Snack Foods: Sweet or Salty? What are your faves?

[mansonlamps]

I love snack foods. I could eat Lays potato chips nonstop until I drop dead that's how much I love them. I also adore nuts, hummus, guacamole, tortilla chips, Fritos, Doritos, buttered popcorn... pretty much anything that's "bad" for me or highly caloric, I am all over it.

Don't get me wrong, I love cookies, cupcakes and sweet stuff too, I just have a modicum of self control over those items that I don't over the salty.

What are your favorites?

[redlaces]

Slim Jims, nachos, guacamole, hummus, CHEESE! vienna sausages (yeah i know) also love veggies dipped in blue cheese or ranch.

[mansonlamps]

Slim Jims, nachos, guacamole, hummus, CHEESE! vienna sausages (yeah i know) also love veggies dipped in blue cheese or ranch.

Hello good friend...first person I've ever talked to besides me that loves Vienna sausages...really, one of my favorites. Don't know anyone else that even has this on their radar!

[DeLurker]

I'll typically choose salty. Trader Joe's classic potato chips have ruined me for Lays. I love me the total manufactured chemical wonder of Pringles - I know it lists potato as an ingredient but I doubt. Pretzels with cheddar cheese is a favorite snack.

If I'm going sweet, I want cherry Garcia.

[Betweenyouandme]

Jalapeño or BBQ or Salt and Vinegar chips

Vanilla ice cream with whipped cream

Cheese

Key lime Greek yogurt

Blueberries

Reese's peanut butter cups

[Bastet]

I, too, can easily restrict myself to small portions of sweets, but put salty and crunchy in front of me and I have no willpower whatsoever.  Especially chips; I can eat a whole bag in one sitting, so I hardly ever buy them (I at least have that willpower -- it's just once they're in the house that I can't resist).

 

Nuts are among my favorite snacks; pistachios, peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts ... yum.  I also love cheese, salami, and crackers.  Or buttered popcorn (the real thing, made on the stove; I hate the microwave stuff).  Chip and dip.  Veggies and dip (especially cucumber with dill dip).  Shrimp cocktail.  Dark chocolate. 

 

Damn, now I want a midnight snack.

[HalcyonDays]

Salty snacks for the win. All NACL all of the time.

 

But this is my ultimate weakness. And on Amazon, Lays is selling three bags for $35 bucks!

 

[Quof]

I'm in Canada, I'll send you regular shipments of ketchup chips in exchange for filling my Trader Joe's shopping list.

[HalcyonDays]

I'm in Canada, I'll send you regular shipments of ketchup chips in exchange for filling my Trader Joe's shopping list.

 

Haha! I'm Canadian too - I can get my beloved chips anytime, thank god. This image I used I found on the Amazon website and was shocked at the price for the chips. Thanks for the offer though!

[DeLurker]

My brother who lives in Florida loves Doritos Toasted Corn Tortilla chips - can't find them anywhere in Florida.  I live in Texas and they are in a lot of stores here so I buy him some when I am driving out there.  Somehow they are superior to other tortilla chips to him.  I can't really notice a big difference myself.

 

The only online places I have found to order them are ridiculously priced like those Ketchup Lays (I had never heard of such a thing - learn something new everyday!).

Edited April 1, 2015 by DeLurker

[DXD526]

Pretzels with cheddar cheese is a favorite snack.

 

My favorite choice of midnight snack every time! My fave all-time pretzels are Pretzel Pete nuggets, garlic and cheese flavor (sour cream and habanero is good, too!). Have never seen them in a supermarket, only at Job Lot. And even they don't always have them. I'm always disappointed to make a special trip over there just to stock up on Pretzel Pete nuggets, only to find them all out :( Could eat the entire bag in one sitting!

[UYI]

My biggest is probably Goldfish--I can go through a whole bag FAST. 

[AltLivia]

For me it's Wasabi and Soy Triscuit Thins, Chipolte Cheezits, anything with spice, really. As for the "sweet" end of the spectrum, I really love generic-brand toaster pastries. Very classy, I know.

[Betweenyouandme]

Mmmmm. I love triscuits and cheez its

[Bastet]

I love Triscuits, too, and it's one of the rare foods where I find the reduced-fat version to taste just as good as the regular (probably because it's only a 25% difference, but still).

