bombay mix

I bought this mix based on strong recommendation from my indian co-worker which has "chick pea flour, corn oil, moong, split peas, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds and chili powder" ... and she actually said "spicy, full of fiber and very good for women!"

Calories Peek: One pound mix has a whopping 2240 calories 

My beauty excuse: Apparently fennel can relax the uterus and promote natural breast enhancement, and coriander can help proper secretion of the hormones and thus induce proper menstrual cycles and reduce pains during periods. Amazing !

munchies for rabbits

Tomato. Potato. Spinach. I am starting to feel like a rabbit munching on these veggie straws heehee ... each straw is long and hollow in the middle which thus gives that crunchy bite, and you cannot taste any "veggie" flavor  ... taste more like salty grain chips ... 

Calories Peek: 7 oz bag has 910 calories ..

My beauty excuse: Mum, I am eating my vegetables ... and finishing all of them too !

exotic cream wafers

Coconut and Durian ... don't you feel like you are in an exotic place? ... You can taste the coconut flavor in the wafer, and it is has that crisp, light and not too sweet taste which I like ... as for the durian one, I find the smell too strong, or rather overpowering, for a wafer munch ... (ok, before you judge me, I am a actually durian fruit lover ... so I know what a durian is !)

Calories Peek: Two exotic wafers has 90 calories ... each pack has 24 wafers (trust me, it is so light you can consume all at one go!)

My beauty excuse: ... exotic ... beach ... sun ... relaxation ... calm ... breathe in ... breathe out ... 

chips with full of sunshine

Got this big box from Costco which comes in 4 flavors - original, ceddar, onion, salsa ... started with the original one, the chip is crunchy and grainy, it has a saltiness-and-sweetness taste, the thinness makes it easier to munch too ... I would say go for original if you want the "healthy" taste, cheddar if you want the "cheese" taste, onion if you want the "strong" taste, and salsa if you want the "veges" taste ... hmmm, my choice --> salsa !

Calories Peek: 1.5 oz snack size has 210 calories ...

My beauty excuse: New type of chips in town called Grain Chips ! Suppose to be the healthy version made of corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, whey protein ... geez, this munch is full of fibers!

hello cute little pandas

My japanese friend introduced me her favorite munch, and she taught me to toast them for a few minutes before eating ... trust me, the crunchiness of the shortbread layer and the warm rich creamy fillings really melt my heart away ... hello hello little pandas !

Calories Peek: 

2oz Chocolate box has 486 calories [ ... still my favorite choice ... ]
2oz Strawberry box has 480 calories
2oz Milk Cream box has 438 calories

My beauty excuse: How can you say "No" to something so helpless, so tiny, so cute, so tasty ... I just love helping them to satisfy their existence in life ... a happy me makes a beautiful me :P

swim like a goldfish

This is one of those munchies that you can actually taste the strong cheese flavor, and not forgetting is it baked which adds to the "healthometer"  ... 

Calories Peek: This small little 2oz packet has 240 calories ... geez, you really need to swim like goldfish after munching this :p

My beauty excuse: I guess anything that is baked and has calcium has some goodness in them :p

the mini wafer

These mini-wafers are addictive ! It actually comes in many flavors but "Hazelnut" is my favorite ...

Calories Peek: Each box contains 64 pieces which totaled to 1680 calories. About 26 calories per the mini-wafers.

My beauty reason: Dare I say it has some tiny bits of cocoa which helps to prevent aging hehe ...

korean roasted seaweed

Following the seaweed craze, I got these seaweed from the Korean Supermart and they are actually very yummy salty snacks ... and you know what, there are so many brands! .. will try a different one next time to blog about the differences ... 

