Tori Smith – Opinion Columnist

We all know the drill. It’s the end of the month, and you’ve got a surprising amount of money left on your meal plan. You can’t let this money go to waste, so you head to the Caf to see how much food you can possibly stuff into two large paper bags.
The real question: what do you grab? There are a plethora of options ranging from chips and salsa to self-serve ice cream (if you consider ice cream a snack, which I certainly do).
If you’re wondering what to grab the next time you make a Caf run, look no further. I have done extensive research on the best of the best snacks available at the Caf, and by that, I mean I buy these items a lot and think they’re really tasty.
The first go-to snack I reach for on the shelves is the Welch’s Fruit Snacks (or the Scooby-Doo fruit snacks, whichever are available). You can never go wrong with this choice. They’re sweet with just the right amount of citrus, perfect for satisfying those cravings for actual fruit without those pesky fruit flies invading your room. Okay, so maybe they’re not the best replacement for actual fruit, but those flies sure are a nuisance.
They’re also great for on-the-go students because they’re packaged in individual little bags. This is great for sticking in your backpack or your bag when you’re out on the town.
You’re going to want to pack more than one, however, because if anyone sees you sneaking a few bites of these delicious gummies they’re going to want you to share.
The only downside to fruit snacks is the amount of waste they create. While the individual packaging is nice for portability reasons, it’s ultimately just unnecessary garbage that can’t be composted or recycled.
Another Caf delicacy are the Sabra Hummus and Pretzels. These are the perfect snack for the dorm room or anywhere else. Because of its ability to combine the hummus and the pretzels in one little cup, I take these babies everywhere.
A pretzel dipped in hummus is truly one of the world’s greatest snacks. It’s portable, nutritious, filling, and, best of all, vegan. Finding plant-based options in the Caf is a notoriously difficult task at times, so it’s nice to have this delicious option available.
Another great, yet slightly unhealthier snack that I find myself gravitating towards every month are the flavor blasted Goldfish crackers. The original flavor of these smiling little crackers is amazing, but when there’s a little bit of cheddar dust added I will eat a whole bag in one sitting.
While not the healthiest choice, the Flavor Blasted Goldfish are definitely hard to put down. There’s something about that cheddar dust that makes these crackers absolutely irresistible. There is, however, one downside to this amazing snack. Much like Cheetos, the dust is very messy. If you like to snack while watching Youtube from your laptop like me, you’re going to want to make sure your fingers are dust-free before touching anything.
These snacks are all good options, but there’s one snack that reigns supreme: the chocolate Teddy Grahams.
Admittedly, I am known to be quite the sweet tooth, so it’s no surprise that my favorite snack from the Caf are mini chocolate flavored cookies. There’s just nothing that compares.
I could easily snack on these little teddy bears for hours on end. Contrary to what people may think, they aren’t too filling like chocolate tends to be. Instead, they’re perfectly light and delicious, ready to be munched on throughout the day.
Therefore, my findings lead me to believe that Teddy Grahams are the champion of snacks in the Caf. Many will disagree with me, and many would even say cookies aren’t even a snack, but my research would say otherwise.
So next time you’re on a Caf run and looking for something sweet, chocolate Teddy Grahams are there for you.