We’re certain that neither of our grandmothers thought about “protein snacks” or “energy snacks,” and never heard the words ALA, antioxidant, Omega-3. Yet, who knew: All along they were giving us a healthier snack than, let’s say, a dish of Hershey’s Kisses (which we would have preferred back then) or a candy bar.

Three generations later, Planters has recaptured the grandmothers’ snack concept with NUT-rition, a line of different fruit and nut mixes:

• Digestive Health Mix, a higher-fiber mix of pistachios, almonds, cranberries, granola, and cherries
• Energy Mix, a blend of almonds, honey roasted sesame sticks, peanuts, dark chocolate covered soynuts, walnuts, and pecans
• Heart-Healthy Mix, with peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts

Nut-rition for a healthier New Year.
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

• South Beach Diet Recommended Mix, with almonds, cashews and macadamias
• Almonds and Smoked Almonds, both with 50% less sodium than the regular Planters productsTwo new additions this month include:
• Omega-3 Mix, with ALA-rich walnuts, chocolate-covered soynuts, and dried cranberries
• Antioxidant Mix, perhaps our favorite, with almonds, banana chips, cashews and dried blueberries, cranberries and peachesAre these better for you than a candy bar or a cupcake? Sure. Are they less caloric? Not necessarily. The 1/4-cup servings range from 160 to 190 calories, so are lower than most candy bars and cupcakes. But for us, it’s hard to stick to a smaller portion once the can is opened. There’s no psychological portion control. (Some varieties come in 1.5-ounce portion-controlled tubes.) There are also NUT-rition bars, but in our opinion, the great taste is in the mixes.

  But if you want healthier sweet snacks in the New Year, these mixes are a good start. There’s a $1.00 coupon in today’s newspaper.

  The only lingering question: Why is the name NUT-rition instead of NUT-trition?