I could eat a Japanese sweet potato every day and never tire of them. My preferred method of consumption? Roasting them whole for almost an hour in the oven until they get caramelly and very tender. So when I saw Beni Bites Japanese sweet potato bars at Pop Up Grocer on a recent snack hunt, I knew I had to try them. The bars come in a few varieties, spanning from original with just one ingredient (JSP of course) to black sesame protein cookie, which has 10 grams of plant protein from pea protein. There’s a matcha yuzu strawberry flavor too—and if you know my taste, you know this brand feels practically made for me. The bars are naturally sweet from the Japanese sweet potato, have the perfect tender texture, and are equally good for an afternoon snack or a pre-workout treat. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Realm Savory Veggie Crisps
Realm
Spicy Chipotle Vegetable Crisps
My former college roommate is a Veggie Straws stan, so I’ve gone through more bags with her over the years than I can count. But after trying Realm Veggie Crisps, I can confidently say that I’ll never go back to the tricolored stuff. While Veggie Straws are made of potato flour with veggie powders, Realm makes its crisps with four whole vegetables: orange sweet potato, cassava, purple sweet potato, and cauliflower. That small adjustment in ingredients makes a real difference in flavor. You can distinctly taste each one—the sweetness of the tuber, the earthiness of the cauliflower, the complexity of the purple sweet potato. Think of the texture as if Terra Veggie Chips and Veggie Straws had a baby. I really liked the spicy chipotle flavor, which had a layered, smoky heat with a cool lime tang. It’s what I’ll be reaching for any time I need a salty crunch.—Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor
