What do YOU keep at all times in case you want "that snack"?

[SamuelAt]

For me, it's NY State Cheddar (not bought in the cheese aisle - this is right there with the dairy, near the mozzerella, cottage cheese etc., but it is artisinal quality), Mrs. Fanning's Bread and Butter Pickles, Hummus, Baby Carrots (for dipping into Hummus usually), and for a beverage, Pelligrino. I also keep Granola bars on hand. When I shop, I always replenish these items. How about you?

[Sean]

Boar's head, Canadian, three year aged cheddar
Beef Jerky
Smokehouse Almonds
Utz Red Hot Chips

[SamuelAt]

You and I like the same things. I could add the items you list to mine. I buy the smokehouse almonds too. And I love the red hot chips. Awesome. I also like chips with Old Bay Seasoning but they are hard to find.

[dolores]

I 'finally' found Utz Red Hots, at A&P I think it was, and hoo boy were you all right!

Delicious. And hot? Too hot for me to eat on a regular basis - fortunately.

Hubby saw me with smoke coming out of ears, and asked 'why do you buy that stuff?' -- because the people on the food board said it was good.

[SamuelAt]

Sounds awesome. I love spicy so I will have to look for these. I like UTZ products. Thanks!

[Sam Fujisaka]

Ume or smoked unagi with hot gohan.

Welcome to CH!

[SamuelAt]

I love smoked and hot foods - but sorry - have not encountered those! What are they?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Ume are Japanese salty pickled "plums." Unagi are eel. Gohan is hot cooked Japanese rice.

[SamuelAt]

Hey Sam,
I was in Japan, and loved all of those. I have had Ume many times since now that you mention it. good list!

[Quine]

I love ume.....it is a really difficult taste to describe, utterly complex and so addicting!

[phantomdoc]

Also called umeboshi plum/paste.

[L_W]

Peanut butter .....

More Peanut Butter....

I am easy to please!

[SamuelAt]

Yes yes yes. I like all kinds. Favorites are Skippy Chunky and natural.

[Catskillgirl]

<blush> I am loving the honey roasted Skippy way too much! No, the super-crunchy just wasn't good enough for me - I had to try the honey roasted. Now I can't go back....

[Al_Pal]

YES. Peanut butter and apples. I had that Starbucks protein plate for breakfast last week, dipped the apples in the peanut butter, and I haven't been able to get enough since.

[iluvtennis]

Yummmm.....sometimes i sprinkle my peanut buttered apples with a little cinnamon. Apples with peanut butter are just sooo good!

[NellyNel]

I love apples and I love peanutbutter -
I HATE the 2 together!
Somehow the flavors just don't mesh well for me!

[flourgirl]

I feel the exact same way. :)

[Michelly]

Try the apples with crunchy almond butter, instead.

[ArikaDawn]

Gorgonzola
Bread and Butter(non-fat yogurt based butter sub actually)
Fuji Apples

Arika
http://rawforamonth.blogspot.com

[kali_MM]

Smoked oysters and crackers
Popcorn, parmesan cheese, butter, seasoning salt, & granulated garlic
Soft "stinky" cheese (gorgonzola, bresse blue, cambozola, or something equivalent)

[goodhealthgourmet]

hummus
crunchy almond butter
wasabi peas
toasted nori sheets
popcorn
dark chocolate
chocolate-covered cacao nibs
dried ginger

[SamuelAt]

I love wasabi peas too.

[Al_Pal]

I really want to like almond butter because it's got a lot of nutritional virtues. I've bought it before but wasn't terribly impressed. What does it go well with? I had it with a toasted whole wheat english muffin, but maybe it would have been better with something else?

