Healthy Prepackaged Food

[Suzanimal]

I don't buy much prepackaged food but I came across some snack food in Sams the other day that I found interesting. I bought two items, the first is FIT popcorn (organic, gluten-free, non gmo, popped in olive oil, no trans fats, no HFCS, no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, 40 calories per cup, and vegan) it cost around 4.00 for a gigantic bag and I have to say this stuff is delicious. Really, really good. The junk food neighbors even love it.

I also bought some Garden Veggie Straws. They were a little more, around 6.00 for a gigantic bag. They were nice and crunchy but kind of bland. I wouldn't buy them again.

Have you found any healthy alternatives to prepackaged junk foods that taste great?

[Dianne]

I don't buy much prepackaged food but I came across some snack food in Sams the other day that I found interesting. I bought two items, the first is FIT popcorn (organic, gluten-free, non gmo, popped in olive oil, no trans fats, no HFCS, no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, 40 calories per cup, and vegan) it cost around 4.00 for a gigantic bag and I have to say this stuff is delicious. Really, really good. The junk food neighbors even love it.

I also bought some Garden Veggie Straws. They were a little more, around 6.00 for a gigantic bag. They were nice and crunchy but kind of bland. I wouldn't buy them again.

Have you found any healthy alternatives to prepackaged junk foods that taste great?

But they are a good thing to hide away for the SHTF scenario, and the power grids go down.

[amy31416]

Every time I think I find something decent, it turns out to be crappy in one way or another. Years ago I found a great tomato ramen that actually had dehydrated eggs in it along with vegetables. But that's long gone.

[Suzu]

But they are a good thing to hide away for the SHTF scenario, and the power grids go down.

Except they go rancid very quickly.

[Suzu]

I also bought some Garden Veggie Straws. They were a little more, around 6.00 for a gigantic bag. They were nice and crunchy but kind of bland. I wouldn't buy them again.

Holy $#@!, woman -- six bucks for a bag of air??? You ought to try shopping at Aldi's, at least they have reasonable prices.

Have you found any healthy alternatives to prepackaged junk foods that taste great?

Shrimp chips. Buy a box of the dry crackers at an oriental grocery. Take them home and deep fry them. They fry in seconds. You need a wok and some good quality oil and a to fish them out of the oil. Drop them into a bowl lined with paper toweling to soak up excess oil.

[Zippyjuan]

More info on those "Veggie Straws": http://www.nutritionunplugged.com/20...ible-portions/

Not So Sensible Portions: A Closer Look at Veggie Straws

(snip)

These Sensible Portions chips are trying so hard to be good. The package label includes a long list of boastful claims: All natural ingredients, 30% less fat than the leading potato chip, 0g trans fat, no preservatives, cholesterol-free, non-GMO and kosher oil. The Sensible Portions web site touts “next generation in healthy foods,” but I couldn’t find nutrition and ingredient information any where on the site (which was a big red flag for me). It was only until I received the product samples could I really tell what these snacks were all about. And I got to taste them.

That’s where my disappointment comes in. You would think these snacks were simply dehydrated vegetables the way the package looks and how glowing the praise has been. Not so. These fry-shaped chips really have very little to do with real vegetables. The “Garden Veggie Straws” are a puffed up, extruded mixture of potato flour, sunflower oil and corn starch with some tomato puree, spinach powder, salt, sugar and turmeric. Do they have the nutrients of vegetables? Hardly. 0% vitamin A, 0% calcium, 2% vitamin C, 2% iron, 1 g fiber. And I thought they tasted awful.

So why compare yourself to vegetables? The clever commercials are misleading. Just be a chip.

And are they really such a better chip? Heck, if I wanted a chip, I’d have a chip that tasted good. The label claims 30% less fat than the leading potato chip (7 grams in Veggie Straws vs. 10 grams in leading potato chip). But you could buy baked potato chips and only get 3 grams of fat! The Sensible Portions sweet barbecue Potato Straws contain 130 calories and 7 grams of fat per 1-oz. bag, while the same amount of barbecue Baked Lay’s contains 120 calories and 3 grams of fat. So this “30% less fat” really depends on what chip you typically buy.

