Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with food and snacks

Zingers!? Good Grief!

evilcupcakes — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:16 -0800

Does anyone know an actual store where I can buy Dolly Madison (now Hostess) Zingers in the greater Seattle area?? The Peanuts Christmas special always has a Pavlovian effect on me, and now I MUST find some Raspberry Zingers!! Since I want to try and find some in the next few days for the office holiday party (I was told this would elevate me to official "hero" status), I would prefer a brick and mortar store, rather than pay for overnight shipping.

tasty hot snacks

missmary6 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:16:53 -0800

What are some good, WARM snacks that don't take too much prep? Now that the landscape outside my window is ice and snow, I find myself only wanting to eat heated food. This is fine at dinnertime, and even at lunch (apparently, you can grill any type of sandwich...) but for snacks I find myself wishing I could heat up that apple, or warm up those crackers and hummus. Any WARM snacks that y'all enjoy? I don't mind a bit of prep work, especially if it's something that will keep a little while and can be heated up later.

Snacking around the world

doift — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:39:03 -0800

Blogs about regional junk food and snacks? I'm mildly obsessed with regional junk foods, and know that there are lots of folks like me. Some of them must have blogs, either writing about the specialties of their own region or seeking out treats from other areas. Bonus points if the blogs are especially well-done or popular.

I'm in the U.S. but I'm interested in American and international snacks. Beverages count, as do regional homemade specialties.

Help a health-conscious snacker bake!

schmoo — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:28:08 -0800

Please suggest me some snacks, light or portable dishes that are both healthy and involve baking or cooking. I love to cook. I especially love to cook recipes that involve lots of chopping, stiring, mixing, frying or baking. I don't like recipes that are just an assembly of ingredients, or which only take 2 minutes. I like to be in the kitchen! That said, I'm not looking to spend hours in the kitchen, so something that takes 3 days isn't really an option!

I cook a lot of meals like this in the evenings, but I'm looking for snacks that I can bake or cook. - Things that I can take to work in my lunchbox, snack on after work, or leave in the fridge and graze on for a few days.

However, I'm also pretty health-conscious and trying to, if not lose a few pounds, definately not put any on. This rules out the normal things that I think I would find fun cooking - cookies, cupcakes, muffins, quiche, samosas, breads, etc. That list seems biased towards sweet things, but savoury are just as welcome, if not more.

The kinds of things that I am looking for, and have experimented with already are: falafels (baked, not fried), healthy lo-cal dips (would welcome more of these!) and glazed nuts (not the most low-fat of snack but at least has health benefits). I would love any and all suggestions for things along these lines. I would also welcome low-calorie versions of the things that I don't bake - cookies, cakes, etc.

So - give me your recipes for low-fat, low-cal or just plain healthy snacks and light dishes which involve cooking or baking.

I have searched previous posts, and while there are many on health snack ideas, none that meet my particular criteria! Thanks in advance!

Satisfy my salty-sweet tooth!

rachaelfaith — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:40:30 -0800

What are your favorite salty/sweet food combinations? While I generally crave salty things like chips, pretzels and crackers and rarely crave sugary snacks, I sometimes like to aim for a salty/sweet happy medium.

I love the taste of kettle corn, and I have recently begun to explore the deliciousness of sprinkling sea salt on baked goods. [Sea salt on homemade caramels? YUM.]

What else works? I'm looking for any food, not just snacks.

there is no more forbidden. why can't i understand this?

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:06:49 -0800

Raised in a super-strict, health-conscious household - I never learned "moderation" with not-so-healthy foods. Can I, as an adult, re-train good eating habits that do not include restriction, and do not include binging? My father was a biochemist/nutritionist. During my birth, my mother was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. As a result, food and healthy eating was a constant subject in our house, and I had little freedom to come to decisions on my own.

"junk" food was kept in a locked filing cabinet, to which only my father had the key. Our rations would include anywhere from 1-4 cookies a day, depending on our ranking from youngest to oldest (I am the youngest of four). Additionally, prior to my birth and my mom's cancer, food was less of a issue. It's normal for older siblings to pick on the younger ones; in my case, I was picked on because of the change in eating habits that merged birth and sickness. "We could always eat (x, y, and z) before you were born" was something I heard for many years.

Brown rice, tofu, steamed veggies, lean meats, low sodium, no-soda (and so on) was the diet of our household. As a result of this, I actually do sincerely enjoy eating "healthy" foods - they taste great to me. My favorite snack as a kid? Seaweed.