[goodhealthgourmet]

actually, my favorite way to eat it is straight from the jar with a spoon :)

was it salted or unsalted? if it contains nothing but ground almonds, you might want to add a tiny sprinkle of salt.

the next time you use it on your english muffin [or other bread], try adding either some preserves/jam [cherry or apricot], or a dusting of cinnamon & a drizzle of honey.

some other ideas:
use as a dip for celery, carrot sticks or apple slices [or if you're feeling indulgent, a couple of squares of dark chocolate!]
stir into oatmeal
add to a smoothie made with nonfat milk or yogurt, frozen banana [or strawberry], honey, & a tablespoon of chocolate protein powder

you can also use it in sauce or marinade recipes that typically call for peanut butter or tahini [e.g. peanut satay, sesame noodles, etc.]

hope some of these ideas appeal to you.

[tarteaucitron]

I hope you got the toasted version instead of the raw one, which is much more flavourful.

You can extend the PB&J theme, and pair it with jam on your toast (oh, I didn't realise ghg already mentioned it).

Some of my favourite combinations:

toasted country or rye bread + almond butter + orange marmalade + salt
toasted french bread + almond butter + chestnut honey + salt

It's even better with hazelnut butter. Yum.

[im_nomad]

I am a huge fan of the wasabi pea. I keep a bulk of them in my drawer at work. And I know what the wasabi-pea equivalent of the ice cream headache is. :)
it's worth it...............

[SamuelAt]

I am right there with you! I love those too. What brand do you buy? I find it depends what brand you get how spicy it is...my favorite is a Japanese Brand. Can't think of the name now...Fuji something? It comes in a narrow bag.

[im_nomad]

I buy mine in bulk ! So i'm not sure of the brand. I have bought the bagged varieties before, can't recall the brand, but I found them to be a little on the sweet side.

[nicholeati]

almonds, dark chocolate, yellow pear tomatoes (like candy to me), i also love peanut butter, montasio cheese, chick peas and the list is aways growing/morphing as i try new foods

[Emme]

im a tomato fiend as well; these will *always* be in my home. i don't care for the yellows as much unless they're sweet - im obsessed with the sugar plums from Trader Joe's or from Costco...

[piccola]

Grapes
Frozen mango chunks
Roasted cashews
Homemade granola
Baby carrots
Greek yogurt (fat-free plain)

[tarteaucitron]

Snacks.. That's pretty much how I ingest most of my daily calories, as I am not cooking much anymore these days.

My list changes a lot, but there are a few things that I always find myself replenishing:

Ryvita muesli rye crackers -- I find that they are almost a meal in themselves, and good with creamy cheeses, butter, or in hot milk

Good, dark chocolate

Bread (in the freezer), butter and at least three jams for variety. Where I grew up, they actually serve toast slathered thickly with j & b in cafes, and they are so good and satisfying

Small tins of sardines/smoked oysters/mussels and lemons to serve on crackers or toast

A few bags of Tonkotsu ramen, frozen or dried

[dolores]

>>Snacks.. That's pretty much how I ingest most of my daily calories, as I am not cooking much anymore these days.

Interesting. Intersting. Interesting, tarteaucitron.

So it IS okay to eat this way?

I have and do, and figured that it was against all the Oprah and Dr. Oz rules to eat this way.

No, I didn't care, but your post was an eyeopener.

[Catskillgirl]

There is a school of thought that says that eating numerous small meals throughout the day (or snacking) is better for your health and can cause you to lose weight. Something about keeping your blood sugar levels more even instead of going from very low before a meal to very high after eating a heavy meal.

I like the idea, although I haven't noticed any weight loss. But it does serve to keep my energy level more stable, which is good since I work long days. Of course you have to make sure you're still getting proper nutrition - snacking on potato chips all day will not work, unfortunately. Now *that* would be my kind of diet.

[tarteaucitron]

Actually I do find the smaller meals do good to my energy level. So does going light on highly processed carbohydrates like pasta and cookies, which tend to make me "crash". When I do enjoy a heavy meal, I eat slowly and spread it over a longer period of time, often ending it with a nice cup of espresso. That seems to help with the energy level too, and it keeps the digestive system happy.

