Sunday, February 8, 2009

Snacky Snack Snack

A Reader's Digest "articlet" says that cheese is a great food (in small portions) because it lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL. Now I don't feel so guilty about my snacking habits. Well, at least not so guilty about all of them. I know we are advised to snack on carrots and raw vegetables, but one of my secret stashes is in the deli drawer of my fridge. I love to nibble on bits of gorgonzola cheese when I'm in the kitchen.
Other favorite snacks include...
Dark chocolate. I prefer 70% cocoa (cacao if you're snobby) to 85%. My favorite is Lindt's Intense Pear dark chocolate. A bar of good-quality chocolate will last me about a month.
One of the women I visit teach introduced me to the idea of dipping potato chips in cottage cheese. Love it!
Hummus. My favorite is roasted red pepper. That snack doesn't usually last too long because I can spend all afternoon dipping pretzels as I go about my chores.
Smoked almonds. Once I start, I can't stop. Roasted pumpkin seeds are
also a good staple in the fall.
My new addition to the hidden snack stashes is the Ginger Cats Cookies
("for people") from Trader Joe's. My sister picked up a tub for me on their vacation this past week. Those of you who have a Trader Joe's within a reasonable (< two hours) driving distance, please don't take it for granted.
I would LOVE to shop there each week!

I typically save my snacks as a reward for myself when I've been good and finished my morning chores, which means they last a while. What favorite snacks do all of you have that I could consider adding to my hiding spots?

7 comments:

Charlotte said...

Wow, you have great snacks. I just by big bags of chocolates from the warehouse store. And I try to spread it out, but it doesn't always work that way.

Andi said...

Have you been to Sunflower Market on the corner of State St. and University Parkway in Orem? It is very similar to Trader Joes.

Mary said...

Andi--I haven't been there, but I will now make sure to check it out. Thanks! As one of my Trader Joe's "runners", I'll trust your comparison. :-)

Debra said...

Excellent ideas, though I really don't need any other ideas for snacks, I have enough already and sadly very few of mine have any nutritional value. Red licorice is a fave as is popcorn. But chocolate, of almost any form (and I know I'm not alone in this), is my snack of choice. Come to think of it it's my meal of choice.

Kent White said...

Mary, I can't believe you left off Amano Chocolates. They are just on a different level (higher level) than Lindt.

Mary said...

Kent is right. I should have at least mentioned Amano Chocolates. But they aren't really a snack. They are SO good that they are more of an experience. I can't just grab a square to eat while I do the dishes. I literally have to sit down and concentrate on the subtle, changing flavors in their chocolates. The first time we tried them, Kent and I took notes about the texture, flavor, etc. Plus, they are too pricey to group with my snack foods. But definitely worth the splurge every couple of years!

Min said...

After reading this, my snacking habits seem so inferior. I mean, what is a carrot to smoked almonds!Since becoming a full time student, my snacking habits have taken on a "buy what's least expensive" attitude, (which some days results in eating a handful of dry oatmeal) but in my lavish frugal days:

* fresh homemade bread
* avacoado
* hummus (but I have a hard time finding a really good brand I like)
* Muenster cheese
* my blue cheese garlic dip
* almonds (especially smoked)
* coconut
* a mixture of coconut, chocolate chips, and chopped almonds
* peanuts - in the shell
* Samoa Girl Scout cookies
* tortilla chips with salsa and cheese, then warmed
* apples
* m&ms
* Keeblers CLUB Multigrain crackers
* Lindt chocolate (the round red balls)
* See's or Mrs Cavanaugh's chocolates

I realize most of these might require more than grabbing a handful and going on about your work, but they work good for having next to you as you read and annotate a 30 page essay for English class.