100 Calorie Insanity

Earlier this week, I noticed that Twinkies come in 100 calorie packs. TWINKIES! Now, I understand that the premise of these snacks is portion control and not health, but really, isn't that taking things just a wee bit far?

To add to my grumblings, the Oreo Thin Crisps? Those things taste nothing like real Oreos. Fat, sugar, hydrogenated oils, all included, but not the essence of Oreo.

So imagine my chagrin when the Orville Reddenbacher rice cakes jumped on the band wagon. I was incensed that they would insult my snack IQ too, but since Walmart.com was mailing free samples, well, I couldn't resist. I'm not sure if it's his midwesternness or his fluffy corn, but I've always trusted the man, and now his incredible popping corn since his passing. Weird, I know.

My mailbox was stuffed with the sample, cheddar cheese flavor. After lunch and getting the kids down, I ripped into the (large) bag. First, the bag is about twice as big as a normal 100 calorie pack bag. Once I got it open, I realized that the rice cakes aren't cakes at all, but rather wafers stamped so that the sides rise up (like a hollowed out Reese' Cup, I suppose). I didn't count, but I'd say there were at least a dozen pieces, and about 3/4 of the way through I felt satisfied with the size of the snack. They were quite salty, but the taste wasn't bad at all, really.

All told, I'd be more inlined to eat these particular 100 calorie packs than others, and I'd definitely try the caramel variety. Let me know what you think!