We were allowed to go go trick or treating as kids - but never allowed to keep the candy. Our rooms were searched for storing snacks we might have smuggled from school. This, in addition to keeping cookies under lock and key. Learning to develop a moderate diet, inclusive of everything with no restrictions, but knowing how to moderate foods, was something I don't think I ever developped.

Beginning in middle school when we had a little more freedom, I'd buy snacks at school, and hide them in places my dad would never look.

When I got my license and began earning my own money, this habit magnified - sneaking in the bad foods, hiding them, scarfing them down before I'd be found out.

I feel like I've carried these unhealthy habits into adulthood. I feel like if I get junk, it's not going to stay around. And so I must eat it quickly, in private, before it's found out and condemned. And I hate this condemnation. Even living on my own now, it's hard for me to rectify this ingrained reaction to junk or indulgent food - nothing lasts for long, because nothing ever lasted for long when we were growing up. In my mind I know no one is going to steal my hershey's kisses in the cupboard - but I feel like I've deeply internalized that if I have 3 now, I can't count on them being there tomorrow.

My problem is not that I dislike good-for-you-foods - I love them, actually. But I also feel like I don't know how to moderate my eating, and re-train my mind when it comes to developing good eating habits, where nothing is off limits - and find a balance between restriction and binging.

Can I change the way I think about food?

Italian Treats for Children?

shrimpsmalls — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:37:07 -0800

What are some good Italian-themed treats for children? I lead an Italian club in an afterschool program one afternoon a week, where we do a combination of art, language, and cultural themed activities. I have one lesson fully devoted to food (where we are going to make pasta from scratch), but I am looking for quick, easy, and inexpensive treats I can give the kids (1st-3rd graders) after each week's lesson.

I lived in Italy for 2 years and can think of tons of great products, which are not easily available here in the states, or even Chicago. Aside from some nut-less biscotti, can anyone suggest other ideas? I can cook stuff at home, but I am ideally looking for something a bit less time consuming.

Specific healthy snacking suggestions?

Brandon Blatcher — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:23:33 -0800

Please recommend snacks that are: 1. low fat 2. low carb 3. crunchy 4. somewhat rich in protein 5. low in lactose Recently I discovered dry roasted edamame, which meets all these conditions. It's been great to add to the snacking toolbox, along with fruit, breakfast bars etc. However variety would be nice, so I'm looking for things to switch it out with.

Inability to locate or purchase desired products feels Unamerican

Robson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:51:14 -0800

There's a particular snack product I want but can almost never find in local stores. What are my options? In particular, I'm looking for Rold Gold Honey Wheat Braided Twist Pretzels. Yes, they're good enough that I'm resorting to Ask Mefi for help. No, I'm not working for the company. If I were working for the company, product advertising would be the least of my problems, because the product is nigh-impossible to find.

I'm in Northern California. I've seen these once in a local Safeway (one bag -- I bought it) and my girlfriend has seen them once in a local Delano's/IGA (one bag -- she bought it). So between us these pretzels currently have the same reputation as a rare unicorn, and we're starting to wonder if they actually exist.

What can I do?

How many peanuts are in a Snickers bar?

caroljean63 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:05:36 -0800

So how many actual peanuts are there in a Snickers bar? We're having a bit of a disagreement here about how many actual peanuts are in a King Size Snickers candy bar.

Definition of a peanut: the contents of one whole shelled peanut, both halves.

Size of a King Size Snickers bar: 2.07 oz.

I found one site that said there are 27-28. In other words, 54-56 peanut halves, or if they're cut in half, which I believe they are, over 100 peanut fourths! Sounds like a stretch to me, considering there is merely a layer of peanuts.

I already know about Russian dressing

Bookhouse — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:33:44 -0800

What's good to eat at Russian-immigrant grocery stores and bakeries? My neighborhood (in West Hollywood, CA) has a very large number of Russian immigrants, and therefore a large number of Russian delis, grocery stores and bakeries. What should I be buying at them?

I'm not interested in cooking my own Russian food or what to order at sit-down restaurants. I'm more interested in unique snack foods, desserts and drinks, fresh-baked stuff, delicacies and easy-to-serve items. Specific brand names for packaged stuff would be appreciated.

Veganize my love affair with dairy products...

lemonade — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:31:25 -0800

How to veganize my love affair with dairy products? And can I do it in a high-protein manner? I have been eating a lot of dairy as a major source of vegetarian protein...and now that I want to move to veganism, I love it too much to give up! Almond milk works ok on cereal, but isn't as high in protein--and I LOVE plain yogurt with fruit and non-fat cottage cheese with fruit and don't know if I can give those up without a replacement!

