7 savory snacks for the holiday season

There are plenty of goodies to nibble on and imbibe during the day holiday season to fill you up like a bowl full of jelly. Here are some sweet snacks and twists on traditional treats and drinks for you and your guests that taste good and will get you on the nice list.

Party poppers

Want to bring a little, little hostess gift?  Pack along a bag of The Little Kernel mini popcorn. These tiny sans-hull crunchy popped corns, in six flavors– Truffle Sea Salt, Sweet and Salty Pink Himalayan, White Cheddar, Butter and Naked, made with 100% pure olive oil and are gluten-free, dairy-free, whole-grain and non-GMO. And for a conversation starter, the snack company was founded by Chris Laurita of the Real Housewives of New Jersey and business partner Andy Epstein. $3.99, Giant, Sprouts and other select grocery stores nationwide.

Just like Grandma made

Serve up nostalgia at your holiday with a tin of Malt Shop Cookies. These retro treats made with real malted milk are beloved by baby boomers as well as Gen Xers and millennials who crave the malted milk finishing touch. The cookies come in a gift tin with a personalized message label and are available in chocolate chip, double chocolate and mocha chocolate flavors.  $24.99, $29.99 and $39.99 for a small, medium or large tin of 12, 18 or 36 cookies.

Nuts to go

Grab some snacks for the long ride to the relatives for the holidays and crunch down on Nuts About You, handcrafted small batch treats, and with five delicious flavors of Fireball Almonds, Green Tea Almonds, Coconut Almonds, Cookies N Cream Almonds, and Sweet Sriracha, there is a nut flavor for every taste, from fiery to savory to sweet. Sampler of all five flavors, 4 oz. bags, $32, www.nutsaboutyoula.com.

Snack like a Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, and now anyone can eat like a Mediterranean. Mediterra, the latest in healthful, all-natural snack bars, offers savory bars including flavors such as Bell Peppers and Green Olives, Black Olives and Walnuts, and Kale and Pumpkin Seeds, all with less than 4 grams of sugar and packing in 5 grams of protein. They’re rich in vegetables, nuts, herbs and seeds and contain protein-rich pea crisps, amaranth and olive oil, and all-natural, non-GMO, gluten-free, certified kosher, dairy free and vegan. $1.99 each 1.23-ounce bar or three bars of each flavor in a variety pack of 12 for $23.95. Available at Safeway, Whole Foods, Wegmans and other grocers nationwide or www.MediterraNutrition.com

Got nut milk?

Don’t leave Santa a boring glass of 2% dairy milk, make him jolly with the treat of MALK.  This wonderfully delicious and healthy nut milk is made with more than one cup of sprouted and organic nuts and is cold pressed to keep it fresh. The various MALK products are made from organic pecans, almonds, and cashews, and each MALK product is less than 7 grams of sugar. The nut milk flavors are perfect to drink by themselves or to stir into egg nog, smoothies or hot cocoa. $6.99 per 28-ounce bottle.  Available nationally, including all Whole Foods and Ralph’s Grocery Stores.

Cider in the house rules

When traditional spiced cider just won’t do the trick, Sonoma Cider offers a punch, from the latest style of cider drink, hard cider. With certified organic ingredients and distinctive flavors, including The Wimble, which is a variation on gose, an old German-style beer known to be sour and briny with a lingering and addicting harmonic tartness with notes of rhubarb and apple, The Crowbar, a habanero lime cider, and The Pulley, a crisp, refreshing apple cider with overtones of black licorice and a hint of anise, the botanical heart of absinthe. Four 12-ounce cans in a pack for $10.99, or Four bottles for $9.99. Target, Whole Foods, Food Lion and other grocery and liquor stores nationwide.

Ice is nice

Make your holiday cocktails bright and cheery with a splash of color and flavor with ICE Sparkling Ice beverages. These light and refreshing sparkling waters, teas and lemonades contain real fruit flavor in unexpected fruit combinations, like Black Raspberry, Orange Mango, Pink Grapefruit, Kiwi Strawberry, and Coconut Pineapple, without all the calories. They make flavorful mixers for your party drinks, such as a yummy pomegranate wine spritzer, with Riesling, Pomegranate Blueberry Sparkling ICE, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, a teaspoon of agape, and mint. Available in 12 packs for $12 at grocery stores nationwide.