Better snack choices when options are limited

When you're hungry at a gas station, we'd give the refrigerator and any fresh fruit a look before settling on a bag from the snack aisle. You might find a combination you actually want to eat.

Our first choice, if it's available, would be a banana and Sargento Light String Cheese. The cheese has 6g of protein per stick, and the banana gives you something sweet alongside it. Check for the word "Light" if you're using that product's nutrition information to choose. Sargento Light String Cheese.

If the selection is mostly bars, Nature Valley Fruit & Nut Trail Mix is one we'd consider. Each bar has 2g of fiber and 3g of protein, along with 5g of added sugar. We'd weigh those amounts against the other bars on the shelf. It contains almonds, peanuts, and soy, so check whether it suits whoever you're buying for. Nature Valley's label.

Sometimes you want crackers, and crackers are what the store has. Pick two you'd enjoy and compare their sodium for similar portions. If they sound equally good, we'd choose the one with less sodium.

Watch the servings per bag while you're there. Eating a package with two servings means getting twice the sodium and other nutrients listed for one. It's an easy detail to miss when you're buying a bag that looks like a single snack. FDA guide to the Nutrition Facts label.

We'd choose water to drink. If you buy refrigerated cheese or yogurt, eat it during the stop or keep it cold in a cooler. USDA guidance on packed food.

Also, be honest about how hungry you are. If this stop needs to cover lunch, look for a sandwich or another meal option as well. Buy for the time until you'll next get to eat.