Top Ten Salty Snacks
Disclaimer: This Hub was written as a challenge. My friend Georgie Lowery and I sent each other ten Hub titles, and we have to write one Hub for each. This Hub title is one of Georgie Lowery's.
Snacking. We all are guilty of it. Of course, we all snack differently.
I am a big fan of salty snacks. Salt is not for everyone, though. I've been advised by my doctors to eat more salt than normal, due to my total colectomy/ileostomy surgery. I'm not going to argue! Of course, I don't overdo it. I've never had any problems with my blood pressure from having a higher than normal salt diet. *knocks on wood*
In this Hub, I'm going to list some of my favorite salty snacks, from an honorable mention to number one. What? I like my honorable mentions! (In other words, I couldn't narrow it down again.)
Honorable mention
Bar-b-que Fritos. Yum, yum, yum. I like them better than regular Fritos sometimes.
My husband and I will seriously fight over a bag, which is either why 1) we buy two bags or 2) we just won't buy any. We found it's easier that way. Sometimes I get lucky and when I buy a bag, he won't be in the mood and I get to keep them for myself.
A lot of people like the Chili Cheese Fritos but not me. I prefer the BBQ or just the plain.
Ten
Ritz crackers. You can do so many things with them. My favorite is to smear peanut butter on them. Yes, you can buy Ritz Bits but for me, it's better to do it this way cause you can put way more PB on there yourself.
I am a weird creature. If I eat ice cream, I have to have something salty right afterwards. We keep Ritz crackers in the house just for this reason. I get this from my late paternal grandfather. Although he would eat the Ritz crackers in the ice cream. Yeah, I can't do that.
Nine
Ritz Crackerfuls. Have you tried Ritz Crackerfuls? They are awesome! I prefer either the classic Cheddar flavor or the Four Cheese flavor. The cracker isn't made with your normal Ritz, tho. It's more of a whole grain cracker but it's just as awesome. They also have a new multi-grain Crackerful but I haven't had that one yet.
I like to have these as a snack sometimes before bed. (Yes, I know eating before bed isn't good but I've gotta shut my stomach up sometimes.) I've kept some in my purse before, just in case I need a snack when we're out or driving to pick up the step-kids.
Eight
Tortilla chips. My favorite tortilla chips are the bite-sized Wal-Mart brand (pictured at right). I usually buy two bags at a time cause I go through them fast like.
I like to buy a jar/can of cheddar cheese to go with them. I'm not a big salsa fan or a queso fan so plain ol' cheddar cheese works for me. Pour some in a bowl, warm it up, and boom. Good to go!
Seven
Bugles. Ah, Bugles. Bugles actually bring back memories from my childhood. My late paternal grandparents would always have these at their house when I would spend the night as a kid. Back then, all there was was the plain flavor though - at least that I remember. Nowadays they have added the nacho cheese, ranch, sour cream and onion, chile cheese, and a whole slew of others. The only ones I've tried are the ranch and the nacho cheese and they are awesome. They were a staple every Tuesday and Thursday night a few years ago when my husband and I were in CNA class.
And, as a kid, who didn't put them on the end of your fingers and pretend you were the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard Of Oz? I totally did. You might have pretended to be someone else.
Six
Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles. Ruffles have ridges! And these Ruffles are the best.
I've tried other cheddar and sour cream chips...and they're just okay. But Ruffles C&SC are THE best out there. I could eat the whole bag in one sitting, literally, but thankfully I do have some form of self control. I like to pair them with a Subway Club from (duh) Subway. (Yo, Subway...you need to carry Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips! I'd buy chips more often!)
Five
Dorito's Nacho Cheese. I think it's better than Cool Ranch, but that's just me. It's perfectly salty to pair with a sandwich. (No "get in the kitchen and make me a sammich!" jokes either!) This is another chip that, if not careful, I can eat the whole bag.
I tried the Taco flavor, when they first brought it back out, cause I thought, "hey I like the Nacho Cheese and it's been so long since I had the Taco flavor...but I like the Nacho Cheese, I'll like it!" But that was not the case. I did not like the Taco flavor at all. Nacho Cheese still reigns superior in my book!
Four
Cheetos - crunchy. Ah, Cheetos. I love Cheetos. But they have to be crunchy. I like the puffed Cheetos, don't get me wrong. I'll eat them if that's all you have but my love is to the crunchy ones.
When I go to Subway, Cheetos are my chips of choice (if I get chips) to go with my sandwich. They make a perfect pair. As I said earlier, the Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream do as well. Both the Cheetos and Ruffles are my picks to pair with a sandwich.
Plus, licking the excess cheese off your fingers is yummy, too.
Three
Cheddar Chex Mix. My favorite Chex Mix. Really the only Chex Mix I will eat. I've tried the others but the Cheddar is the only one that stands out to me.
And for somebody who doesn't pay attention to the nutritional information (and yes, I know I should be), it's a better salty snack for me than the rest of this list.
My good friend, Georgie Lowery, actually made me want some cheddar Chex Mix SO BAD one time, that I actually pried myself away from my game at pogo.com, and went and got me some. THAT'S how good it is and how much I love it.
Two
Ramen noodles. Food of the drunk, poor college kids. Or just a snack for poor me. And yes, I know it's not one of the best foods, but hey, there's worse things I could be doing, right?
I only like the chicken, creamy chicken, or the beef flavors (and I've only started liking the beef flavor recently.) I don't like the Top Ramen brand, only the Maruchan brand.
And I'm really weird when it comes to how I eat them. I smash up the noodles, add the water and the flavor packet, mix that up, microwave it for about 3 minutes, mix it up some more, and then I put in the refrigerator to cool for about five to ten minutes. Yes, I am aware that I am weird, you don't have to tell me. I'm sure you have some weird food quirks, too.
One
White cheddar popcorn. I love popcorn. And when you add white cheddar to it? Ohhh myyyyy Goddddddd! My two favorites are Orville Redenbacher's White Cheddar and Smartfood's.
With Orville Redenbacher's, you pop the popcorn first and then sprinkle on the white cheddar flavoring. Smartfood's is already popped, for when you're feeling lazy.
I have found the Orville Redenbacher's, a 10-pack, at Big Lot's for $5. I don't know how much they are normally. We tend to try to get stuff cheap-ish around our house.
After I had my surgery, I stayed away from popcorn for a year. I was scared to eat it. But now? Now there is no stopping me! Of course, I eat it with moderation. I don't eat it for breakfast, lunch, and supper. I don't want to tempt fate that much! But I do eat it once or twice a week. Sometimes more.
But, I don't want to eat too much since they say that popcorn can be bad for your health. With "popcorn lung" and all that. Doctors say that the chemical diacetyl, that is used to give microwave popcorn it's tasty buttery flavor is the culprit. Diacetyl is also found naturally in wine, beer, and in many dairy products and fruits. The big, bad medical name for "popcorn lung" is called bronchiolitis obliterans. It is also found in factory workers.
© 2012 Jamie Sykes