Calorie Packs

Let me start off by saying - NO these items are not in my pantry right now... and won't be for some time to come. For starters, they are a joke... I mean honestly... it's an excuse for people to not have to pay attention to what they're ingesting, and for the food conglomerates to up-charge us for the cute little packaging.

Now, I know that I've been down on the food industry in the recent future - and while someone very near and dear to my heart, John, works for a food company... some of these things just make me sad. I appreciate that they are "trying" to help us help ourselves, but if you took a minute to look at the original products... maybe did some measuring... you might find that you come out better by making your own 100 calorie packs.

That's what we've taken to doing at our house. Now - that being said - I've completely purged our house from all major processed carbohydrates for the time being... so there aren't any of the crackery or cookie type products sitting around for me to do this practice with, BUT this is exactly how I handle trigger foods.

I buy the little snack baggies - I know it's not necessarily the "green" way to do things, but well - we don't really want to get into that discussion today. At any rate - I buy my cashews in bigger bulk packaging and portion them out into my own snack packs. If you needed Oreos or something of that nature - why not give yourself the real deal and just manage your intake? I don't know... maybe a crispier smaller version makes it work for you - just realize that you're paying a premium for that item. As long as you can own that fact - we're cool.

I did however know a lady at my last office who would buy the 100 calorie packs of things, and eat multiples of them because the items tasted so good to her... and I just remember thinking (and this was pre-surgery) that it was the same issue happening. She was still over eating and honestly probably would have been better off with the guilt & self-control that came with eating the normal full sized cookie.

Now, my friends - we've taken this to a whole new level... if you haven't seen them at the store yet... my I introduce you to the 50 calorie pack for dog treats? Oh for the love! Given our thoughts on the human variety - you can only imagine the laugh and distain that came from John and I discovering this at the store...

I have two perfectly wonderful dogs that I love like children... and that incidentally don't know that they are dogs... but I digress. My dogs get a Milkbone each time they go out to do their business, and on Sundays we have what we call a "Church Treat" which is just a special treat item that they get because they're cute... it's typically something that involves the word "dental" or "denta" in the name - just for healthy teeth... and the possibility that it might help with doggie breath.

ANYWAY, these treat packs are just insane... talk about up-charge! And people - it's a dog... they don't have the same issues we do... if you don't give them the whole treat - it's not like they're going to be in the pantry an hour later digging through the packaging! (What, you've never done that? Oh, then I guess it's just me...)

If I give my dogs a half of a regular treat - they honestly don't know the difference... so I certainly don't pay the premium for items like this, and I just think it's absurd.