It's a bit counter-intuitive, but I can eat a lot of the hard-to-digest snacks like almonds, cheese and whole-rye crackers without feeling bogged down.

[NellyNel]

When I was young, I had a desk job and was able to just continuously snack all day long...and when I ate a heavy meal, I ate it very slowly .(I used to drive my friends mad!)
I was skinny as a bean for years!
Then I got a job in hospitality, and I hardly had time to pee - never mind take a lunch or dinner break, so I'd scarf my meal down as quickly as I could....
You guessed it - I put on 15 pounds!
I'm back at a desk job , and eating more the way I used to - but since I'm past 40 - the weight isn't magically coming off!

[tarteaucitron]

dolores: It is only okay to eat this way for a LIMITED period of time. Without divulging too many details that is outside of this subject, I'm currently somewhat immobile and do not have much access to a kitchen, so snacking is my way of making the best out of this situation. It is not for losing weight, and in fact I need to snack strategically to make sure I get enough nutrition.

It does get boring after a while, but luckily I love all kinds of cheeses and it takes a while to go through all the varieties. And you'll be surprised how a good selection of condiments and dried goods can allow you to compose a nice variety of simple meals.

[TampaAurora]

Nature's Place Peanut Butter (or any other natural pb for that matter), Jelly and Rice Cakes.
Thin egg noodles or orzo (my soup noodles) and chicken broth.
At least one type of chocolate.

[bubbles4me]

Chex Mix
Olives
Parm
Pretzels
Cured Meats

[shaebones]

Charlie's homemade nut butter and my homemade granola......and yes, I mix them together and spread it thickly on a toasted cinammon raisin bagel.

[alwayscooking]

Popcorn - served with my best olive oil, salt, pepper, parm regg (or other high quality hard cheese, and a bit of home-made chili oil. Ummmm

[jcattles]

Nutella
Nuts
Dark Chocolate
Colby Jack Cheese
Craisins
Kettle Corn
Biscotti

[Caitlin McGrath]

Ak-Mak crackers
crunchy natural PB (eaten with a spoon, not on crackers)
candied ginger
Greek yogurt
fruit (changes with season)

[SamuelAt]

I love greek yougurt - two favorites are Fage with Honey and greek Gods Fig flavor. AMAZING! I find it hard to buy any other kind.

[taboo]

Geek yogurt
Soy Chips
Oatmeal
Cheerios
Fruit
Protein Bars

[burlgurl]

V8 Go juice
frozen edamame beans
melba toasts

[ChefJune]

Almonds, some kind of good blue cheese, and Swiss, rye crackers, and sardines packed in olive oil.

Always, wine.

[SamuelAt]

This post is making me hungry! I like Sardines too. I also love smoked fish. When I visit family in New England I often pick up Smoked Mackeral and Bluefish. It's delicious with a mustard mayo sauce on a cracker or melba toast. Interesting - maybe because this is a foodie board, but most of the lists are unique, savory and less common items.

[marietinn]

Hummus, pickles, peanut butter, chocolate, rice.

[iluvtennis]

Salsa
Almond m & m's

[jeanmarieok]

Stick pepperoni, Cabot reserve extra sharp cheddar, pimento cheese and reduced fat wheat thins. And, crunchy peanut butter.

[marietinn]

mmm, Cabot reserve extra sharp cheddar, so good.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ooh, that reminds me...string cheese.

[kubasd]

I loooove the pollyo twists string cheese, i make sure it is always in the house! pistachios, wasabi and soy sauce almonds, gorgonzola cheese (i eat it straight)... oh and edamame!

[Mothership]

Fig jam, Machego Cheese along with other assorted cheeses, some kind of hard salamis, proscuitto or other ham, sardines, random crackers, varied olives and pickles, reduced balsamic in the fridge, grapes. I find that with these items, I can always whip up a quick snack for me or a few nice nibbles should someone stop by. (Oh - and malted milk balls stashed away in hiding... what can I say?)

[BobB]

Bom Petisco cheese (but only a really soft one), Hungarian salami, TJ's habañero pistachios.

