Critics’ pick

Nutty logic

The evil truth about fruits and nuts is that they’re not always as healthy as you might think. “Nature’s Love” trail mix (or whatever) may seem more nutritious than a Kit Kat, but have you looked at the list of ingredients recently? It’s the length of a short story—with mostly unpronounceable words. Sadly, these faux-healthy brands monopolize vending machines and corner bodegas. But not for long: I stumbled upon Peeled Snacks in the middle of a food coma one afternoon and was impressed with the quality, selection and nutritional value of their products. The company makes three cutesy-named bag varieties—FigSated, Shock-olate and Bing Bing Cherry—which are filled with whole nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios—no junky peanuts) and big, moist pieces of dried fruit (apricots, apples, cherries, pears and dates). Little details make a difference: The nuts, for example, come in a separate sealed stay-fresh pack, which keeps them crunchy. There is no added sugar, oil or fat. And the bags weigh in at a plump 2.6 ounces each. I’ve got an in with TONY’s vending-machine supplier: I’m hoping to see the stuff on rows A1 and A2 shortly. Available for around $3 at select locations around the city and at peeledsnacks.com.—James Oliver Cury