The snack you just cannot put down

[JimH]

OK I have a confession, I love pistachios really love them. If I buy a bag of pistachios I will eat them until I’ve finished the bag. If I’ve bought a 3 lb bag I’ll eat them till I’m sick or the bag is empty. It’s not like I have some addiction, I don’t buy them every day or even every month. I occasionally will see a decent sized bag that’s not so over-priced and I’ll splurge. Once the bag is open though, I’m like a UFO abductee who has experienced missing time. It begins innocently enough, I’ll eat a couple then before I know it I’m halfway through the bag. I’ll put the bag down to do something else and a few minutes later find myself finishing the bag. Other snacks don’t have that effect on me, a snack size bag of chips might last a week or two, pint of ice cream maybe three weeks and I might throw away popcorn because it goes stale before I can finish it.

Am I alone in this? Should I start to doubt my insanity? Do I have men in white coats and a sleeveless jacket in my future?

Do you have a snack that you cannot put down?

ETA: The first "e" in before.

Edited April 14, 2008 by JimH (log)

[feedmec00kies]

There are worse things to binge on than pistachios.

I have a tendency to tear through large amounts of dried seasoned seaweed, unless it's the kind that has a few pieces individually wrapped in plastic (too much work!). I also eat large quantities of kimmel crackers at a time if I don't eat anything on them. They're just so thin and tasty! Mmmm... Neither are quite what you describe, however.

[kbjesq]

Salt and vinegar potato chips. Especially the "Cape Cod" brand. I cannot stop eating them. For this reason, I won't buy them. If someone wants to sabotage my (infrequent) dieting efforts, they need only buy a bag and leave them on the counter.

[Anna N]

Like JimH I cannot resist pistachios if they are around so I rarely buy them but if they are here then I cannot stop until they are gone. Sour cream and onion potato chips - same thing - rarely buy those either! I keep looking for a snack that won't send me off on a guilt trip but not much luck so far. Hate popcorn -even the smell of it!

[Domestic Goddess]

Pistachios also get me (and my dad). And I too usually buy a big bag and gorge on it until it is almost gone and I vainly try to hide what's left behind the cupboard. No chance though, since the next day (or even hour) I'd grab it and totally finish it. *hangs head in shame*

[andiesenji]

Goldfish, especially the parmesan.

When I open a bag, I measure out a specific amount into a small dish, close and fasten the bag (with a binder clip) then put it away in the pantry before I indulge in the first goldfish.

[petite tête de chou]

Cottage cheese, blue cheese and ice cream aren't safe from my vacuuming maw. Perhaps I blow through them so easily because I don't keep them in the house? Self restraint is not one of my shining qualities.

[tino27]

Peanut M&M's.

A single serving (aka a pint) of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

A single serving (aka a sleeve) of Girl Scout Thin Mints.

I'd better stop now. Obviously I keep none of these in my house on a regular basis.

Edited April 15, 2008 by tino27 (log)

[maggiethecat]

Cheese-its. What can I say? Since I lost my job, it's been easier -- no junk machine or boxes sitting on co-workers' desks leering at me.

But I've made a big hole in a big bag of TJ's pistachios.

[vloglady]

Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey.

Haagen Dazs Pineapple Coconut.

I LOVE coconut. and banana ice cream too, if I can find it. Banana Split ice cream just isn't the same. The ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream factory is awesome!

Susan

[judiu]

Munchos! Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk and strawberry cream cheese. Don't dare to buy it, cause it won't be there tomorrow!

[potsticker]

Samoas. Girl Scout cookie season is the best and worst part of the year.

And Blue Bell ice cream. Has anyone had that Anniversary Cake flavor? Wow.

[Lilija]

Cheese-its. What can I say? Since I lost my job, it's been easier -- no junk machine or boxes sitting on co-workers' desks leering at me.

But I've made a big hole in a big bag of TJ's pistachios.

←

Oh, Cheez-its I am hopelessly addicted to them. My husband too. We used to buy two boxes. One for us to eat immediately, and the other one to get us through the week (ok, the next day or two). We would stand at the pantry with a glass of milk and a box of them, and pass both back and forth, like junkies.

I don't buy them any more, at ALL. Ok, once in awhile, I'll get a tiny bag from a vending machine, if I'm really hurtin, but, that's it. There is nothing else I'm as powerless about. I swear they dust those things with crack.

