From cleaner candy and functional snacks to vegetable-forward sauces and performance-minded drinks, these better-for-you picks let you indulge through the holidays without going all in on sugar and guilt.
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The holidays have a way of testing even the most well-intentioned routines, with sugar-heavy treats, endless grazing and indulgence baked into nearly every social moment. This year’s wave of better-for-you brands offers a smarter middle ground, delivering the flavors and comfort people crave without completely abandoning wellness goals. From cleaner candy and functional snacks to vegetable-forward blends and performance-minded beverages, this roundup highlights standout options from brands like Joyride, Bulletproof and Oko that make it easier to enjoy the season while still feeling good about what’s on your plate.
Read on below for some of the best healthy snacks and drinks that you can buy online at Target, Amazon, Walmart, Thrive Market and other retailers.
The Best Healthy Sweets Alternatives
Diana’s Cake Bites
Diana’s takes the classic freezer-aisle treat and gives it a modern makeover. The Cake Bites come in flavors like Birthday Cake, Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Lover’s, each coated in a smooth chocolate shell with a creamy, ice-cream-like center. They feel nostalgic but taste cleaner, richer, with reduced sugar compared to other frozen treats.
Manukora Manuka Honey
Manukora’s Manuka honey is thick, silky and almost caramel-like, with UMF-verified potency and full traceability back to the hive. It’s the type of honey you drizzle over Greek yogurt, stir into tea or eat straight from the spoon. Their raw MGO 850+ and 1123+ varieties have become favorites for people who want functional sweetness with a luxury feel.
Hu Chocolate
Hu’s chocolate bars and gems lean into minimal ingredients and deeper, roasted flavor profiles. Their Salty Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut Butter and Cashew Butter bars remain top sellers for anyone who wants dairy-free chocolate that still tastes decadent. Hu keeps the formulas tight: no emulsifiers, no refined sugars, no fillers.
Joyride Candy
Joyride modernizes gummy candy with bold, fruit-forward flavors made without artificial dyes and with lower sugar than traditional options. Designed to feel fun and indulgent but ingredient-conscious, the brand taps into childhood candy nostalgia while aligning with today’s cleaner-label expectations.
Protein Pints
Ice cream without the sugar crash? A single-serving scoop of Protein Pints gives you 30g of protein with only 3g of added sugars.
Hormbles Chormbles
Hormbles Chormbles taste like the candy you’d grab at the checkout line, except they also deliver protein. They’re crunchy, chocolatey, and genuinely dessert-level satisfying without that chalky “protein” aftertaste.
Unreal Chocolate
Unreal reworks classic candy favorites with cleaner ingredients, significantly less sugar and no artificial dyes or sweeteners.
The Best Healthy Snack Alternatives
OKO
Developed by iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and her longtime personal chef, Jane Coxwell, Oko comprises chef-crafted, vegetable-forward sauces built around bold combinations like beet ginger, carrot turmeric and cauliflower lemon. Designed for versatility, these blends work as dips, dressings or sauces, bringing vibrant flavor and nutrient-rich vegetables into everyday meals with an elevated, intentional feel.
That’s It
From cleaner ingredient lists to naturally sweetened dried fruit bars, these better-for-you picks offer a smarter way to snack through the holidays without overdoing sugar or additives.
Maui Nui
Maui Nui brings a premium, purpose-driven approach to protein, offering nutrient-dense wild venison sourced through a regenerative solution to Hawaiʻi’s invasive axis deer crisis. With a focus on clean harvesting, high protein content and sustainability, the brand positions its meat as both a culinary upgrade and an environmentally responsible choice.
Icelandic Provisions
Icelandic Provisions brings traditional Icelandic skyr to a modern audience, offering a thick, creamy yogurt that is high in protein and lower in sugar while staying rooted in centuries-old cultures.
Mosh Bars
Co-founded by celebrity mom-and-son duo Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger, Mosh bars blend brain health and convenience, combining protein with ingredients like lion’s mane and omega-3s to support cognitive health and focus. The lineup leans into approachable, dessert-inspired flavors — including Chocolate Brownie, Peanut Butter Crunch, Cookie Dough Crunch, Mint Chocolate Chip, Lemon White Chocolate and Apple Cinnamon — making the bars feel as enjoyable as they are functional.
Khloud Popcorn
Khloud by Khloé Kardashian is popcorn done better. It’s light, crisp and craveable, with added protein that actually enhances the experience. It’s some of the best popcorn that I’ve ever had (and it’s very easy to finish a bag in just a few sittings, if not one).
The Best Healthy Coffee & Beverage Alternatives
Bulletproof Iced Coffee
Bulletproof’s iced coffee focuses on delivering smooth, sustained energy through high-quality coffee and functional fats, positioning it as a performance-minded alternative to traditional cold brew. As a side note, the brand’s bars are also delicious, offering a surprisingly satisfying, nutrient-dense snack.
Recess
Recess offers a refreshing way to unwind, combining sparkling water with adaptogens and magnesium to help support calm and balance throughout the day. Its clean ingredient list, elevated flavors and minimalist branding position it as an easy upgrade from traditional sparkling waters and a go-to choice for mood-forward hydration.
Halfday Iced Tea
Halfday Iced Tea refreshes a classic with real brewed tea, lower sugar and added prebiotics, delivering a lighter, better-for-you option that fits effortlessly into daily routines. Familiar flavors and retro-inspired packaging make it feel nostalgic yet modern, while the subtle gut-health boost gives consumers an added reason to reach for it again.
Moonbrew
Moonbrew’s nighttime blend leans fully into a rich, chocolate-forward experience, tasting far closer to a cozy cup of hot cocoa than a traditional sleep drink. Made with magnesium, adaptogens and calming botanicals, it delivers a smooth, indulgent ritual that feels comforting and familiar, making it an easy upgrade from the chalky, medicinal powders that dominate the nighttime wellness category.
Matcha.com
Matcha.com brings ceremonial-grade matcha into the everyday, offering high-quality, stone-ground green tea sourced directly from Japan and designed to fit seamlessly into modern routines. With a focus on clean energy, antioxidants and mindful preparation, the brand positions matcha as a more balanced alternative to coffee while maintaining an elevated, approachable feel.
