100 Reasons to Bag the 100-Calorie Packs

I realize that I’m fighting a tidal wave of popularity by ranting against 100-calorie packs. Food manufacturers and grocery stores seem to be doubling down on them–don’t be surprised to see a 100-calorie snack aisle in your neighborhood store any day now. But besides offering a no-brainer approach to portion control, there’s not much good you can say about these craptacular snacks. Here’s a hundred reasons to leave ‘em on the store shelves…

1. There’s simply no nutritional value in virtually any of them.
2. I mean, like, zero.
3. Nada
4. Zilch.
5. There’s way too many ingredients.
6. Such as Maltodextrin.
7. Sodium Alginate
8. And Polydextrose.
9. Soy Lecithin
10. Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate and/or Calcium Phosphate
11. Back reads like a science fair project instead of actual food
12. In fact, Hostess 100 Calorie Pack Cupcakes have over 55 ingredients.
13. They’re pale imitations of the real thing.
14. Oreos? I’ve loved Oreos, eaten Oreos, cherished Oreos. You, 100-Calorie pack of Oreos are not Oreos.
15. They’re just bad food.
16. Bad bad bad.
17. No vitamins.
18. No minerals.
19. None of the good stuff.
20. All of the bad stuff.
21. Generally they’re are all high-carb.
22. And high sodium.
23. And unhealthy fats.
24. And mostly high sugar.
25. They tend to cause a quick rise in insulin
26. Then a subsequent drop in blood sugar.
27. Which makes you hungry again sooner rather than later.
28. Say you’re consuming 1,500 calories per day; 100 calories may be less than 7% of your daily caloric intake, but getting 5-10% of your daily calories from junk food makes no sense.
29. The offer little to no fiber.
30. Nothing that makes you feel full.
31. Face it, 100-calorie packs were a diet fad that has been shown not to work.
32. And they’re an environmental nightmare.
33. More packaging
34. More waste.
35. They teach us nothing about self-control
36. Nobody I know has ever not finished a 100-calorie pack.
37. I dare you not to finish one.
38. Double dog dare you.
39. These tiny packages are marketed as “diet food”, so even though you know that it’s not really healthy, there’s a conflicting message in your head.
40. Is it “diet food” or “junk food”?
41. It’s junk food.
42. There’s hardly any more processed foods available anywhere.
43. Heavy on the high fructose corn syrup
44. Google that term for a sh*tload of bad news.
45. Packs are often more than twice as expensive per ounce as the products they mimic.
46. If you buy a large bag of the regular Chex Mix snack and divvy up portions equal to 100 calories each, you’d only be out 25 ¢ per portion.
47. That’s compared with 87¢ if you went with a 100-calorie pack.
48. "Cheese Nips" are one the worst offenders, charging a whopping 279% markup on their 100-calorie pack.
49. Have you not cracked Ziploc technology yet?
50. I mean, really, those plastic bags are pretty easy to use, and divvying up food in small portions isn't rocket science.
    
51. Are your math skills even worse than mine?
52. 100-calorie packs are just another way to give us license to eat empty-calorie foods we don't really need.
53. There are so many healthy alternatives in the 100-calorie range.
54. I mean, lots and lots and lots.
55. Such as half an apple with two teaspoons of peanut butter
56. Or 10 cashews
57. Or a dozen almonds
58. Or 1 cup of baby carrots with a couple tablespoons of fat-free ranch
59. Or three ounces of lean roast beef
60. Or thirty grapes
61. Or half a small avocado
62. Or two large graham cracker squares with a teaspoon of peanut butter
63. Or six ounces of fat free, sugar-free yogurt
64. Or three cups of raw broccoli
65. Or a banana
66. Or an apple
67. Or a cup of blueberries
68. Or 18 cherries
69. Or a large pear
70. Or a handful of raisins
71. Or three slices of fat-free cheese
72. Or a hard-boiled egg
73. Or a piece of string cheese
74. Or half a bagel
75. Or a cup of unsweetened applesauce
76. Or a packet of fortified instant oatmeal
77. Or a rice cake with 2 teaspoons of almond butter
78. Or if those are too healthful for you, how about six townhouse crackers
79. Or eight saltines.
80. Or 10 spelt pretzels with 1 tablespoon of grain-sweetened chocolate chips
81. Or a couple of ginger snaps.
82. Or a granola bar.
83. Or 40 thin-stick pretzels.
84. I know, I know… those packs are so easy.
85. How often does doing what’s “so easy” pay big dividends when you’re trying to lose weight?
86. Think about the whole reason for snacking: to tide you over.
87. These little nothings don’t fill you up.
88. They weren’t designed to.
89. One packet may quickly turn into three or four.
90. Don’t tell me you’ve never had more than one 100-calorie pack in a single sitting.
91. It’s not healthy just because it’s served in a tiny handful.
92. Eating junk food from an early age can create an unhealthy relationship with food for kids.
93. Research has found that people actually consume more high-calorie snacks when they are in small packages than large ones.
94. Less = more.
95. I sh*t you not.
96. And smaller packages make you more likely to give in to temptation in the first place.
97. After all, it’s just 100 calories.
98. What’s the harm?
99. Is portion size really the problem or an addiction to junk food?
100. If you’re going to splurge and eat an Oreo, at least eat a real Oreo.