The Meaning of Santana Snacks
If you grew up in a Latino household like me, you know that food is the heart of our culture. It’s what brings families together, it’s what supports our communities, and how we show love and affection towards one another. Growing up in Santa Ana, California, street vendors, like el paletero, are cultural institutions that deliver nostalgia and felicidad (happiness) with just the ring of a bell.
Unfortunately, the current food market for clean and health-conscious Latino snack foods is limited. Many of the foods used to make these antojitos are made by big-name food companies (from the U.S. and abroad) that use artificial ingredients that are detrimental to our health, like refined sugars, excess sodium, additives, chemicals, and GMO ingredients. And it’s slowly hurting our community.
Diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are among the biggest medical conditions in the United States. In fact, research shows that 45.6% of Hispanic adults are obese, and Latino kids have the highest rates of obesity in the entire country compared to other demographic groups.
That’s why it was important for me to create a ready-to-eat, packaged snack made with organic ingredients and all-natural, nostalgic Hispanic flavors.
The Story of Santana Snacks
Meet Our Founder:
Raised by Immigrants, Rooted In Passion For Better Foods.
Meet our founder, Victor Macias! As the first-born son of Mexican immigrants, Victor grew up immersed in the flavors, sounds, and hustle of his hometown of Santa Ana, California. A town rich in Mexican and Chicano heritage, he grew up surrounded by the vibrant colors of local murals in every corner, the ringing bells of el paletero, and the comfort in being part of a comunidad that was proud of who they were and where they came from.
But once Victor began his health journey, it was impossible to ignore the lack of healthy alternatives for the foods that make up his identity — the foods and flavors at the heart of Hispanic culture. Why did ‘being healthy’ mean you had to push away the antojitos that bring you warmth? .
With the help of his entrepreneurial experience (notably from the low-carb, keto-focused Nui cookies featured in Shark Tank), Victor’s vision of creating healthier and delicious health foods for nuestra comunidad came in the form of Santana Snacks. Ahora, every crunchy bite means more. It’s an acknowledgment of your worth — that you deserve better without leaving who you are behind.
Antojitos [ahn. – toh- hee-tohs]
Plural noun
Delicious, sweet, savory, spicy, or tangy snacks inspired by classic Hispanic flavors.
Better for you, y el cuerpo lo sabe.
Santana Snacks was born out of the hunger for healthy snacks that feel like home. Snacks that felt like visiting the local gusgerias (Mexican snack places) with our primos, Sunday barbecues with nuestra familia, or even the elote man passing through our neighborhood for an evening treat — without all those artificial ingredients!
At Santana Snacks, we’re dedicated to creating clean, organic snacks that nourish the body, bring joy to the soul, and celebrate our heritage, one bite at a time. We empower our community to make better food choices without sacrificing any of the SABOR that brings us together. Because you deserve it, te lo mereces!