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A Power Ranking of the Best Snack Foods for College Students
[edit]Between classes, clubs, and extracurricular activities, most college students have little time to eat. Snacks play an important part in the life of a college student, where something as simple as stopping for a bite to eat may seem too time-consuming. As a result, foods that are easy to eat on the go are an essential part of every college student's life. A snack should be easy to transport, have a minimal cost per unit, and pose as a source of nutrition for the college kid on-the-go. These three criteria are what make up the most convenient and best snacks for the life of a colleges student. Since most college students are in debt and paying a lot of money on tuition, cost is definitely an important factor. Students need a good snack they will like that falls within a certain price that they are able and willing to pay. Since these students are constantly studying, learning, and walking around campus, it is important to fuel their mind and body with the nutrients it needs. Eating nutritious snacks are important so college students can perform their best. Packaging is also an important criteria since most students are rushing to get to class and quickly throw a snack in their backpack on their way out. The packaging should be easy to carry around and prevents damaging the snack.
Snacks will be rated based on three criteria: cost, nutrition, and packaging. Each of these categories will be rated on a numerical scale from 1 to 5, which 1 being little to no benefits, and 5 being a top-ranking snack for the given category. This means that each snack is rated out of a possible score of 15 total points. Using a numerical system will provide more accuracy in ranking, as well as provide a solid base for their placement. The snack that gains the most points will be the number one best snack for college students.
Smucker's Uncrustables
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For many reasons, Smucker's Uncrustables is a great snack for college students. Smucker's Uncrustables are sandwiches with different fillings and white bread that has been pressed together on the ends. There are several different filling flavors, including peanut butter and grape jelly, peanut butter and strawberry jam, peanut butter and honey spread, and chocolate hazelnut spread. This simple, yet delicious snack is something many people will enjoy. In addition, these sandwiches may remind college students of their childhood and act as aomfort during stressful times, like finals week. The saltiness and sweetness mixture is delicious and comforting to many. This simple, tasty snack is guaranteed to satisfy almost all college students. Besides, who doesn't love to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
The most popular flavor, by far, is the classic peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustables sandwich. At Walmart, the price of a 10 count Smucker's Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly Sandwich is $6.48 [1]. Students are essentially paying only about 65 cents per sandwich! Since college students are already swamped with tuition, living, and meal plan fees, this is an incredible deal that college students can't pass up. This type of snack can help students stay on budget and stay fed. Because of this fantastic pricing and the large quantity of sandwiches you receive for this low price, this snack earned 5 out of a possible 5 points for the pricing category.
In addition to its low prices, these sandwiches are very easily transported, which is perfect for eating in between classes. All of Smucker's Uncrustables are circle shaped and are packaged in a plastic bag. It is very easy to open an end of the bag and eat the sandwich as you walk to class, the gym, a review session, or anywhere a college student may be heading. In addition, there is a limited chance of the insides falling out since the edges of the sandwich are sealed together. This avoids accidentally spilling something on oneself as they are enjoying this snack. The snack is also the perfect size for the pocket of a bookbag, so it is very convenient to take on-the-go when students have little to no time to stop for food on the way to classes. Because of the convenience of this snack when on-the-go, Smucker's Uncrustables earned a total of 4.5 points out of a possible 5, only losing a half of a point for possible damage when carried in a pocket.
This snack is also fairly healthy and has some nutrients that are needed to fuel one's body every day. In a single Smucker's Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly sandwich, there is 6 grams of protein and 33 milligrams of calcium. Each sandwich only has 2 grams of fat and 210 calories [2]. All of the sandwiches also have no high fructose corn syrup and they are all non-GMO certified by the NSF. This low calorie, nutritious snack is perfect for college students. Students can still maintain a healthy diet with this snack, which is one of the hardest issues when facing college. Given these facts, the snack earned a total of 4 out of a possible 5 points for nutrition, only losing a point due to possible health concerns from other unhealthier flavors.
Price: 5
Packaging: 4.5
Nutrition: 4
Total Score: 13.5
Goldfish Crackers
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One great snack for college students in particular is Goldfish. These small, baked snack crackers are made with cheese and come in a variety of flavors, such as the original cheese flavor, pretzel, pizza, Xtra cheddar, and parmesan. The wide variety of flavors offered by this snack make ist very appealing to all sorts of audiences.
This snack that smiles back comes in many different sizes from one-gallon cartons to fun-sized bags. However, the focus for the average pricing will be based on the common 6.6-ounce bag which goes for about $1.78 a bag [3]. This is a decent price point considering the generous amount of goldfish provided in the bag. This is also a reasonable price being that most people don't eat the whole bag in one sitting and save it for a later time. Given the low price point of this snack, it serves as a great option for college students who are notoriously known for having low-budgets in college. The size of the bag as well means that they can obtain numerous servings for their purchase, which is an added benefit to the snack. Due to the great pricing of the snack and the large serving size that comes with each purchase, the goldfish snack earns a 5 out of 5 for the pricing criteria.
The packaging of the product can vary. The three main sizes are the fun-sized bags, the medium-sized bag, and the one-gallon container of goldfish. This makes it very convenient to buy for any type of setting, whether it be a quick on-the-go snack, or buying a large container to take to a gathering and share with friends. The small fun-size bag fits very well into a pocket of a bookbag, making it easy to store and save until a student feels hungry. The small bag also contains a moderate amount of goldfish, so you are not receiving a bag that is mostly air. The large variety of options when it comes to packaging and your needs gives this snack a total of 5 out of 5 points for the packaging criteria.
