Snack Quiz: Which is healthier?

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Snack Quiz: Which is healthier?
Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

About This Quiz

No matter what your snack choice is we all head for something when our stomachs start to rumble. Test your knowledge with our healthy snack quiz.
Pork rinds are a popular snack for Atkins dieters (and at least one former U.S. president) -- but are they a healthy snack choice?
yes
no
both yes and no
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The good news: A one-ounce serving of pork rinds is packed with protein (about 17 grams), has less fat than a similar-size serving of nuts (10 grams versus 14 grams -- half of which is monounsaturated fat, the good-for-you kind) and has zero carbohydrates. The bad news: They're a sodium bomb -- a once-ounce serving contains more than 500 milligrams of sodium.

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You're too busy for lunch -- which of the following vending machine snacks is the healthiest choice?
a two-pack of Strawberry toaster pastries
a peanut, chocolate and caramel candy bar
a bag of sunflower seed kernels
a bag of potato chips
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seeds are the smart choice; toaster pastries, potato chips and candy bars deliver mostly empty calories. Sunflower seeds are high in protein, low in carbs, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. They're also packed with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats -- the good fats that may help keep our hearts healthy.

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Which baked snack has the most dietary fiber per serving?
ROLD GOLD Classic Style Pretzel Thins
BAKED! CHEETOS Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snack
BAKED! LAY'S Potato Crisps
Sunshine Cheez-It Original snack crackers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

BAKED! LAY'S Potato Crisps have 2 grams of fiber per serving, whereas the others on the list struggle to crack just 1 gram.

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Fact or fiction: Granola bars are always a healthier alternative to candy bars.
fact
fiction
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The key here is the word 'always' -- sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't. It really depends on the granola bar and candy bar in question. Often, seemingly healthy granola bars are overprocessed and packed with extra sugar and calories. Look for bars that have at least 4 grams of fiber and less than 6 grams of sugar, or satisfy your sweet tooth with a small bar of dark chocolate for better health benefits.

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Which chocolate bar has the least calories per serving?
a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar
a 3 Musketeers bar
a package of M&M's
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One 8-ounce 3 Musketeers bar has just 96 calories, 15g of sugar and 3g of fat, making it the smartest choice of the chocolaty bunch. In comparison, a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar has 266 calories and a small package of M&M's has 236 calories.

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Which of the following snack options from the McDonald's menu has the least amount of total fat?
large order of fries with one ketchup packet
honey mustard snack wrap (crispy)
snack size fruit and walnut salad
fruit'n yogurt parfait
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fruit 'n yogurt parfait is the smarter choice here. It contains 2 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of protein plus vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Compare that to 25 grams of total fat in the large fries, 16 grams of total fat in the snack wrap and 8 grams of total fat in the snack size fruit and walnut salad.

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You're hitting the 3 p.m. slump and nothing can stand between you and caffeine. Which of these popular Starbucks drinks has the healthiest calorie and fat content?
Mocha Frappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream, size grande
iced coffee with whole milk, size grande
caramel macchiato with whole milk, size grande
cafe latte with whole milk, size grande
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Iced coffee is your best choice out of this bunch, with 120 calories and 2.5 grams of total fat. Swap the whole milk for nonfat and knock those fat grams down to zero.

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Which type of nut is high in omega-3 fatty acids?
peanuts
walnuts
pistachios
almonds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Walnuts, just like salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids. A handful a day -- that's about 20 pieces, depending on the size of the nuts -- is all you need to get the benefits of omega-3s, along with vitamin E, protein and fiber.

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Which of these is the healthiest dip for your baby carrots?
ranch salad dressing
blue cheese salad dressing
french onion dip
hummus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A two-tablespoon serving of hummus contains about 50 calories and about 3 grams of total fat. Hummus is cholesterol free, low in sugar and a good source of iron, vitamins B6 and C, and protein.

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Water is the healthiest thirst quencher, but many of us choose sweetened beverages, instead. If you're going to vend, which should you spend your dollars on?
Non-diet soda
Flavored iced tea
Lemonade
Vitamin Water
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One 16 fl. oz. bottle (which happens to be two servings) of Vitamin Water Revive contains 100 calories and 0g of total fat. It's a good source of vitamins C, B3, B5, B6 and B12 but beware: Vitamin Water is mostly sugar. In fact, all of these vending machine staples are sugar bombs.

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You Got:
/10
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