Snack time

Nuts always are being touted as a quick and healthy snack, full of good fats and protein. But are you going to eat them plain—or, worse, out of a can full of salty, greasy mixed nuts? Hardly. Browsing the aisles at the big R Street Safeway, I spotted some bags of snacks from a company called Sahale (the Web site notes that its products are also available locally at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and in some Target stores). Sahale’s offerings are slightly pricey, but very intriguing, mixtures of nuts, dried fruits and spices. I liked the Sing Buri mix, a Southeast Asian blend of cashews, peanuts, dried pineapple and (very mild) chili spices—though, just like those cans, it was a little heavy on the peanuts for my taste. But I loved the North African-style Ksar blend, which combined pistachios, sesame seeds, dried figs and a little kick of harissa. That’s a snack you can feel good about for a lot of reasons. Visit www.sahalesnacks.com.