Not to brag, but we kicked BBQ season off with a bang with our innovative vegan bunny dogs. But, with so many more grilling sessions coming up, and a rep to live up to, we did some digging to find more alternative healthful hits to bring to the red-and-white table.

MOVERS N’ SHAKERS Sure it’s tempting to give obscurely-shaped-hugging salt n’ pepper sets, but then again, you can also buy matching “Kiss the Cook,” aprons. Steer clear of the Kitsch and get La Pere Pelletier Company all natural sea salts, touched with Australian, Hawaiian and French herbs, peppers and sugars. Dried in the sun and combined with a tad of natural Alaea clay, the “down under” salt has a mild taste perfect for baking, roasting and finishing. The Pacific Ocean crystals are charred in a fireplace, giving a smokey hint to crudités, meats and fish. Corked in three shot glasses, they’ll also give Petron an excuse to come out early.

STACKED WITH YOU Usually, we like stacked things because they save space, but we’d still buy Vervacious Signature Grill Time Gift Set (Azorean Piri-Piri Pepper Condiment, Oaxacan Mole Rub, Super-Savory Cinnamon Salt, and Sahara Harissa Rub) even if it hogged all the counter space. These curvy structures form a wavy glass tower through which the reds and browns show off their bold colors giving you a sneak preview of the Portuguese and Mexican sweet, hot and tangy rubs your steak is in for.

GET FRESH
While pregnant, Sarah concocted her own blend to appease her erratic cravings, a homemade salsa which her friends insisted she share with the rest of us. Now, she and said pals slice, dice and prepare such fresh dips as Black Bean Chipolte and Mango Salsa sans preservatives, by hand, in a kitchen just like the original where this stuff was born, it just happens to be FDA-approved.

IN A PICKLE From the creator of the artisanal award winning Smokra and Phat Beans pickled vegetables, comes the People’s Pickle, an all natural crunchy, chunky burger accompaniment with laymen low sodium concerns in mind and a vintage kick of fresh coriander, dill and garlic.

We may not scream for them, but chips are indispensable in our summer snacking. Still, scanning rows of sustainable, low fat, low sodium and fair trade options fills us with more anxiety than the seductive Cheetos guy does. The organic aisle has us questioning (are they for real veggies?) and shaking (are there more than ten chips in the bag?). So we went ahead and tested some of the healthful looking items to determine which are good for us and which are just dressed in colorful costume. At least they all agreed to be trans fat and cholesterol free.

Cals 105 (30 gm). Sodium 120 mg. Fiber 3 gm.

Crispy Delites: Carrot Chips Baked and jam-packed with a pound of vegetables, 390 mg of potassium, (helps all cells) and lots of Vitamins A and C, this snack has your green needs in mind. No. You’re not seeing things, they’re helping you see better.

Not much of a rabbit? Try cucumber, celery, red onion or Fuji apple.

Extend Crisps: White Cheddar Soy Crisps

Cals 130 (32 gm). Sodium 160 mg. Fiber 3 gm.

This light, airy low glycemic index snack gets its mild cheese taste from a combo of dehydrated cheese and whey. That, together with the uncooked corn starch (read: a slow burning carb that controls blood sugar release) keeps us fuller, longer, preventing us from tearing through another bag.

Cals 140 (28 gm). Sodium 140 mg. Fiber 3 gm.

Garden of Eatin: Multigrain Tortilla Chips with Everything Actually packed with Multi (seven of them) Grains (organic corn, cracked wheat, steel cut oats and flax seeds to name a few), this speckled snack is baked in sunflower and safflower oils (high in monosaturates, like olive oil) and combined with savory additions of poppy seeds, onion, and garlic to really give you everything.

Cals 140 (28 gm). Sodium 80 mg. Fiber 3 gm.

Food Should Taste Good: Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips

Although sweet potato isn’t the first on the nutrition label’s list (its stoneground corn), we get all the benefits of the soft orange vegetable’s Vitamin A (20%). With just the right balance of sweet and salty flavor and conveniently sized for dipping, this chip goes well with mango salsa and bean dip. Though something that tastes this good doesn’t need much added kick.