[mansonlamps]

Has anyone tried Somersault snacks? They have only recently come to my attention and are a crispy nugget like snack made out of sunflower seeds which seems reasonably healthy. Since I've been eating low carb for a while I miss my salty greasy snacks.

[DkNNy79]

Sweets - I have a huge sweet tooth.  Cheesecake, ice cream, carrot cake, apple pie a la mode and frappuccinos are my favorites.

Edited April 7, 2015 by DkNNy79

[BooksRule]

I like sweet/salty combos (one of my favorites is pretzels with caramel dip or dipped in a delish Red Raspberry Pretzel dip) , but if I have to choose, I choose salty over sweet anytime.  Salt 'n Vinegar or Sour Cream and Onion potato chips and Fritos (original or BBQ).  If I have something sweet, I have to eat something savory or salty right afterwards, even if it's just a bite of something.

 

Oh, I'm one of the people who love the occasional can of Vienna sausage (around here we call it 'hurricane food', because it's one of those staples you keep in your pantry for those times when the power goes out for a few days and you can't cook anything.  Peanut butter and crackers is another staple for those times.)

[spaceytraci1208]

Salty snacks are usually my downfall. Lately, I've gotten back into Funyuns...they're the devil

[Vixenstud]

(wipes salty fingers on housepants)

 

Guacamole - I am a guac whore.  There.  I said it.  Just came back from vacay and had it one day into the other.

 

Potato Chips - Will love them til the day I die, eating them as I type now.  I'm from Philly, and if I ain't stuffin' Herr's into my mouth then it is Utz brand.  Plain or Sour Cream and Onion are my faves.

 

As for sweet thangs, I love Reesy Cups, 3 Musketeers, Vanilla Zingers (Christ, when they came back I thought I would buy every pack in sight!), peach cobbler and apple pie.  I have been known to eat a whole apple pie (don't judge me!)

[ikmccall]

The older I get, the less I crave sweets and the more I crave salty snacks. Except during Shark Week, of course.

[PRgal]

I like both.  I'm currently obsessed with Enerjive quinoa crackers (there are three savoury ones and one sweet (chocolate).  They used to have berry, but it's been discontinued) and also love some of Next by Nature's dark chocolate bites (especially espresso beans and quinoa)

[Betweenyouandme]

On my plane ride- American Air- I had really good chocolate wafers. They were something Petites. I can't remember! But so yummy. They were tan with dark brown stripes. Thin layer of chocolate in the middle. About an inch long and 1/2 in thick?

Anyone else have these?

[Lovecat]

(wipes salty fingers on housepants)

 

Guacamole - I am a guac whore.  There.  I said it.  Just came back from vacay and had it one day into the other.

 

Potato Chips - Will love them til the day I die, eating them as I type now.  I'm from Philly, and if I ain't stuffin' Herr's into my mouth then it is Utz brand.  Plain or Sour Cream and Onion are my faves.

 

As for sweet thangs, I love Reesy Cups, 3 Musketeers, Vanilla Zingers (Christ, when they came back I thought I would buy every pack in sight!), peach cobbler and apple pie.  I have been known to eat a whole apple pie (don't judge me!)

You're from Philly and you cite a Hostess-brand snack cake as your fave?  FOR SHAME!!  TastyKake, all the way ;)

[BW Manilowe]

Does TastyKake still make sugar free coffee cake bars? We found 'em here in Texas for a while, then they disappeared. I bought my mom a pack when I visited my friend in NJ a few years ago, but when she came here last year, she couldn't find any to bring.

We (my friend and I, not my mom and I) have had discussions on Hostess vs. TastyKake and Little Debbie vs. Drake's. I always end up craving Ding Dongs and Swiss Cake Rolls.

Have you tried checking their website? You could try that, to see if they list their products on it & if what you're looking for is on it. They might even have an online store from which you can order them, if they're still a current product.

Just a suggestion. Hope it helps.

[Lovecat]

We (my friend and I, not my mom and I) have had discussions on Hostess vs. TastyKake and Little Debbie vs. Drake's. I always end up craving Ding Dongs and Swiss Cake Rolls.

I was just giving Vixenstud some good natured crap :)  While I am a big TastyKake fan, if I'm telling truths here, I've got to admit that I'm powerless in the face of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.  Mmm-mmmmm...

[DeLurker]

My brother who lives in Florida loves the toasted corn Doritos but they don't sell them there.

 

When I go visit, if I take the car, I pack as many bags as I can for him.

