All Baked Cheetos are not created equal. At least, that’s my personal belief. Ever since I started Weight Watchers, 100 calorie packs of Baked Cheetos have been my go-to snack when I wanted something crunchy/cheesy. I adore them.
I’ve been trying lately to figure out ways to cut down on my grocery bill, which by the way is completely outrageous considering I’m buying food for one single, solitary person. Anyone who argues that it’s not more expensive to shop healthier is in denial.
I’m constantly hearing from people that it’s stupid to buy 100 calorie packs, because you’re only paying for the packaging. While this may true, they are a Godsend for people who have um, overeating issues. When you have these cute, sealed little packages, it’s much more difficult to just grab one cheeto, or a handful, as you pass by.
I’ve recently decided that I may possibly have myself under enough control (or at least my binges to a minimum) that I might be able to actually restrain myself from diving into the glorious bounty of orange-colored heaven (on a basis more often than I do now, anyway).
So, I bought a big bag of Baked Cheetos. I calculated how much would equal a serving the same size as my 100 calorie pack, and I went to town weighing and dividing that huge bag into individual zip-locked portions. I’ll admit it. I did sneak one or two.
They’re not the same. I honestly don’t think that they are made the same as the ones that are found in their 100 calorie packs. They’re bigger, poofier, not as cheesy, and just not as good. They taste/seem greasier, too. The taste is just – off. I also calculated how much I spent on the bag versus how much I would spend buying them in 100 calorie packs, and I only saved about $1.40. I’m wondering if all the extra work is worth it, especially with them tasting funny to me.
Of course, it could be entirely possible that it’s all in my head.
No denial – It is cheaper to eat healthy if you are not buying packaged/processed foods. We eat for $200 a month for two. And that is buying expensive 1 liter bottles Smart Water at $1 – $1.29 regularly as well as 1 lb. bags of almonds and walnuts once a month.
For example, on a recent grocery trip I spent $25.98 for:
**5 lbs of bananas
**2 cucumbers
**1 pack of Betty Crocker deep dish pizza crust
**1 lb of organic red lettuce
**1 head of iceberg lettuce
**loaf of regional name brand bread
**store brand large size cottage cheese
**1 lb. family size pack of Sargento shredded mozzarella
**1.25 lbs of grapes
**5 ‘on the vine’ tomatoes
**pack of store brand margarine sticks
**16 oz. pack of fresh strawberries
**1 pint pack of fresh blueberries
**6 oz. pack of fresh raspberries
**1 lb bag Freshlike brand frozen corn
**1 five pound bag of Green Giant yukon gold potatoes
ps – if it’s easier to buy 100 calories packs then do that and just look for other ways to cut grocery expenses
pps – do you have a sam’s or costco near you? if so, i bet you could get a big bunch of 100 calories packs at a lower cost at one of those