So what I'm looking for is, I think, 'cold and creamy' vegan snacks, and the higher in protein the better. Do these exist? Can I make tofu tapioca? Tofu pudding? Things like applesauce could be a good substitute texture-wise, how could I add protein to that? Fruit-and-veggie smoothies, with a block of tofu on the side? (Currently my best idea is just to put salt on a slice of tofu and eat it like a hard-boiled egg...)

You can't get that from here.

Lou Stuells — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:08:17 -0800

What goodies do we need from Phoenix, AZ? Husband is going there for a few days in July, and we're trying to think of what treats he ought to bring back to New England - stuff we can't find here at home. Cactus Cooler soda and prickly pear jelly/candy are all I can think of. See's Candies would be wonderful, but would not travel well. Any other regional favorites? Thanks in advance!

Snack us!

santojulieta — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:08:05 -0800

What are some creative black and white, bite sized snacks? We're making a snack bar as our favor, and we're trying to come up with a variety of black, white, or black and white snacks, and I have about three things I can think of.

Here's what I've got:
Mini oreos
junior mints
yogurt covered pretzels
those blackberry gummy things
pistachios possibly

But that's where I get stuck. What are some neat snacks, sweet or savory, that I'm not thinking of? I'd like them to be mini sized, if possible, so they can easily fit into a Chinese take-out box. And they should be available in bulk obviously.

Vancouver on $3.79! Or: treasure hunt help, please!

soviet sleepover — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:47:34 -0800

Vancouver on $3.79 (including tax). Or, help me make an amazing treasure hunt! I'm trying to put together a brief treasure hunt for two good friends in Seattle, as part of a project for sf0 (think: the real-life equivalent of a RPG, except designed by designed to be non-hierarchal and to work under the premise that madcap hijinks, to borrow someone else's words, are a form of activism and effecting change). The gist of the project is that I need to mail a penny to someone.

What I'd like to do is mail a handful of Canadian coins to friends in Vancouver, accompanied by four unexpired city bus tickets, to send them to a great location for a cheap snack (I have exactly $3.79 to spend on both of them, so two cupcakes or cookies are a good bet), then an interesting area to wander around.

They're in their mid-twenties, snarky intellectual types who like places/buildings/etc with interesting histories. One has lived in Vancouver for over five years; the other, for two years so far--so they're fairly familiar with the city. I'd like to send them to some out-of-the-way place (ideally an amazing secret place that abuts a commonly-known location or part of the city) on public transit. I'd also like to direct them toward a cheap snack first--one has a very adventuresome palate; the other likes familiar things.

Via a mefi thread from 2005, I turned up the Goldstone Bakery on Keefer at Quebec (is it even still open?), then a short walk to the Sun Yat Sen memorial garden. I'm only vaguely familiar with Vancouver, so I'm looking for a few more suggestions along those lines!

pomegranate wine pairing

whatzit — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:46:49 -0800

Wine pairing: what un-pretentious snacks go with pomegranate wine and a silly movie? Bonus points are not given for "hard to find" or "time consuming."

Healthy chips and dip?

XMLicious — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:24:31 -0800

Healthy chips and dip? Lo, long have I quested thro' the dales and deep, like Bilbo for the One Ring, seeking chips that art not crap for my diet. (That would be “crisps” for you heathen Brits. And yes, I know Tolkien was British.)

Recently I happened upon Snyder's of Hanover sunflower and corn chips. They have a very nice texture but the flavor is meh.

In dip news, I like Middle Eastern food in general. I like حُمُّص بالطحين but besides putting it in falafel I've never found much else to use it with, much less dip in it.

But… Whoso putteth these chips in this dip, shall be the King of the Britons! There's a snacktacular gestalt between these two things, creating a Nietzschean Über-Snack, that I find delicious. And looking at the nutrition facts the combination doesn't look too bad health-wise: no trans fat, not too much fat overall, average carbs and below average sodium for a snack food. Definitely better than potato chips and onion dip, in any case.

So I ask you, me droogy droogs, what sort of healthy chips / crisps do you know of that I could put in my hummus, or healthy dip that I could dip my Hanoverian sunflower chips in, or other healthy combination of chips and dip?