[Vixenstud]

(Strikes Karate Kid pose at Lovecat whilst eating LD Swiss Rolls)....yeah, used to eat Swiss Rolls by the box and by the time I was through I was nodding like a he-rawn addict lol.

[BooksRule]

Who else here likes Bugles?  (cornucopia-shaped corn snacks).  I don't buy them very often, and when I do, it's usually to make these treats:  Take any type of peanut butter (I buy store brand for this) and fill up the bugle (a pastry bag and tip works best).  then dip that open end into melted chocolate and let the chocolate dry and harden a little.  Yum!  It's salty and you get the taste of the PB and chocolate for sweetness.  I could eat a whole plateful.

[grisgris]

I like Bugles. When I was a little kid, I used to stick them on the tips of my fingers like they were fingernails.

Edited May 20, 2015 by grisgris

[P2C2E]

I can easily eat (and often do) a whole bag of Cheetos Simply Natural in one sitting. They're just so good!

I'm definitely a salty snack person, although I do love my chocolate.

[Mittengirl]

While cruising the grocery store Thursday, the soup mixes caught my eye. I bought some Lipton Onion Soup/Dip Mix, a pint of sour cream and a big ol' bag of rippled potato chips. I made the dip Friday night so it could get all yummy and had it this afternoon with some cold beverages while at the lake. It was like the 1970's were back again. Best of all, I still have one packet of dip mix left.

[DeLurker]

I have an unnatural love for the salty, totally-not-found in nature goodness of Pringles and they are my periodic indulgence snacky.

 

The last two times I have bought them they have been less salty and it just ruins it for me.  Undersalted Pringles are/is a sign of the apocalypse.

 

I am very displeased.

[MargeGunderson]

I have an unnatural love for the salty, totally-not-found in nature goodness of Pringles and they are my periodic indulgence snacky.

 

The last two times I have bought them they have been less salty and it just ruins it for me.  Undersalted Pringles are/is a sign of the apocalypse.

 

I am very displeased.

Bwah! And I feel your pain.

I just ate most of a box of Trisuits for dinner. And by most I mean all but the shredded bits at the bottom. It is not the first time this has happen this week.

[Lovecat]

At least you're getting a lot of fiber in your diet!

[Mittengirl]

I love homemade Chex Mix. I think I have made four batches since New Years Eve. I sub Crispix for the rice and corn Chex and use more butter and all other seasonings than the recipe calls for. No pretzels, extra peanuts and cheddar goldfish crackers. I think I may have to find a rehab clinic for my addiction.

I tried making camelized onions on the stove for dip, but ended up charcoalizing them instead. Tomorrow I am going to try crockpotting them. Maybe a batch of onion dip will break my Chex addiction. More likely it will merely change my addiction. Oh well.

[MargeGunderson]

I love homemade Chex Mix. I think I have made four batches since New Years Eve. I sub Crispix for the rice and corn Chex and use more butter and all other seasonings than the recipe calls for. No pretzels, extra peanuts and cheddar goldfish crackers. I think I may have to find a rehab clinic for my addiction.

I tried making camelized onions on the stove for dip, but ended up charcoalizing them instead. Tomorrow I am going to try crockpotting them. Maybe a batch of onion dip will break my Chex addiction. More likely it will merely change my addiction. Oh well.

Oh, that sounds really good! I don't remember the last time I had Chex Mix. I love the Crispix and goldfish ideas. I may have to make a trip to Target for ingredients tomorrow.

[DeLurker]

.I tried making camelized onions on the stove for dip, but ended up charcoalizing them instead. Tomorrow I am going to try crockpotting them. Maybe a batch of onion dip will break my Chex addiction. More likely it will merely change my addiction. Oh well.

I've never had much luck camelizing onions (although I have made that same typo when emailing a recipe much to the amusement of my friends).

 

I was watching a food show and someone put some some brown sugar on top to help caramelize them.

[BlackMamba]

I'm a 50/50 on the Sweet or Salty train.

I do love: Welch fruit snacks, Ruffles sour cheddar cream, Snickers, smartfood white cheddar popcorn

are definitely my top favs

Edited January 21, 2016 by BlackMamba

[Mittengirl]

I did it! I successfully made carmelized onions in the crockpot! I have a bowl of sour cream and onions happily melding their flavors in the fridge. I can hardly wait until tomorrow when I get to taste them and see what else I need to season them with for a dip.

