Here's something you might be interested in.
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
There’s a new way to snack this holiday season
Real ingredients, big flavor, zero guilt
Snacking hasn’t always had the best reputation. The first thing people often do when trying to lose weight or improve their diet is to cut out snacking altogether. But with mindful eating all the rage and processed ingredients falling out of fashion, snacking is getting a makeover. No longer is snacking about empty calories and mindless munching—now, more brands than ever are coming out with smart, mindful choices that don’t compromise on flavor or on quality. This holiday season, shoppers have more choices than ever to snack smartly.
One of the biggest changes in modern snacking is the use of real ingredients over artificial ones. Many brands are replacing corn syrup with natural forms of sugar for a cleaner sweetness. They’re also finding different ways to keep products shelf-stable without pumping them full of preservatives. Brands like Craize Snacks forego processed ingredients entirely in favor of simple, pronounceable ingredients. Craize crackers are made by mixing real fruits, vegetables, and spices directly into the dough rather than sprinkling them on top.
Craize Corn Snacks Everything Flavor
Nowadays, snack companies are being mindful of gluten allergies and other dietary restrictions. Now, with options ranging from vegan cheese to gluten-free crackers, people are no longer restricted in their choice of snacks. Some snacks, like Craize crackers, are vegan, non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, and seed oil-free, making them suitable for almost any diet. At the same time, the lack of gluten or animal products doesn’t make them any less flavorful, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the same snack side-by-side.
While classic crackers and potato chips may not have historically been the top of anyone’s nutrition list, their delectable combination of flavor and crunch has helped them find their way into more than one shopping cart. The truth is, however, that crunchiness doesn’t always have to come from fried foods. Thankfully, many snacks have nailed the crispy crunch of old snacks without needing a bunch of added oil. The secret is to replace the frying process with new techniques. Craize’s proprietary slow-griddling process locks in flavor and crispness without added oils, delivering the satisfying crunch of a chip with the versatility of a cracker.
A decade or two ago, it would have been possible to find some snacks that had all of the above characteristics. What makes modern snacking so special, however, is that the volume and flavor range of clean snacking is so much greater. Shoppers can choose from a wide spectrum of flavors that often rival the taste of their processed competitors. Craize, for example, offers five signature flavors: Sweet Corn, Everything, Guava, Coconut, and Jalapeño Lime. Not only does this allow snackers to enjoy sweet and savory dips and toppings, but it also allows them to enjoy their favorite flavors without the guilt. Michele Abo, General Manager of Kayco Beyond, parent company of Craize, says, “Craize is more than just a cracker—it’s a modern, healthy snack that delivers incredible taste and versatility. We are thrilled to support the Craize vision and introduce consumers to a product that’s vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and allergen-friendly, yet never compromises on flavor or crunch.” The Everything Flavor in particular has been named a Finalist for the Specialty Food Association’s 2026 sofi™ Awards, which recognize some of the top specialty food products of the year. The 2026 sofi™ Awards winners will be announced live at the Specialty Food Association’s newest trade show, Winter FancyFaire, taking place January 11–13, 2026, in San Diego, California. “Being recognized as a sofi Finalist is a huge honor for us,” said Michele Abo, General.
With snacking out of the doghouse, go ahead and enjoy a few bites guilt-free over the holidays. As long as the snack is made with real ingredients and doesn’t run afoul of any dietary restrictions, it’s hard to go wrong. Snacks like Craize crackers are a fitting choice to add fun, flavor, and crunch to any gathering, no guilt necessary. Use the Store Locator tool to find Craize at your nearest grocery retailer or visit gocraize.com to find it online.
Here's something you might be interested in.
There’s a new way to snack this holiday season
Real ingredients, big flavor, zero guilt
There’s a new way to snack this holiday season
Real ingredients, big flavor, zero guilt
Snacking hasn’t always had the best reputation. The first thing people often do when trying to lose weight or improve their diet is to cut out snacking altogether. But with mindful eating all the rage and processed ingredients falling out of fashion, snacking is getting a makeover. No longer is snacking about empty calories and mindless munching—now, more brands than ever are coming out with smart, mindful choices that don’t compromise on flavor or on quality. This holiday season, shoppers have more choices than ever to snack smartly.
One of the biggest changes in modern snacking is the use of real ingredients over artificial ones. Many brands are replacing corn syrup with natural forms of sugar for a cleaner sweetness. They’re also finding different ways to keep products shelf-stable without pumping them full of preservatives. Brands like Craize Snacks forego processed ingredients entirely in favor of simple, pronounceable ingredients. Craize crackers are made by mixing real fruits, vegetables, and spices directly into the dough rather than sprinkling them on top.
Craize Corn Snacks Everything Flavor
Nowadays, snack companies are being mindful of gluten allergies and other dietary restrictions. Now, with options ranging from vegan cheese to gluten-free crackers, people are no longer restricted in their choice of snacks. Some snacks, like Craize crackers, are vegan, non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, and seed oil-free, making them suitable for almost any diet. At the same time, the lack of gluten or animal products doesn’t make them any less flavorful, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the same snack side-by-side.
While classic crackers and potato chips may not have historically been the top of anyone’s nutrition list, their delectable combination of flavor and crunch has helped them find their way into more than one shopping cart. The truth is, however, that crunchiness doesn’t always have to come from fried foods. Thankfully, many snacks have nailed the crispy crunch of old snacks without needing a bunch of added oil. The secret is to replace the frying process with new techniques. Craize’s proprietary slow-griddling process locks in flavor and crispness without added oils, delivering the satisfying crunch of a chip with the versatility of a cracker.
A decade or two ago, it would have been possible to find some snacks that had all of the above characteristics. What makes modern snacking so special, however, is that the volume and flavor range of clean snacking is so much greater. Shoppers can choose from a wide spectrum of flavors that often rival the taste of their processed competitors. Craize, for example, offers five signature flavors: Sweet Corn, Everything, Guava, Coconut, and Jalapeño Lime. Not only does this allow snackers to enjoy sweet and savory dips and toppings, but it also allows them to enjoy their favorite flavors without the guilt. Michele Abo, General Manager of Kayco Beyond, parent company of Craize, says, “Craize is more than just a cracker—it’s a modern, healthy snack that delivers incredible taste and versatility. We are thrilled to support the Craize vision and introduce consumers to a product that’s vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and allergen-friendly, yet never compromises on flavor or crunch.” The Everything Flavor in particular has been named a Finalist for the Specialty Food Association’s 2026 sofi™ Awards, which recognize some of the top specialty food products of the year. The 2026 sofi™ Awards winners will be announced live at the Specialty Food Association’s newest trade show, Winter FancyFaire, taking place January 11–13, 2026, in San Diego, California. “Being recognized as a sofi Finalist is a huge honor for us,” said Michele Abo, General.
With snacking out of the doghouse, go ahead and enjoy a few bites guilt-free over the holidays. As long as the snack is made with real ingredients and doesn’t run afoul of any dietary restrictions, it’s hard to go wrong. Snacks like Craize crackers are a fitting choice to add fun, flavor, and crunch to any gathering, no guilt necessary. Use the Store Locator tool to find Craize at your nearest grocery retailer or visit gocraize.com to find it online.
Comments
Members of the editorial staff of San Diego Reader were not involved in the creation of this content.