When it comes to nutrition, goldfish are a great snack for those who are moderately concerned about the types of nutrients they are putting into their body. A serving size of goldfish is about 55 crackers, coming in at 140 calories. The snack boasts a product made with one-hundred percent real cheese, no artificial flavors or preservatives, and their color sourced from plant-based ingredients instead of artificial dyes [4]. It is also very low in cholesterol, which is good for the overall health of arteries. The only downside to the snack is the sodium level, which sits at a total of 240mg per serving, which is about ten percent of the daily intake, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Overall, many of the benefits of the snack outweigh the amount of salt, making this a relatively convenient and healthy snack for college students. Because of the sodium, however, we can only give this snack a total of 3 points out of a possible 5, as it does not satisfy our perfect idea of a nutritional snack.
Price: 5
Packaging: 5
Nutrition: 3
Total Score: 13
Pringles
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Another beloved snack that is great for college students is Pringles. Pringles are stackable potato chips that come in several flavors. Ranging from original to pizza flavored, everyone can find a flavor that they will love. This potato chip snack is one that everyone can recognize, with it's characteristic chip shape and classic can.
Pringles are an extremely cheap option for students. A regular-size tube only costs $1.49[5], which is very reasonable even for a broke college student. These tubes are enough for multiple servings, too. This price is comparable to a single-serving bag of other kinds of chips or snacks. There are definitely cheaper alternative snacks, but this snack still is well within the budget of a college student. Therefore, Pringle's earned 4 points out of 5 total points. Since there are cheaper alternatives that are very similar to this snack, it has not earned the full 5 points in this category.
In terms of transportation, Pringles has one of the most effective packaging jobs ever. This snack comes in a can that's is made out of cardboard and perfectly shaped for the size of the chips. The chips are stacked and there is little air in the container, resulting in the maximum chips per package. In addition, the cardboard cans are pretty protective and prevent the chips from breaking while being transported. There are also smaller cans and plastic packaging specifically for eating this snack on the go. This clever packaging makes it easy to be transported in a student's backpack while they are traveling to classes. Therefore, the packaging is rated as a 5 out of 5 points for its easy transportation without crushing the chips and for having the maximum amount of chips in each can.
Nutritionally, Pringles are roughly equivalent to many other snack foods. With 2.5g of saturated fat and 150 calories per 16 chips[6], they aren't the healthiest option but certainly not the worst either. They are perfect for snacking occasionally. For people who are concerned about their sodium intake, there is even a "lightly salted" flavor which is just as good as the original. However, this delicious snack is still a type of potato chip that has high sodium, oil, and starch content. Therefore, Pringle's has earned a 2.5 out of 5 points for nutrition.
Price: 4
Packaging: 5
Nutrition: 2.5
Total Score: 11.5
Flamin' Hot Cheetos
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The second best snack for college students is Flamin' Hot Cheetos. These are a variety of one of the most popular snack foods in America, Cheetos, which are made of puffed corn. Normally they are coated in cheddar cheese dust, but Flamin' Hot Cheetos instead have their signature vibrant red coating made of a blend of spices and cheese. The secret ingredients used that contribute to that spicy kick they give are unknown; it is assumed that one ingredient is red pepper, as the capsaicin in red pepper is a natural chemical that results in the "hot" feeling that comes from eating it [7].
Flamin' Hot Cheetos are relatively cheap, but they are definitely not the best cost efficient snack. They average at about $2.50 for an 8.5-ounce bag[8]. For college students, this may seem like a decent price point without hurting their wallets too much. However, a meal swipe is about $5.50 and a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos is almost half the cost of one meal swipe. Considering that this crunchy snack isn't very filling, it is not the most money-saving snack. Due to these issues with pricing and the Flamin' Hot Cheetos being the priciest snack out of all of the options, they earned a total of 3.5 possible points out of 5.
The packaging for these chili-sprinkled chips can be questionable. This snack comes in a medium sized bag that is easily transportable. This snack can be easily thrown into one's backpack on their way to classes. While the outside of the bag is very bright and eye-catching, what is inside the bag may dock this snack down a few points. We know that chip bags need the air inside of them to protect our crunchy cravings, but, there comes a point when the amount of air in the bag trumps the number of chips that are inside. This is the case for Flamin' Hot Cheetos. These chips would sit higher in the rankings if there were more chips inside the bag while still protecting them from breaking. Because of the amount of snack lost due to inefficient packaging, the Flamin' Hot Cheetos earned a total of 3 out of 5 possible points in the packaging criteria.
In addition, this snack is not the healthiest option for college students, who need to properly fuel their body with healthy foods in order to perform better in classes. A single serving, which is about 21 pieces, is 170 calories and haves1 grams of fat, which is 14% of one's daily value. It also has 250 milligrams of sodium, which is 11% of one's daily value, and 15 grams of carbohydrates [9]. As well as lacking in nutrition, this snack happens to have a mildly addictive. Studies have shown that there exists a type of addiction of Flamin' Hot Cheetos that is comparable to that of a "mild opiate addiction" [10]. This is a detrimental problem that can affect both the nutrition and cost category, as an addiction to this product can lead to various health issues, as well as budget problems when attempting to fulfill the addiction. In short, this spicy, delicious snack is mainly made of carbohydrates and does not contain any important micro-nutrients that are essential in the proper functioning of one's body. Because of these many underlying issues and possible health risks associated with eating this snack, they earned a total of 1.5 points out of a possible 5 for nutrition.
Price: 3.5
Packaging: 3
Nutrition: 1.5
Total Score: 8
References
[edit]https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pepperidge-Farm-Goldfish-Cheddar-Crackers-6-6-oz-Bag/10294707
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cheetos-Crunchy-Flamin-Hot-Cheese-Flavored-Snacks-8-5-oz-Bag/49909689
https://www.target.com/p/pringles-potato-crisps-original-flavored-chips-5-2oz/-/A-13053936