Cheez-It Crunch'd - Cheddar Cheese

Popping through Target one afternoon I spotted and picked up the new Cheez-It Crunch'd Cheddar Cheese puffs. I love Cheez-Its ... probably a little too much, so when I spotted these at Target I was intrigued. Ideally in my mind it would be what a marriage between a Cheez-It and a cheese puff would be. Potential score ...

The product is sold in Cheddar Cheese flavor as well as in a Hot & Spicy (tabasco flavoring). I opted to play it safe and go with the classic cheddar cheese as I wasn't sure as to how spicy the hot and spicy may actually be.

Opening the bag up they look like enlarged Cheez-Its that are puffy with little holes in the middle. Eating a few they kind of taste like a Cheez-It but they also taste like a cheese puff but not as cheesy. They're unique and different at first. Although, I found with the first few they were okay, rather interesting, but after about 7 or so you start to get this "oil" flavor that is just NOT there with regular Cheez-Its. Cheez-Its are normally baked so the foreign oily flavor in the background is a bit stomach churning when you're not expecting it.  Or perhaps it's just my super sensitive taste buds that don't eat a lot of oil based foods. I guess you win some and you lose some ...

A serving is 1 ounce is 4 points plus values

Cheez-It Zingz – Queso Fundido

This is what you purchase when you’re hungry and these are on an end cap near check-out (and by end cap I mean RIGHT near the checkout).  Cheez-Its! Yes, occasionally a trigger food, but my mind was foggy because I was hungry.  Case in point: never shop hungry because it can make bad decisions.

I was intrigued because it was a new flavor Cheez-It ZingZ in Queso Fundido.  Out of the two available this one was more towards my taste buds – the other had chipotle pepper in it, which I’m not a terrible fan of. I had the box on the counter for a few days … then one night when I hadn’t had dinner yet, I decided “oh I’ll just have a servings worth.”  A serving (18 crackers) is 4 points plus. Not bad at ALL if you can stop yourself at 18 crackers.

They’re delicious – that classic Cheez-It crunch but a nice blend of white cheddar with a mild spice.  I didn’t find it to be overwhelming on the palette, because sometimes things can hit me and be WAY too spicy. These were delicious.  Too delicious, actually.

So, when I opened the box … I had 2 servings worth … for dinner. (Hangs head in shame).  They are delicious, but it just reinstated the fact that Cheez-Its are not something I should have around. At least not already pre-portioned bags (like in those snack bags—which I won’t buy because they’re overpriced).  My niece came by to visit (she’s 3 ½) and I asked her if she wanted to try them.  She did, she liked them (surprisingly since she’s anti-spice) so I told her to take ‘em home.

QUESTION:

Are Cheez-Its a trigger food for you?