11 Best Healthy Dollar Tree Snacks

Looking for nutritious snack options, but don’t want to break the bank? Check out your local Dollar Tree! You might be surprised at the decent variety of nutritious snacks at unbeatable prices. From popcorn to dried fruit, take a look at these eleven healthy Dollar Tree snacks.

Note: While some Dollar Trees have refrigerated and frozen food sections that offer additional variety, we stuck with the shelf-stable snacks that are available at all (or almost all) locations.

Healthy Dollar Tree Snacks

As a money-saving enthusiast and RD, here are some of my favorite healthy snack options that can help you feed your family (or just yourself!) on a tight budget…

1. Harvest Snaps Baked Red Lentil Snacks

Skip the chips and munch on these baked lentil snacks instead! They’re crispy, flavorful, and nutritious. (I find these tomato basil ones have a taste reminiscent of pizza!)

Thanks to their lentil base, one package (in the size sold at Dollar Tree) provides 5 grams of fiber, key for digestive health and helping you feel full after you eat. One package also provides 10 grams of plant-based protein, which is important for muscle repair and recovery from exercise.

2. Popcorn Kernels

This is one of the best deals you can find at Dollar Tree, because the $1.25 bag contains about 17 servings! Each serving is 2 tablespoons of unpopped popcorn, which equals around 4 cups popped (the label says 5 cups, but it is really more like 4 in my experience).

Popcorn is a great whole grain option with fiber (6 grams per serving) and some protein (4 grams per serving). It’s easy to make homemade popcorn on the stovetop in any standard pot with a lid. It’s one of my very favorite cheap foods for snacks!

3. Boom Chicka Pop Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

Not a fan of popping your own kernels at home? Want a sweet and salty snack option? This Boom Chicka Pop popcorn is a great buy.

This snack only contains four simple ingredients: popcorn, sunflower or canola oil, cane sugar, and sea salt. The bag size sold at Dollar Tree provides two servings of 2 cups each (the serving size is a little less here, as kettle corn is sweetened).

4. Tuna Pouches

Tuna as a snack? Yes, please! These little pouches are awesome healthy Dollar Tree snacks for several reasons:

• They’re a great shelf stable source of high-quality protein. In fact, one of these small pouches contains 15 grams of protein!
• Tuna contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• It’s a nice savory snack option with a different texture than many other snacks on this list.

You can buy these pouches solo, or you can buy some cracker to go along with it for a heartier option.

5. Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while also getting some vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals. Dollar Tree tends to have a few different dried fruits to choose from, though I’ve found the selection varies from store to store.

At this store, I immediately spotted dried cranberries (which I love). Normally, it’s smart to choose dried fruit that doesn’t have much sugar added to it. Dried cranberries are super tart when unsweetened though, so I don’t mind the added sugar in them. You’ll get 3 grams of fiber in this snack pack, along with high levels of antioxidants.

6. Freeze Dried Fruit

Freeze dried fruit is another fun snack – especially for kids! There is a difference between dried and freeze dried fruit in the process to make them that creates different textures.

Dried fruit is made by removing the water content through dehydration under low heat, while freeze-dried fruit goes through a process involving freezing it, reducing the pressure, and removing the moisture.

Dried fruit is chewier as it still retains around a third of it’s moisture content, while freeze dried fruit is crispy.

Dollar Tree carries a variety of freeze dried fruit options, from apples to mangos to strawberries. While the bags don’t have a ton inside, they are delicious! They make a great after school snack option.

(If you’re looking to stock up on fruit for snacking, though, a grocery store or big chain like Walmart would allow you to buy fresh fruit that is typically more filling thanks to the water content).

7. Applesauce Pouches

Admittedly, buying a big jar of applesauce at a grocery store is likely a most cost effective option – but the kiddos seem to love these little pouches!

These pouches contain 2 grams of fiber each, plus they contain no added sugar. Each Dollar Tree package contains 3, so that works out to around $0.42 cents per pouch – not bad if you need some on-the-go snacks.

PS – If there are any runners or cyclists in the crowd, these can make a great snack during a long run or ride! The texture is much better than gels, in my opinion.

8. Beef Jerky and Smoked Sausage Sticks

If you need more protein-rich snack options, beef jerky, beef sticks, and smoked sausage sticks can be great shelf-stable options.

Yes, they’re processed meat and can be high in sodium – but they can be clutch for something you keep in your purse or gym bag that can tide you over until your next meal.

For example, this Tillamook stick contains 9 grams of protein in the 1-ounce stick. You can find lots of different brands and varieties at Dollar Tree.

9. Wonderful Pistachios

Pistachios are not only delicious, but incredibly nutritious as well. Pistachios are one of the few sources of plant proteins that are considered a complete protein, meaning they contain all the essential animo acids in adequate amounts.

These Wonderful Pistachios come in a 1.25-ounce package that’s 110 calories, making it a great portion controlled snack. Each bag contains 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

In addition to the salt and pepper flavor pictured, they also have a standard salted version and a sweet chili flavor. You can also find shelled packs at some stores, but I like the in-shell pistachios – they take more time to de-shell which can encourage you to eat more mindfully.

10. Other Nuts

This is a pretty broad category, but Dollar Tree has a ton of other nut options. Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews…you name it! Some come in mixed variety packs and others come in single nut packs like these Plantars Peanuts.

I’m a big fan of anything salt and vinegar flavored. Rather than snack on potato chips, snacking on salt and vinegar peanuts offers up more healthy fats, fiber, and protein. This 6-ounce container contains six servings, and each has 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.

And even though this sounds like it would be very high in sodium – it’s salt and vinegar after all! – a serving actually only contains 150 mg of sodium.

Again, you can browse through your local Dollar Tree though to see what varieties your store has and choose what works for you. Nuts are always a great snack option (aside from allergies of course).

11. Trail Mix

Trail mixes are another non-perishable snack item, and can frequenty pack in some decent nutrition. They can be especially useful when you need to get in some calories during a long hike, for example.

We like this Nature’s Garden Tropical Fruit Trail Mix. It contains banana chips, raisins, dried papaya, dried pineapple, and dried coconut. I actually like taking these and mixing it with some of the nut blends from the store to make a powered-up trail mix, but you can obviously eat these as-is too.

This contains 4 small snack packs, and each snack pack has 110 calories. While this does contain added sugar in some of the dried fruit, it’s only 6 grams of added sugar per bag, which isn’t too bad (and may be welcome during long exercise, for example).

The Bottom Line

Dollar Tree can be an underrated source of nutritious, shelf-stable snacks. With a little bit of research, you can find some pretty decent choices that contain nutrients like fiber and protein, or are focused on wholesome ingredients like dried fruit.

If you have the ability to shop at a discount grocery store, you may be able to find better deals on certain items (and obviously find more low-cost fresh produce) – but Dollar Tree can still be a great option for many non-perishable snacks. Be sure to check your store frequently, as selections can change and new items may be added!

PS – Looking for more Dollar Tree Content? Be sure to check out our Dollar Tree meal plan and Dollar Tree pantry organization tips!