7.02.2008

Of the Salt and the Crunch

At my office, we can't open an envelope without having it catered. Box lunches litter the conference rooms each week around here. And most come with the ubiquitous bag-o-chips. I have two bags in my desk. Potato chips are my nemesis. I would like to say that this journey to smaller sizes and better health has blessed me with the ability to always breezily pass by trigger foods entirely, or have JUST a single portion. However, potato chips are the exception. I will eat them by the handful, as many as I can, and love every single crispy, greasy, and salty bite. (hi, mouth is watering, now)

So today I got the salty/crunchy snacky cravings. And I thought - the chips are there - just get them! Then I thought "Yum!" and then I thought "You should go get your cherries from the fridge instead." And then I remembered that I could have an ounce of roasted and salted almonds instead of potato chips. They "cost" about 70 calories more than the chips, but add protein, heart-healthy fat and fiber. And they also give me a salty crunch. But the bigger question is why keep the TWO! Uneaten! Bags in my desk? They've been there for weeks, people, weeks, shouldn't I just get rid of them? I think I want them for PMS emergencies. Perhaps I'll examine this further at a later date. But today, they're still there, and I ate the cherries and almonds instead. The End.

4 comments:

Cammy@TippyToeDiet said...

Hi, I'm Cammy, and I too am a chipoholic. (Chocolate or potato--doesn't matter.)

Most of our local delis now allow healthier subsitutions for side items. Fruit cups or pretzels or fat-free chips. Oh, or carrot sticks--my favorite!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you should keep the one unopened bag. It is the next bag of chips you will have, and the longer it stays unopened, the easier it is not to open it. Mark the date on the bag. That represents the last time you had chips.

It reminds me of a story of a nutritionist I worked with at a County Health Unit. She had a twinky on her desk. She bought it in 1978 and it looked as good now as it did the day she bought it. She used it as a reminder of how much preservatives go into these things.

JD

Heather said...

great job!! making choices like that will help you to succeed. and Im glad that you realize its not all about the calories, its about the nutrion as well and even though those almonds may have more calories, they are SO much better for you than the chips.

Anonymous said...

Well done!

Strange as it sounds, I do the same thing. I am a serious chip- and choc- oholic and over the holidays, people tend to give me lots and lots of chocolates. I don't throw them away but I don't eat them either (usually). I keep them hidden away in a drawer or cupboard and consciously make the decision to eat something else instead.

OCCASSIONALLY I'll eat them out of stress or frustration but that's usually if they're in plain sight. Otherwise, I kinda feel safe knowing they're there but I can make other choices.

Weird, I know.