100-calorie snacks are like rabbits. They definitely multiplied over night. They have a good quarter to half of a grocery aisle all to themselves, for goodness sake. Someone must like them. Do you like them?

I rounded up 15 willing mouths at 3 different taste panels to rate a total of 15 100-calorie snack packs (7 savory, 8 sweet). The tasters rated each snack on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being high), and then listed their favorite from the bunch. And the winners are...

Savory (not sweet) Snacks

  

Name: Baked Cheetos
Quantity: about 40 corn curls
Other Stats: 4 g fat (0.5 g sat); 14 g carb; 180 mg sod.
Taster comments: Portion size is just right - very good - hands don't get as orange as with regular Cheetos - less flavor/less salty than regular Cheetos - good portion! - more airy - like rice cakes - not as cheesy - good texture - not a good finish - seems fair - has "poofiness"
Average rating: 2.65 on scale of 1 to 5

   

Name: Cheez-It Right Bites
Quantity: about 21 crackers
Other Stats: 3 g fat (1 g sat); 14 g carb; 230 mg sod.
Taster Comments: above average portion size - gross aftertaste - disappointment - dry - needs salt - really good - portion size only OK - taste the same
Average Rating: 2.92 on scale of 1 to 5

 

Name: Doritos, Nacho Cheese
Quantity: about 27 mini chips
Other Stats: 6 g fat (1 g sat); 12 g carb; 140 mg sod.
Taster Comments: decent portion - tastes exactly like a Dorito - great, but need more - not a good portion size - flavor is all there - tastes like Doritos - realistic - it gets me that they're smaller - it's probably equivalent to about 5 real-size Doritos - I would rather go for the Cheetos.
Average Rating: 4.33 on scale of 1 to 5

 

Name: Baked Goldfish
Quantity: about 62 little fish
Other Stats: 3.5 g fat (1 g sat); 14 g carb; 170 mg sod.
Taster Comments: very impressive portion - tastes like regular goldfish - milder Cheddar than Cheez-Its - love the portion! - cute! - crunch is good - weird aftertaste - get a lot, but they're less cheesy - no cheese flavor - they're teeny tiny - taste different - I hate fish.
Average Rating: 3.42 on scale of 1 to 5  

Name: Cheez-It Extra Cheddar Party Mix
Quantity: about 27 pieces
Other Stats: 3.5 g fat (1 g sat); 14 g carb; 280 mg sod.
Taster Comments: different textures - variety is nice - decent portion - I love it! - extra cheddar - the puffs taste like Kix - love it, but not enough - portion is not great - good puffs - good flavor
Average Rating: 4.59 on scale of 1 to 5

 

Name: Pringles, Sour Cream & Onion
Quantity: about 13 chips
Other Stats: 4.5 g fat (1.5 g sat); 12 g carb; 125 mg sod.
Taster Comments: could easily eat them all and I want more - OK portion size - they feel thin - not as much flavor - I'm not a huge fan of these - not a lot of flavor - portion size is small - they taste waffery - realistic portion for 100 calories - satisfying - not very many
Average Rating: 3.42 on scale of 1 to 5

Name: Sun Chips, Harvest Cheddar
Quantity: about 19 little chips
Other Stats: 4.5 g fat (0.5 g sat); 13 g carb; 135 mg sod.
Taster Comments: good crunch - good flavor - portion is OK - taste like cardboard - seem thicker - taste is exactly the same - the bigger chips are better - these look better than the Doritos - good size - aren't these already healthy?
Average Rating: 3.81 on scale of 1 to 5 

FAVORITE SAVORY SNACK: Cheez-It Extra Cheddar Party Mix
LEAST FAVORITE SAVORY SNACK: Baked Cheetos

Sweet (not savory) Snacks

 

Name: Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps
Quantity: about 17 thin crisps
Other Stats: 3 g fat (0.5 g sat); 18 g carb; 140 mg sod.
Taster Comments: looks like a lot - poker chips - good and crunchy - more like a cracker than a cookie - get a slightly bitter aftertaste - that's good - don't taste enough chocolate - I didn't think I would like these, but I do.  
Average Rating: 3.14 on scale of 1 to 5

Name: Fudge Stripes, Cookes & Cream
Quantity: about 9 little cookies
Other Stats: 4 g fat (2.5 g sat); 15 g carb; 85 mg sod.
Taster Comments: they look nice - small portion, doesn't look like much - don't like the white chocolate flavor - have an odd smell - really good - chocolatey - have no taste - very pretty - these are decent - delish from start to finish - flavor explosion - I'm not sure about these - I don't like the taste
Average Rating: 3.46 on scale of 1 to 5 

Name: Fudge Dipped Pretzels
Quantity: about 13 mini pretzels
Other Stats: 4 g fat (3 g sat); 15 g carb; 130 mg sod.
Taster Comments: good portion - wish they were saltier - I like these better than the other chocolate-covered pretzels - pretzel flavor is stronger - not as smooth - taste cheap - not the same salty finish as the other pretzels
Average Rating: 2.88 on scale of 1 to 5 

Name: Fudge Stripe Cookies
Quantity: about 10 mini cookies
Other Stats: 3.5 g fat (2.5 g sat); 16 g carb; 65 mg sod.
Taster Comments: portion is OK - don't like the combination - tastes good - better than the cookies 'n cream cookies - dense cookie - lame - very good - portion might be OK - cookie is not good. - even though small, have good substance - my favorite - love the taste.
Average Rating: 4.42 on scale of 1 to 5 

Name: Lorna Doone Shortbread Cook Crisps
Quantity: about 18 little squares
Other Stats: 3 g fat (1.5 g sat); 16 g carb; 120 mg sod.
Taster Coments: good portion! - looks classy - taste like the real thing - love the simplicity - buttery, crispy - decent portion - small - bland - really good - don't really like these - taste a lot like the original - I'm usually not into Lorna's but these seem good for 100 calories
Average Rating: 4.07 on scale of 1 to 5 

Name: Milano Cookies
Quantity: 2 cookies
Other Stats: 4.5 g fat (2 g sat); 12 g carb; 35 mg sod.
Taster Comments: happy with the portion - these melt in my mouth - taste white cake, then chocolate - elegant tasting - simple elegance - melt in your mouth - these are rather original - something different - I can bake better sh*t in my kitchen - awkward - now that's good - I'd buy these.
Average Rating: 3.17 on scale of 1 to 5

Name: Mister Salty Milk Chocolate Pretzels
Quantity: about 11 pretzels
Other Stats: 3.5 g fat (2 g sat); 16 g carb; 160 mg sod.
Taster Comments: good combo - darker chocolate taste - I like the chocolate on these pretzels better than the other ones - the portion is a let-down - could use more.
Average Rating: 3.61 on scale of 1 to 5 

Name: Oreo Thin Crisps
Quantity: about 22 thin crisps
Other Stats: 2 g fat (0 g sat); 19 g carb; 160 mg sod.
Taster Comments: very hefty portion - poker chips - these stick in my teeth - taste like the cookie part of an Oreo - not as satisfying - delish wafer, but this is not an Oreo - good, but don't taste like an Oreo - there's a lot there - really good - portion is good.  
Average Rating: 3.08 on scale of 1 to 5 

FAVORITE SWEET SNACK: Fudge Stripe Cookies
LEAST FAVORITE SWEET SNACK: Fudge Dipped Pretzels 

Thank you to all my taste testers out there! If you're looking for a 100-calorie snack that doesn't come from a package, check out this recipe I developed for Cuisine Lite: Fresh & Fabulous.