To me, this is the “health halo” hard at work. Studies show that people end up eating even more of a low-fat snack because they think they’re being good. And they’re apt to enjoy it even less. When you’re eating a potato chip, you know what it is. And that tends to make people eat more in moderation. With all of these “healthy cues” on a product (even if undeserving), people tend to let their guard down. So people may end up eating twice as many of these Sensible Portion snacks because they’re so “healthy.”

Ingredients list (check your package to confirm):

Manufactured in a facility that processes Wheat, Soy and Milk.

Potato Straws (Potato Flour, Potato Starch, Corn Starch, Tomato Paste, Spinach Powder, Salt, Sugar, Beetroot Powder [Color], Turmeric), Canola Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt.

Nutrition (if you eat the whole bag, five servings so that would mean half your daily recommended fat and sodium):


As for FIT Popcorn- all popcorn is gluten free and "whole grain". Unless they add it somehow. The plain is just popcorn, vegetable oil (Canola or sunflower) and salt. Not much nutritional value. But we don't expect that from popcorn. 21% of it is fat based on weight.

If you want real vegetable chips check out (also not cheap compared to Lays) Terra Chips. http://www.terrachips.com/

[specsaregood]

//

[dannno]

As to the TOPIC, we love these and buy them buy the box: http://dukesmeats.com/our-smoked-mea...oked-sausages/
Some might disagree about them being "healthy" but not me. basically 2 ingredients: pork, salt. not a long list of names you can't pronounce...

I buy a similar type of meat stick that is made from good local cattle/pork. Then there is also tillamook, they make a pretty good meat stick (tho it probably has more ingredients than the one you posted) and they also make pretty good cheese. Cheese is pre-packaged and tastes amazing. You don't have to refrigerate it, but it can get soft and melty - if it molds just cut off the moldy part, but that still takes a few days or so even without refrigeration. For greater ease of use, try pre-sliced cheese. Not as good if it goes moldy, but good for a few days or so camping.

Then I get a blend of raisins/dried cranberries/dried blueberries in a bag from Trader Joe's.

Those are my staples when I go camping or backpacking - meat sticks, cheese and dried berries/raisins.

I prefer meat sticks over beef jerky, jerky tends to be dry and have lower fat content.

Most everything else that is prepackaged is just carbs and i try to avoid them..

[dannno]

Some type of sweet potato chips baked in olive oil or coconut oil is probably a reasonably healthy option, I woudn't overdo it tho.

[FindLiberty]

If TSHTF, an easy-to-find (but unhealthy) menu item will be "Free Range Human" meat products.

No thanks! I bet this shrink-wrap image makes it look far less fatty than it would actually be.

[Suzanimal]

I found some pretty good ice cream. It's called Arctic Zero. I bought the Salted Caramel and it tastes good. Next time I'm going to try the cappuccino.

[Suzanimal]

I don't buy FIT popcorn anymore, I like Skinny pop better.

[dannno]

[presence]

I found some pretty good ice cream. It's called Arctic Zero. I bought the Salted Caramel and it tastes good. Next time I'm going to try the cappuccino.

I just put 3 frozen bananas 9 ice cubes in blender; 2 Tbsp local honey, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 tsp coconut oil and a double shot of Guatemalan espresso.

Serves 2-3

I don't buy FIT popcorn anymore, I like Skinny pop better.

we're prone to buy organic popcorn by the pound and pop stovetop with sunflower oil in a stainless copperbottom pot

Some type of sweet potato chips baked in olive oil or coconut oil is probably a reasonably healthy option.

be sure to soak your chips in water for 30 minutes after food processor

[Suzanimal]

I just put 3 frozen bananas 9 ice cubes in blender; 2 Tbsp local honey, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 tsp coconut oil and a double shot of Guatemalan espresso.

Serves 2-3

I tried making banana/coffee ice cream once and it was a disaster. I'll try your recipe, though.

we're prone to buy organic popcorn by the pound and pop stovetop with sunflower oil in a stainless copperbottom pot

I'm sure your popcorn is much better than Skinny Pop but I'll be honest, I'm too lazy to go to all that trouble for a handful of popcorn.

[presence]

I tried making banana/coffee ice cream once and it was a disaster. I'll try your recipe, though.

some last tips... might be too much ingredients for your blender... but you're after 2/3 full frozen banana 1/3 full ice; too much banana:ice ratio can bog down your motor; I chop my bananas in 1/3rds before freezing

when filling, bananas 1st; then honey and peanut butter, then ice; keeps honey and pb from sticking to blender

add 2-3 cubes to espresso before put in glass blender to prevent break

fill remainder of cavity space with water to within inch of top of ice


if you don't have espresso machine you could prob substitute 2 cups strong coffee and just use less water.