Help me stop the mindless munching!

lemonade — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:42:57 -0800

How do I stop eating when I'm not hungry? When I'm at home on the weekends, I rarely snack. However, when I'm sitting in front of a computer all day at work, I'm constantly 'hungry'. I don't think I'm really hungry, but I feel like I need food and I can't stop snacking. I drink a lot of water, and chewing gum works to distract me for a while but makes my jaw ache... At least I've stopped snacking on the work cookies and moved to bringing my own trail mix.

So the question is, how can I stop the constant snacking?

Suggestions for Regional/Cultural Snack Foods?

The Confessor — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:46:58 -0800

I'd like to sample some distinctly regional or cultural snack foods without leaving the comfort of my own home using the magic of the Internet. Suggestions may include candies, chocolates, chips, cookies, crackers, cheeses, or any item which fills a similar role in a specific culture or region... so long as the ordering process is online and the product can be shipped to the United States. Ideally, suggestions should require little or no additional preparation upon arrival. Simple cooking instructions are fine, but hopefully nothing very much more involved... unless the end result is worth it in your opinion.

One example of approximately what I'm looking for from my own Vermont heritage is Maple Sugar Candy (from here and elsewhere), but don't assume that I'm already familiar with any other VT snack foods just because I grew up there, or Massachusetts snack foods just because I live there now.

Barring masochistic extremes (say, a single item costing more than $1000) cost is not an object, and MA does allow importation of items which contain substantial quantities of liquor.

i wanna bacon double chocolate butter cake in my tummy all winter long!

twistofrhyme — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 22:49:50 -0800

stop me from fattening up for the winter. it's cold and dark outside, but it's warm and creamy inside.
i've spent the last week eating like a bear about to hibernate. big chunks of cheese, chocolate, buttery toast, pudding, an entire package of cookie dough, several boxes of sugary cereal. and for the past 3 days, i've been fantasizing about making and eating an entire tray of fudge. this cannot go on.

i know i shouldn't buy this stuff- i usually don't- but right now, the real problem is how bad i WANT it. i bought some healthy treats, like melon & pomegranates, to snack on instead, and i end up eating those, and then finding some candy. this is laughable. i'm like a bear with one hand in the honey pot. i've put on 3 pounds in the past 10 days. my internal monologue has turned into "i wanna eat a chocolate piggy in my tummy here!" usually i crave junk food in healthy quantities- i'll buy some and it lasts all week- so this is kind of new to me, and it has to stop, stat. help me, please!

what should i do to kill the cravings? what should i eat instead to satisfy them?

road trip snacks

shotgunbooty — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:18:00 -0800

Road trip food? Please recommend some good snacks/food for the SO's and my road trip this weekend (about 6 hours on the road). Please be specific, for example: what is the best brand of beef jerky?

What sort of condiments go well with a hard boiled egg?

Tbola — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:05:04 -0800

What sort of condiments go well with a hard boiled egg? I'm thinking - if I pre-make a bunch, and bring them to work with me as a quick & easy snack - how many different ways can I sass 'em up? (BONUS: has anyone tried a "mayon-egg"? You know - the snack that Ann Veal from Arrested Development used to eat?)

recommend the best food bar for the buck

I_Love_Bananas — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 14:20:41 -0800

NutritionFilter: Can you recommend the best bar for the buck? I'm going on a jam-packed weekend trip and will need some handy, portable snacks that won't get destroyed in my bag. The vast array of bars overwhelms me and I don't have time to look at EVERY label!

Please send recommendations for the best nutrition bar that comes as close as possible to the following requirements:

Calories- 180 or less
High fiber
High protein
Low sugar (preferably <10g per bar)

Holiday Open House food-filter™

jpburns — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 08:44:42 -0800

Each year my wife, my daughter and I have a holiday open house, where we set out a spread, play holiday songs, and meet and greet folks before the holidays. Traditionally we do Hovan™ cracker-bread "Roll 'em up" sandwiches, cookies, and crudites, and serve wine, beer, and soda. We're always on the hunt for new, easy items to add to our repast. Any suggestions? Can anyone suggest food for our annual holiday open house that meets the following criteria:

Finger food... plates but no utensils

Needs little refrigeration

Easy night before preparation

Good for kids as well as adults

Good to eat as leftovers

Thanks in advance!

Healthy Snack Foods

matthelm — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 13:01:04 -0800

So I'm trying to eat better...and one thing I would love to get a better grasp on is the snack time between meals. What has everyone come up with concerning such snacks? There are the basics, such as celery with peanut butter, fruit, and yogurt(etc). What I am searching for are the snacks that are a bit more creative or outside the typical realm of what people think of when they hear "a healthy snack". I am interested in everything you got! Bring it on metaFreaks!