I can’t be trusted with a jar of peanut butter. If there’s ever some Skippy or Peter Pan or Smuckers left around the apartment, I somehow end up spooning the stuff straight from the jar once crazy deadlines start hitting. (A while back I even went through a phase of keeping a jar of Jif inside my desk – baaaaaaad idea.) Luckily I’ve discovered the next best thing for when I’m craving peanut buttery goodness: Nature Valley Peanut Butter Crunchy Granola Bars, which are much harder to O.D. on, given their convenient little 180-calorie-per-serving packages.

In fact, practically all the products in the Nature Valley line appear to be the perfect solution for when you need a snacky little pick-me-up but don’t want to resort to junk food. ThisNext member Yumi Chen goes for Nature Valley Healthy Heart Granola Bars, which “have just the right amount of crunch and gooeyness.” Daily Mogs’ blogger, meanwhile, loves Nature Valley’s Sweet and Salty Nut Bars because they’re “more like a candy bar to me which tricks my mind and delights my palate.”

Much like me and my fellow peanut butter lovers, chocoholics are tricky to satisfy without filling up on so much fat and sugar and other lovely stuff that turns quite unlovely when consumed in excess. For “indulgence without the guilt,” Joanne Eglash – the Snack Scribe herself – recommends CocoaVia Brand Heart Healthy Snacks (chocolate bars rich in cholesterol-lowering plant extracts, heart-healthy antioxidants, calcium, and B vitamins).

For those who prefer savory to sweet, IAteAPie.net (quite possibly one of the best online resources for healthy-food reviews) gives the thumbs-up to the Dry Roasted Lightly Salted Edamame snack from Trader Joe’s. With less fat, calories, and sodium than Planter’s peanuts, the product also boasts more protein, twice the fiber, and 10 times the iron. And as for the flavor and texture, IAteAPie blogger Tanya says:

“The lightly salted edamame was crunchy, crispy, and I really, really liked it. The taste was a teeny tiny bit different from the more popular nuts such as peanuts, but I honestly slightly preferred the lighter tasting edamame to peanuts - AND I certainly preferred the price.”

If you’re the type who likes to torture his/her coworkers by filling the entire office with the drool-inducing aroma of fresh-popped popcorn right around mid-afternoon, skip the greasy, plain old supermarket brands and pick up a box of Paul Newman Organics Pop’s Corn (which shopcaster Kelly Park calls her “emergency food”).

And when you’re craving a nice big hunk of cheese but can’t seem to locate any gruyere or smoked gouda, try a little Laughing Cow Light Creamy Garlic and Herb Spreadable Wedge. George at Sassy Chickens loves the stuff so much, she even wrote a poem about it:

Ode to the Laughing Cow

Oh, sweet little cheese triangle. How you make me happy.

Only 35 itty bitty calories. 1 Point People!

With all your garlic and herby goodness.

Yummy.

But you, dear cheese, stick to the crinkles in the foil.

I want every drop of the calories but you just won’t let go.

I want to lick you but that would be wrong.

I think.

And the cracker? Why must you require crackers?

I just can’t resist.

Except I only brought one wedge.

Sniff.

How I love you dear Laughing Cow Light Creamy Garlic and Herb Spreadable Wedge.