, she said.

"Snacks absolutely can be included in a healthy meal plan, it just requires a little bit of thought and planning," Brown-Riggs said.

Here are some commonly advertised "healthy" snack choices, and where they fall on the health-o-meter.