Blessed by the Potato

I’m a snacker, always have been, but thesis writing has made it just that much more intense. Due to the constant shoveling of food down my throat without any movement at all, let alone vigorous cardiovascular exercise, I’m always on the hunt for “healthier” (less bad) snack options. Here are some of my favourites:

Old Dutch baked potato chips: they’re chips, they’re delicious, and only moderately unhealthy. Unfortunately, despite helping the RCSS clear out their shelves every week for the last few months, they seem to have stopped carrying them, and I have never seen them at Metro or Price Chopper. So I have no idea where to buy these now. I’ve also tried Lays Baked chips, and Old Dutch were far superior in my opinion: more of a solid crunch, as the chip is a bit thicker.

SuperSlim Brown Rice Crisps (several other varieties): these are a rice cracker with a really nice, light, crunchy texture. Not at all like a rice cake. They’re fairly salty, with a really finely ground salt, providing even covering. They stay crunchy for several chews in your mouth, like a nacho would, rather than going chewy like you’d expect a rice cake to. I like them with cheese, but they’re ok on their own. Despite the salty taste, I can apparently eat a whole box and “only” hit 40% of my daily sodium intake. I don’t have the chips to compare to, but I think they’re even healthier (as in, lower in fat) than the baked chips. They do have some kind of starchy coating on them to help them stay crunchy, and after eating a few dozen, I end up with a sticky residue on my fingers, so keep some wipes handy.

No Name Zoo Animals & Castle Adventure snacks have been the other big hit here. They are candy, but packaged into little 100-cal packages for childrens’ lunches… not that that helps me when I eat 5 at a time. They come in whimsical animal or dragon/knight/wizard shapes so that I can let my imagination run wild while fuelling up. They also have vitamin C to prevent thesis scurvy.