[dannno]

I just put 3 frozen bananas 9 ice cubes in blender; 2 Tbsp local honey, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 tsp coconut oil and a double shot of Guatemalan espresso.

I make a pretty good chocolate mousse using chocolate whey protein.. I start with a sauce pan and add some coconut oil and grass fed butter, melt that down. Then I add about a quarter or third of a can of coconut cream. Then I add a heaping tablespoon of almond butter. Then I add a little salt (the almond butter is unsalted) and some bourbon vanilla extract. I stir that up. Then I add the protein powder and some cocoa powder. Stir again. Then I get out a coffee mug, I put in a few heaping tablespoons of some grass fed yogurt. Then I add the chocolate mixture to the mug, and stir everything. Then I add my dried cherry/raisin/blueberry/cranberry blend, stir and throw it in the freezer. About 30 minutes later, I stir it and put it back in. After an hour or so it is pretty cold and set. The berries and the peanut butter kinda give it a PB and J flavor, and it's super creamy and chocolaty without being overly sweet.

Not ONE single person I have ever served this to ever had the slightest idea that there was any artificial sweetners, there is no bitter aftertaste. If you stick a bunch of stevia in some iced tea or coffee, ya, you will get a bitter aftertaste. If you learn how to use stevia properly, it is an amazing sweetener - properly means using it in low amounts and combining it with some sugar or other artificial sweeteners - xylitol, sugar alcohols, whatever. The best desserts I've ever had that didn't taste like they were artificially sweetened have all had some stevia in them, it is incredible when used properly to avoid the bitter aftertaste that all artificial or natural non-sugar sweeteners have to some degree.

For protein powder, I've been using BodyLogix Dark Chocolate grass fed whey protein sweetened with stevia - it has 3g of carbs per serving, and it doesn't have any bitter stevia aftertaste, especially when you're mixing it with other stuff. You can taste it slightly if you just mix the powder with some water, but it also has a little regular sugar that hides the bitter taste really well. But as soon as you add something else it disappears. So I will also mix in the chocolate whey protein from Trader Joe's, which is sweetened with sugar but has less carbs than other protein powders I have bought - plus it is fortified with some good vitamins.

[Suzanimal]

some last tips... might be too much ingredients for your blender... but you're after 2/3 full frozen banana 1/3 full ice; too much banana:ice ratio can bog down your motor; I chop my bananas in 1/3rds before freezing

when filling, bananas 1st; then honey and peanut butter, then ice; keeps honey and pb from sticking to blender

add 2-3 cubes to espresso before put in glass blender to prevent break

fill remainder of cavity space with water to within inch of top of ice


if you don't have espresso machine you could prob substitute 2 cups strong coffee and just use less water.

Thanks for the tips. I have a kick ass Ninja and crushing ice isn't a problem, at all. I think the other recipe I tried called for more banana, no peanut butter and no ice. It just tasted like frozen bananas that I had spilled some old coffee in.

[presence]

I don't do dairy... so 2/3 banana 1/3 ice 2 Tbsp each peanut butter and honey + fill w/ cold water is my baseline slurpie

from there you can go

espresso
cocoa powder
mint extract
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
cocoa mint
vanilla
Jelly
etc.


depends on the day, I never measure anything; If I'm hungry might go heavier on peanut butter.

You can also swap out the peanut butter for almond, sunflower, etc.; and the honey for maple syrup or simple syrup.

[Suzanimal]

Very nice. I try to stay away from dairy but I could never get used to going all coconut in my coffee (I'm doing half 1/2 & 1/2 and 1/2 unsweetened coconut milk) and I still indulge in a little cheese now and then.

I don't do dairy... so 2/3 banana 1/3 ice 2 Tbsp each peanut butter and honey + fill w/ cold water is my baseline slurpie

from there you can go

espresso
cocoa powder
mint extract
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
cocoa mint
vanilla
Jelly
etc.


depends on the day, I never measure anything.

You can also swap out the peanut butter for almond, sunflower, etc.; and the honey for maple syrup or simple syrup.

[Working Poor]

I like "Annie's Alfredo" Instead of milk I put sour cream in it though.