[CeeBee]

Cadbury Dairy Milk bars
Hummus and Carrots (to be eaten together)
Multi-grain Cheerios
Goat Cheese
Vinta Crackers
Nutella
Jasmine Tea

[Chew on That]

I hate to admit it but I love Bagel Bites as a snack...:)

[purple goddess]

wasabi peas.

[billieboy]

Oh God I love those things!!

[purple goddess]

I can eat them until I can't feel my nose any more.

It's a compunction.

An addiction, even.

[steakman55]

Lance Toastchee crackers (peanut butter on cheese crackers), a southern tradition, and an ice cold diet Coke in a can. Nothing beats it

[SamuelAt]

That sound excellent...never seen those. But I am in NY.

[BobB]

I used to get little cellophane-wrapped packets of peanut butter/cheese cracker sandwiches when I was a kid here in New England. Can't remember the brand, and they may well still be around, I haven't looked for them in years.

[buttertart]

They are still made, although may be a bit thin on the ground due to the recent and ongoing PB salmonella recall.

[mrbigshotno.1]

Saladitos
Fresh opened Premium Saltines (no good day old or older)
Sonoma Jack
Mexican Polverones

[hyacinthgirl]

Lemon almonds
bubbe's dill pickles
cheese, cheese and cheese! (usually brie or mozzerella in any form)
And a white chocolate coconut bar in the freezer at all times, to be nibbled off of slowly...

[Cheflambo]

Hello, my name is cheflambo, and Im a snack-a-holic! Now you guys are my enablers! Around here we always have peanut butter, pretzels and cheddar cheese (Vermont Cheddar is my favorite - the sharper the better). Mr. C. is very fond of Cheese-its (NOT Cheese Nips!) and I always keep Triscuits around. They sit on the same shelf in the pantry, affectionately known as the "Zits & Skits" department. When making my weekly shopping list, this is the first "supply level" I check.

I like those Utz chips with the "crab boil" flavoring too. There are only a few places here in town where I can buy them (luckily) and they are a secret craving I only indulge in occasionally.

Also -- I just stashed a few "sleeves" of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies in the freezer, and I am trying to forget they are there.

And those cheese crackers with the peanut butter filling are made by Lance -- Ive read that of all the "junk food" you find in the office vending machines, these are at least less "junky" than the other stuff. I tell myself that every time I buy them!

[im_nomad]

*sneaks over and raids cheflambo's freezer*

:)

[Babyducks]

Laughing Cow Cheese, Peanut Butter, wheat crackers, grape tomatoes.

[quick.to.chuckle]

Soy Dream Fudge Brownie Ice Cream. Dear Gott in Himmel yum. It's non-dairy and freaking delicious. I have also found it's easy for me to reach for AND to put down (I usually have trouble with the latter action :o) ). Always have some in my freezer.

[NellyNel]

I always have a box of Kraft mac & cheese, triscuits, salt-less saltines, sardines and a few cans of hearts of palm...
i obviously prefer savory snacks to sweet

[Michelly]

Stackhouse Bros. Cajun Spice Almonds
Santa Barbara Co. Onion-Garlic Pistachios
(both companies have booths at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market)
Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips
Cheetos (NOT the puffs!)
Greek yogurt mixed with a little honey & topped with blueberries- very good for one's..whatdoyacallit....you know..."memory"!
GOOD dark chocolate
Malt balls for working on the computer
crunchy almond butter on apples
Oreos & milk
just about any good ice cream or gelato (try dulce de leche with a big handful of chopped salted nuts like cashews)
...and the list goes on.

[natewrites]

smokehouse almonds, string cheese, wine.

[schrutefarms]

Cederlane brand Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves, Cederlane brand Cous Cous and Veggie wrap (kind of like a frozen burrito) and Trader Joes peanut butter cups.

[amanda.eats]

Hummus on everything! And chocolate chips. :)

[tyrannosaurusjess]

woops...