As college students, we're in that weird place in our lives where we want to eat healthy, and yet everything healthy is expensive, so we can't. (Then we feel guilty that we're eating so much cheap junk food, so we go back to looking for healthier options. It's a vicious cycle.)
Well, none of the snacks listed below are healthy, per se... but they do taste good. If you're getting tired of eating the same old 'cheap junk food,' why not try these popular Asian snacks for a change?
1. Snapea crisps
Crispy, crunchy, and deliciously addicting, snapea crisps seem healthy, but they're still chips (meaning they're still incredibly tasty). And yeah, they do actually taste a little like snapeas!
2. New Year's candy
Always around on Chinese New Year's (and for a few weeks after that), this candy tastes like strawberries, but with a milky, creamy texture. They're easily recognizable with that red and gold wrapper, and although most people eat them on New Year's, I can assure you -- they taste good year-round!
3. Spam musubi
This is one of my all-time favorite snacks. Although it only has four ingredients -- spam, rice, nori (seaweed), and furikake -- spam musubi is popular almost anywhere, be it picnics or dinners or fundraisers. If you've never had it, you're missing out!
Note: You can easily buy these at Hawaiian restaurants like Shaka's or Ono's. They're easy to make, too!
4. Prince noodles
These are dried ramen noodles packaged in a small bag for your convenience. Great for an on-the-go snack!
5. Chocorooms
Literally chocolate mushrooms. Need I say more?
Note: If you'd like to try these, you can usually find them at a local DAISO.
6. Pocky
Pocky comes in many flavors, like green tea, chocolate, or strawberry! Pocky is a 'biscuit stick' coated in sweet chocolate. The idea of it seems so simple, but it tastes amazing.
A variation of Pocky would be Pejoy, which is a hollow cylindrical cracker with a flavored chocolate filling. My personal favorite is the green-tea Pejoy!
7. Hi-Chew
I personally think Hi-Chew is better than gum. This candy comes in fruit flavors that you can chew on and -- unlike gum -- actually swallow!
Note: Be careful to remove the opaque wrapper before eating the Hi-Chew!
8. Dried squid
It's basically like stringy jerky that tastes like seafood. It's not nearly as fattening as regular jerky, though!
9. Dried mangoes (Philippine brand)
The Philippine brand has the best dried mangoes out there, hands down (and I've been to the Philippines). Real mangoes may be pricey and don't last long, but dried mangoes last forever (not really, but you know what I mean).
This brand even comes in resealable bags, so you can save some for later!
10. Ramen (assorted)
Yeah, if you're a college student, you've probably had ramen. But have you had these kinds?
There's so much more to instant noodles than Cup Noodles or Maruchan. Try other brands like Nong Shim, Koka, etc.! You'll be surprised at the variety and depth of flavor that you can get with only instant noodles (of course, they can't compare to real ramen)!
BONUS
11. Strawberry-filled Bon Bon candy
This candy has double the strawberry goodness. The hard candy itself is strawberry-flavored, and so is the melty, liquid-y inside. If you like strawberries, this is the candy for you!