[DeLurker]

What time should we be over?

[Mittengirl]

Sorry, DeLurker, the dip was already spoken for. I took it to my aunt and uncle's house cooling party, where it was a big hit. Now I need to buy more onions and fire up the crockpot again.

A house cooling party is the opposite of a house warming - my aunt and uncle are selling their house and moving to an apartment in a retirement community. They don't have any kids, so all of the nieces and nephews were invited over for one last party and to help ourselves to whatever isn't being moved. I got some cookbooks and magazines, a nice rocking chair, some power tools that are better than the cheap stuff I tend to buy and a practically new lawnmower and two-stage snowblower. Not a bad trade for onion dip, two big bags of chips, a batch of Chex Mix and a case of Coke!

[MargeGunderson]

Nice haul Mittengirl!

Is anyone else a fan of Chicago mix popcorn? It's caramel and orange cheddar (not white, it must be orange) popcorn mixed together. It's the perfect mix of sweet and salty and cheesy.

[Bastet]

I am weird about popcorn, and will not eat it with anything other than butter on it.  Anything else, I may love the topping on its own, but do not want it on my popcorn; the combination becomes terribly off-putting to me.  It's how I am with fruit dipped in chocolate, too - I love the fruit, I love the chocolate, but as soon as you combine them I hate the result.

[BooksRule]

Is anyone else a fan of Chicago mix popcorn? It's caramel and orange cheddar (not white, it must be orange) popcorn mixed together. It's the perfect mix of sweet and salty and cheesy.

 

There's a 'gourmet' popcorn shop in the Atlanta area that has a flavor like that.  I love it and will eat it until I feel slightly ill (only slightly, though!).  It's probably a good thing that I live too far away except to get some once or twice a year when I visit family.

 

I love popcorn, and have become almost addicted to a not-so-healthy way of making it (which is why I only have it about every two weeks or so).  I pop a batch from scratch in my microwave popper and drizzle some Orville Redenbacher butter-flavored popcorn oil on it along with some salt.  It tastes as close to 'movie' popcorn as I've had outside of a theater (and it probably just as healthy, LOL!).  Popcorn is a good snack, but not when I add that oil to it!  (It's yum, though.)

Edited February 10, 2016 by BooksRule

[mansonlamps]

I am weird about popcorn, and will not eat it with anything other than butter on it.  Anything else, I may love the topping on its own, but do not want it on my popcorn; the combination becomes terribly off-putting to me.  It's how I am with fruit dipped in chocolate, too - I love the fruit, I love the chocolate, but as soon as you combine them I hate the result.

 

This is me and garlic bread.  Love bread, love butter, love garlic, put them together and...meh.  Not touching it.  Which is a good thing for my figure I guess.

[ShellSeeker]

My boss gave everyone popcorn by Popcornopolis for Christmas and it was soooo good! She let us pick and I chose caramel corn, and a jalapeno cheddar variety too. I finally found that brand in one of the grocery stores close to me, and I was thrilled.

[mansonlamps]

Popcornopolis is fantastic!  They were selling it a Costco during the holiday season and it was super expensive, even there.  They were selling 12 (I think) smallish cones filled with different flavors for $10.00.  I only had the samples because I looked at the fat and calories of most of the flavors.....YEEESH!!!

[ethalfrida]

Popcornopolis is fantastic!  They were selling it a Costco during the holiday season and it was super expensive, even there.  They were selling 12 (I think) smallish cones filled with different flavors for $10.00.  I only had the samples because I looked at the fat and calories of most of the flavors.....YEEESH!!!

I just looked at the list of ingredients and, wow, what a winner! coconut oil and non-gmo popcorn! I'd avoided it because I thought it contained the usual chemicals, etc. Maybe I can splurge on a cone or two but I am calorie watcher so appreciate your information.

Edited February 11, 2016 by ethalfrida

[Jac]

I'm a sweet and salty equally person.

I love anything cheesy, Doritos, CCs (an Australian Doritos competitor) Twisties (similar to Cheetos but the texture is different) Cheezels (Australian cheese ring things) etc, etc are my weekness.

On the sweet side I love cake, chocolate cake, vanilla, red velvet, carrot, anything really.

I also super love anything that is salty and sweet together, salted chocolate and caramel, sweet and salty popcorn, I would be totally down for the Chicago style popcorn with the orange cheddar and the caramel.