[mizducky]

I have a tendency to tear through large amounts of dried seasoned seaweed, unless it's the kind that has a few pieces individually wrapped in plastic (too much work!).

←

I am hopeless around those seasoned nori strips. I think there's umami crack in them. I buy the big cannister knowing that it'll be empty in a few hours.

A single serving (aka a pint) of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

A single serving (aka a sleeve) of Girl Scout Thin Mints.

←

I've been guilty of both of these, back in the day.

I'm also very bad around jars of good dill pickles--even though I know my ankles will be like dirigibles the next day.

[hummingbirdkiss]

anything in a shell!

pistachios

peanuts

pumpkin seeds

sunflower seeds

edamame

lychees

ect ect ect

if it has a shell is ready to go and I can pick it up with my fingers and eat what is inside

I will eat myself stupid

Edited April 15, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Rehovot]

Chocolate (in all forms). Tortilla chips. Cookies.

It's essentially Night of the Living-Dead Snacker if these things are anywhere near me.

[markk]

smoked salmon. don't laugh. whatever I buy, I eat the first day, slowly but surely throughout the day until it's gone.

[gfron1]

Yes to girl scout cookies - they're just the right size that you hate to close them and put them back in the cupboard so you might as well finish them off.

Almond finger cookies - those will be the death of me.

And my odd one...squid jerky. Love that stuff!

[Toliver]

Beef jerky. There's a guy at work who makes it and sells small bags of it. I'm thankfull that the bags are small since I just eat right through it until I hit the bottom of the bag. I try not to think of the salt I've consumed.

At work, someone once brought in a small can of Planter's Cashews. One of our salemen had some, then some more and pretty soon the entire can was gone. We all freaked when we read the amount of sodium on the can label he had just consumed. We were surprised he just didn't explode from all that salt.

[Carlovski]

In general I'm not a snacky kind of guy, but when I'm in the mood.....

Recently I've been having a fad of snacking on poppadums (cook them in the microwave - too easy!) of differing kinds, especially the spicy punjabi ones from my local indian supermarket.

But the usual culprits are Maltesers - I normally eat very little chocolate, and when I do it's a couple of squares of something dark and high quality. But give me a bag or box of maltesers and I finish the lot, no matter what size. Normally leaving me feeling ill!

Oh and the fantastic spicy crisps (Chips to our American friends) made by the Cofresh company (From Leicester I believe, just like walkers) the Jalapeno ones, or the curly spicy ones being favourites. The chilli and lemon ones are good too. They also make lots of Bombay mix type snacks - some of which are a definite acquired taste!

[shellfishfiend]

Dots candy and pickled okra.

With the Dots, I squish each one until it is soft and flat and will eat half the box in no time flat. At that point, I have been known to tape or staple the box shut to keep me out of it. Of course, I will later break through the tape or staples and finish the box and feel really sick from the sugar.

I have loved pickled okra since I was a child. My mom didn't buy it often as it was kinda pricey and I would eat the whole jar in one sitting. They are such small undersized jars.

[saltylicious]

Crunchy Cheetos!

Gotta love that bright orange cheesy powder that sticks to your fingers and lips.

[SuzySushi]

Pistachios.

Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream.

The other week, I went through an entire bag of some Indian snack mix (deep-fried vermicelli, legumes, peanuts, etc.) that was sweet-salty-and hot at the same time. Luckily, it's about an hour's drive to the Indian market!

[MGLloyd]

Trader Joe's white cheddar popcorn. It is so easy to make a small opening at the top of the seal, and then just tip the bag to funnel the cheesy goodness directly into my mouth without having to even touch the popcorn. I try to justify it by the fiber intake, but that is a lame excuse at best.

[andiesenji]

I forgot to mention that I try to avoid the snack aisle in Trader Joe's because they have so many snacks that are difficult to resist.

I stopped buying the Snapea Crisps because when I open the bag I go into a sort of fugue state and when I am again conscious, the bag is empty..

This effect is worse than that of the Goldfish.

I also stopped preparing parmesan chips, which are ridiculously easy to make and so good, because I can't resist munching on them as soon as they come out of the oven.... even if my lips and tongue are scorched....