When grocery prices creep up, I check Five Below before paying more elsewhere. These eight pantry picks deliver the value promised, with prices that make each one worth considering before my next grocery run.
1. Lesser Evil® Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn 5oz – $2.00
Movie night feels like the obvious occasion for this 5-ounce popcorn, but I also portion it out for afternoon snacks. At $2.00, the organic, vegan bag costs roughly half what similar premium popcorn can run at grocery stores.
Taste: Himalayan pink salt supplies a clean salty note, while organic extra-virgin coconut oil adds a subtle richness. The popcorn is light, airy, crispy, and fluffy rather than dense.
Make It Better: Pour it into bowls instead of eating from the bag so the seasoning gets redistributed. Anyone avoiding coconut should choose another snack.
Parting Thoughts: For premium-style popcorn at an everyday-snack price, this is an easy repeat buy.
2. Meiji® Hello Panda Chocolate Creme Filled Cookies – $5.00
Lunch packing gets easier with a box containing eight small bags of these chocolate crème-filled cookies. The portions are convenient for school snacks and sharing, while the $5.00 price compares favorably with many treats in the grocery store’s international aisle.
Taste: Each cookie has a delicate, lightly sweet biscuit flavor balanced by chocolate crème. The shell gives a neat crunch before yielding to the creamy center.
Make It Better: Tuck the individual bags into lunches or keep a couple ready for outings. They contain milk, soy, and wheat and come from a bakery that uses peanuts and tree nuts.
Parting Thoughts: Kids will appreciate the panda designs, though the sensible portions are what win me over.
3. Harvest Snaps® Original Lightly Salted Green Pea Snack Crisps – $3.00
Green peas are the first ingredient in these baked, never-fried crisps, making them my pick when ordinary chips sound too heavy. The 3.3-ounce bag costs $3.00, a useful price for a non-GMO pantry snack with protein and fiber.
Taste: The flavor is savory and distinctly pea-like, with light salt instead of an aggressive seasoning blend. Each crisp is crunchy yet airier than a conventional chip.
Make It Better: Serve them with a favorite dip or add them to a snack plate for extra crunch. Skip this bag if the natural flavor of green peas is not your thing.
Parting Thoughts: A vegetable-based snack this crisp makes the better-for-you choice feel pleasantly low-effort.
4. Combos® Cheddar Cheese Baked Cracker Stuffed Snacks 6.3oz – $1.63
I reach for this 6.3-ounce bag before road trips because the stuffed crackers are tidy, filling, and easy to pass around. At just $1.63, it is a particularly strong name-brand value compared with many grocery snack bags.
Taste: The real-cheese filling is salty and distinctly cheddar-forward. Its creamy center contrasts with a crunchy, crumbly baked-cracker exterior.
Make It Better: Divide the bag into smaller containers before leaving home; otherwise, the crumbly little nuggets disappear surprisingly fast.
Parting Thoughts: Nostalgia aside, the generous size-to-price ratio earns these a place in my travel-snack rotation.
5. Duke’s® Tall Boy™ Smoked Shorty Sausage – Hot & Spicy 1oz – $1.00
For a grab-and-go savory option, this 1-ounce smoked sausage is easy to keep with the shelf-stable snacks. The $1.00 price is far gentler than many grocery-store jerky and meat-stick options, especially when I only need one serving.
Taste: Smokiness leads, followed by savory seasoning and a noticeable spicy kick. The sausage has a firm bite and feels less greasy than many comparable meat snacks.
Make It Better: Pair it with crackers and fruit for a more rounded desk lunch or road-trip break. Heat-sensitive snackers should take the Hot & Spicy label seriously.
Parting Thoughts: Anyone seeking inexpensive protein with real heat gets impressive mileage from this little sausage.
6. Haribo® Gold Bears Gummi Candy 4oz – $1.50
A candy jar refill does not need to cost much: this 4-ounce bag is $1.50 and lasts nicely as an occasional pantry sweet. Orange, lemon, raspberry, strawberry, and pineapple provide more variety than a single-flavor treat.
Taste: The mix moves between bright citrus, berry-like sweetness, and tropical pineapple. These bears have the familiar dense chew that makes a small handful feel satisfying.
Make It Better: Use them to fill small treat bags or scatter a few across an ice-cream sundae. I keep the opened bag sealed so the gummies retain their chew.
Parting Thoughts: Classic-candy loyalists should find this a dependable bargain, provided they enjoy a firmer gummy.
7. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce 17oz – $2.50
Few $2.50 purchases stretch across as many meals as this 17-ounce bottle of sriracha. It earns pantry space by adding fast heat to eggs, noodles, rice, and marinades while undercutting many similarly sized grocery-store sauces.
Taste: Expect direct chili heat backed by savory garlic flavor. Its sauce consistency coats food readily, so a small amount can season an entire bite.
Make It Better: Stir it into a marinade or add it to noodles a little at a time rather than overwhelming the dish. Mixing it with a creamy condiment can temper the heat.
Parting Thoughts: Home cooks who routinely rescue bland meals with hot sauce will get the most value here.
8. Three Amigos™ Elote Mexican Street Corn Flavored Snack Mix 7oz – $2.00
Open this 7-ounce elote snack mix when friends drop by and a plain bowl of chips feels uninspired. For $2.00, the blend of corn snacks and sesame chips delivers specialty-snack variety at less than many grocery mixes.
Taste: Cheesy, savory, sweet, and fiery notes arrive in quick succession, echoing the layered appeal of elote seasoning. Double-cheese crunchy corn, corn jacks, hot corn churritos, honey-roasted sesame chips, and corn sticks keep every handful texturally varied.
Make It Better: Serve it in a wide bowl so everyone gets a fair mix of shapes, and put drinks nearby because the heat can build.
Parting Thoughts: Bold-snack households will have fun with this one, while mild-palate grazers may prefer the lightly salted options.
