Healthy foods at Target: a label-checked grocery list
The healthiest foods at Target are the ones with short ingredient lists built on whole foods: plain Greek yogurt, simple whole-grain cereal, nuts and fruit, and snacks made with a single, recognizable oil. Target's own Good & Gather line is a good starting point because the company says it skips artificial flavors, synthetic colors, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup (Target). Below you will find what to look for in each aisle, the picks that scored highest in our scan database, and the labels worth skipping.
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Scan with OsanaHow to spot a healthy food at Target
Read the back of the pack before the front. Claims like "protein", "keto" or "made with whole grains" sit on the front; the facts you need sit on the back, in the ingredient list and the Nutrition Facts panel. The FDA's guide to the Nutrition Facts label explains each line, and our guide on how to read food ingredient labels covers the ingredient list.
Look for
- A whole food as the first ingredient
- Short lists you could cook with at home
- Plain versions you can flavor yourself
- Protein or fiber in snacks
Skip
- Synthetic colors such as Red 40
- Sugar listed in two or three forms
- "Vegetable oil" with no oil named
- Front-of-pack claims that hide a long list
What Good & Gather promises, and what it does not
Good & Gather is a helpful filter, not a guarantee that a product is healthy. Target described the line at launch as everyday food made without four ingredient groups (Target, Good & Gather launch). That removes some of the most common label red flags, but a Good & Gather cookie is still a cookie.
The easiest wins in any store brand are frozen vegetables, frozen fruit and plain edamame, because the ingredient list is usually just the food itself.
Label-checked picks by aisle
These six products scored 88 or higher in our scan database, and each one has a short, recognizable ingredient list. They are national brands, so you will often find them at Target, but stock varies by store.
Chobani Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
Dairy aisle
- Our score
- 92/100
- NOVA
- Group 1
- Ingredients
- 1
- Added sugar
- None listed
The ingredient list is a single line: cultured pasteurized nonfat milk. Add fruit at home and you control the sugar. Our guide to healthy yogurt brands compares more tubs.
Nature's Path Organic Heritage Flakes
Cereal aisle
- Our score
- 90/100
- NOVA
- Group 3
- First ingredient
- Whole wheat
- Colors
- None
Whole wheat meal and wheat bran lead the list, followed by cane juice, oat bran and ancient grains. No colors and no flavorings. See more boxes in our healthy cereal guide.
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
Chips aisle
- Our score
- 92/100
- NOVA
- Group 3
- Oil
- Avocado oil
- Ingredients
- 6
Cassava flour, avocado oil, pumpkin powder, coconut flour, psyllium husk and sea salt. It is still a chip, but the list is short and the oil is named.
RXBAR Vanilla Almond
Snack bar aisle
- Our score
- 88/100
- NOVA
- Group 3
- Base
- Dates, egg whites
- Sweetener
- Dates
Dates, egg whites, almonds, cashews, natural flavors, vanilla flavor and sea salt. No protein isolates, which is why it sits apart from most bars on the shelf.
Hu Organic Simple Dark Chocolate
Candy aisle
- Our score
- 96/100
- NOVA
- Group 3
- Ingredients
- 3
- Emulsifiers
- None
Organic cacao, organic unrefined coconut sugar and organic cocoa butter. For a treat, three ingredients is about as clean as chocolate gets.
Joolies Organic Medjool Dates
Dried fruit aisle
- Our score
- 92/100
- NOVA
- Group 1
- Ingredients
- 1
- Added sugar
- None listed
The whole list is "organic pitted Medjool dates". Pair two with a handful of nuts for a snack with fiber, sweetness and fat.
Watch out: dates are naturally high in sugar, so check the serving size.
Store brand or national brand?
Buy the store brand when the ingredient list matches; pay for the national brand when it is clearly shorter. On staples like oats, frozen vegetables and canned beans, the lists are often identical. On snacks and bars, they rarely are.
Good & Gather
- Usually cheaper on staples
- Skips four common additive groups
- Best for frozen produce, oats, beans
National brands
- Often shorter lists on snacks and bars
- More choice in specialty diets
- Best for chips, chocolate, yogurt
| Product | Aisle | Our score | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hu Simple Dark Chocolate | Candy | 96 | 3 ingredients, no emulsifier |
| Joolies Medjool Dates | Dried fruit | 92 | Single ingredient |
| Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt | Dairy | 92 | Single ingredient |
| Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips | Chips | 92 | Avocado oil, 6 ingredients |
| Nature's Path Heritage Flakes | Cereal | 90 | Whole grain first |
| RXBAR Vanilla Almond | Snack bars | 88 | No protein isolates |
Shopping at other stores too? Our guides to the best healthy foods at Walmart and healthy foods at Costco use the same label rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Good & Gather healthy?
It is a good filter, not a guarantee. Target says the line is made without artificial flavors, synthetic colors, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup, but sugar, sodium and processing still vary by product, so read each label.
What are the healthiest snacks at Target?
Look for snacks with a short list and one named oil, such as plain nuts, dried fruit without added sugar, simple dark chocolate and bars made from dates and nuts.
Is it cheaper to eat healthy at Target?
Store-brand staples like oats, frozen vegetables and canned beans usually cost less than national brands with the same ingredients. Compare the unit price on the shelf tag.
Conclusion
Eating well at Target comes down to a few habits: start with Good & Gather on staples, choose national brands when their lists are shorter, and read the back of every pack. Plain yogurt, simple cereal, dark chocolate, dates and bars made from whole foods all scored near the top of our database. Check your store's stock in the Target app, and compare two products before either goes in the cart.
If you want to check any product in seconds while you walk the aisles, try Osana on your next Target run.
Sources
- Target, "Meet Good & Gather, Target's Newest Brand Yet", August 2019.
- FDA, "How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label".
- Product ingredients and scores: our scan database, checked October 2026.
