snax

Let's talk about snacksy items. 

A friend at work brought a package of Hershey's milk chocolate bars to the office and we were soon tearing into them. Someone noted, these still taste amazing after all these years. Sure, I'd agree with that. A Hershey bar is a classic. They probably wouldn't tool around with a time-tested recipe. Wrong. The bar hasn't changed much that we can see. It's about the same size and the same price it's always been. HOW? 

Well well well. Glad a coworker had it in mind to actually look at the ingredients labeling. What the heck is PGPR? Why is it in my candy? These guys answered the question far better than I could have so give them a visit. [Because No One Asked]

So, I'm feeling a little deceived by the major candy companies of America. I'm also in the middle of readings about improving snack choices (ie. less processed food, in general, less weird junk in the ingredients lists). Here are some things I've been enjoying...

 

I like soda. Sometimes you want something that isn't corn syrup or artificial sweetener and isn't caffeinated. Blood orange soda from Italy. It's a little too sweet, but ice it down and it's perfect. Pick it up in the juice section of Trader Joe's.

 

Bite Size Everything Crackers also from Trader Joe's. These have a little garlic, a little caraway. I've been enjoying these just a few at a time. With slices of jalapeno jack and...

 

It sounds weird, but a handful of these "just a handful of Simply Almonds, Cashews & Cranberries Trail Mix" is a perfect partner to those caraway crackers and spicy jack. Usually I just need a few bites from even these small individual serving packets. About a third or a half of a packet. Trader Joe's is the snacker's paradise.

 

These Sahale Pomegranate Pistachios are from Costco. Here's where some label reading came into play. I was looking for a snacky mix that didn't have anything funky in it. No corn syrup. No hydrogenated oils. These looked like a great choice on paper and I took a chance; a bag of this fruits and nuts mix costs over $10. The smell is a little strange when you open the package but wow these are amazing. Sweet, savory, spicy. Great flavor and satisfying textures. Highly recommend.


One more from Trader Joe's. I've been pushing this on anyone who will listen. These are damn good. Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil. I know people overwhelmingly prefer the traditional butter and salt variety. I stand by these. Light, just salty enough. Very satisfying.

 

Dark chocolate covered mini pretzels. Duh!
Make sure you get the dark and not the milk chocolate.