Snacks. We love them, we hate them. We either learn how
to sensible manage our urge to have them, or we just give up and dive into a pit of pringles and cupcakes.
Luckily, there are many sensible options out there, so this landmine of a factor doesn't have to blow our weight
right out of the water.
Cheez-It Crisps (Four Cheese): 3 stars.
This product is getting a good rating for it's taste, rather than for it's strong showing as a logical diet food.
Oh, it's true that it has 140 calories per 1 oz serving size, 60 of which are from fat.
And it's also true that a 1 ounce serving of Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato chips have 160 calories, 90 of which
are from fat. So there is a slight reduction in calories, true. But as with the potato
chips, it is very, very easy to eat much more than the serving size suggested. The crisps do have
a satisfying crunch and good hit of cheese flavor. If you are craving something salty and crispy
then these will probably fill that need as well as any potato chip. Still, the calorie savings isn't
all that great. Buy these if you like, but understand that from a losing weight viewpoint, these
crisps are firmly in realm of junk food.
JELL-O Pudding Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding (Chocolate Fudge): 3 stars.
Make no mistake, pudding isn't exactly health food, even if it is sugar and fat free. But still, some
of us need, or think we need, some junk in our lives. The flavor of this product, which I made
according to the directions using skim milk, was good enough for what it was. It seemed a bit grainy
compared to regular pudding, but it was certainly palatable with a nice hit of chocolate. My main complaint
is that a package makes four servings, but the product won't last four days in the chill chest should you attempt
to limit yourself to one serving a day. I tried the experiment.
Day one, no complaints. The second day the
pudding had seeped a bit of liquid, but was fine when it was stirred up together. By the third day
the stuff was noticeably thinner, to the point of being more sauce like than pudding-ish. It still tasted fine though.
But I knew it wouldn't last till day four. I recommend that if you want to use this stuff
and eat just one serving a day, weigh out half a package and just make enough for two days at a time.
It's a bit of pain in the kiester, but the taste and calories savings are enough to make it worth it to some.
Lean Pockets: 3 Stars.
Not too bad for what they are, which is a quick snack one can eat on the go.
While not my favorite things in the world to eat, they do have a fairly good flavor and are certainly quick and
easy. I don't think they're especially filling for the calories they contain, but you could certainly
be making worse food choices.