Calories Peek: Each yummy packet is about 94 calories

My beauty excuse: Each packet contains about 35% of Vitamin A which benefits include helping with acne, skin care, stretch marks, eczema, menstruation, urinary tract health, wound healing, resistance to infection, heart health, sinusitus, fine lines, wrinkles and more .... wowowowow, what is stopping ME ?!

beauty and the seaweed

Due to the recent Japan's massive earthquake, tsunami, and over-heating nuclear reactor ... people all over the world are requesting for potassium iodide to protect against radiation, yes, even when they are like 10,000 km away from Japan ... anyway, I learnt that the natural alternative is to eat SEAWEED !
So when I stumbled across this seaweed potato chips in the asian store, I just have to buy it ... it has that hint of seaweed, and with the salt combination, it actually gives that light taste ... well, I guess one bag not enough to provide the required dosage against radiation hehehe

Calories Peek: Guess what ? ONLY 450 calories per bag ... well, it is a small tiny bag :p

My beauty excuse: Do you know the organic iodine found in seaweeds not only protect you from radiation, it can increase your metabolism ... and it is packed with so much vitamins and minerals that are essential in maintaining healthy and beautiful youthful skin ! ... no wonder spa always has the seaweed wrap, seaweed facial ... OK, need to go get the actual seaweeds now !

crunchy vs baked twisties

Do you noticed nowadays when you browse for snacks, there is always a "Baked" option (as if trying to make you feel guilty if you are not being "health-conscious") ... I find the cheesy flavoring taste are similar in both, however, there is a reason why it is called "Crunchy" as it gives that nice cracking sound when you munch the cornmeal twisties ...

Calories Peek: 
Baked = Per 11oz pack has 1430 calories [ Angel: ... if you want to stay healthy ... ]
Crunchy = Per 11oz pack has 1760 calories [ Devil: ... if you want to embrace life ... ]

My beauty excuse: Cheese has very high calcium content that is good for strong teeth and bone health development ... (and, it is also a excellent food source if you want to gain weight ... OOPS !)

smoking hot peas

This hot green peas really have smoke shooting out of your nostrils ! The "wasabi effect" is not for the faint heart, but it does give you that kick of fuN while munching ... interesting ...

Calories Peek: Each 3.6oz pack delivers smoking hot 390 calories ...

My beauty excuse: Wasabi may help to detoxify cancer causing substances in the body; to prevent inflammation, growth of tumors, and abnormal platelet clumping; and it also has anti-bacterial properties ... OK, I must admit it definitely worth torturing my faint heart :)

female daily essentials

For some reasons, if you get Yoplait from Costco, they only come in these three flavors ... I like the Harvest Peach the best due to the mild refreshing taste. I find Blueberry and Strawberry flavors somewhat has stronger and sweeter taste.

Calories Peek: Each 6oz Yoplait has 170 calories.

My beauty excuse: Do you ever wonder what "live and active cultures" on the Yoplait means ? It means that the yogurt has probiotics - good bacteria that "that live in your digestive tract and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections". Also, this yogurt contains high percentage of Calcium and Vitamin D which may help to prevent osteoporosis. Very good for female. :)

Refererences:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogurt

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-yogurt

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/health-benefits-of-yogurt/

jalapeno potato chips

Went to Safeway today and saw that all the "Jalapeno" potato chips are on member's offer (coincidence? doubt it :p too much competition nowadays) ... well, I ended up buying all the three different brands, and actually having a blast eating them ...

Kettle's - thickest and crunchiest among the three ... not hot at all, just a good blend of seasoning which gives a tasty munch  ...

Lay's - thinnest and crispiest ... easiest to munch on ... this one is more salty (than hot) i would say ...

Tim's - hottest bite ! now that's what jalapeno flavor should taste like ... definitely my favorite munch ;) ...

Calories Peek: 

Kettle's - 1350 calories per bag (720 calories from fats)

Lay's - 1260 calories per bag (630 calories from fats)

Tim's - 1120 calories per bag (640 calories from fats)

OMG ! 3730 calories in just one hour after finished three bags of potato chipes ... now I know why company always put calories per servings only *CHEATERS*

My beauty excuse: ... still thinking ... 

a girl's best friend - almond

I always thought raw almonds are used for baking. When I saw this packet of raw almonds at the snacks section in Trader Joe's, I just could not resist the curiosity to try it ... and amazingly, never thought that the raw taste of almonds could be so crunchy and actually sweet ..

Calories Peek: One 1/4 cup of almonds = 160 calories ... gives you the recommended levels of vitamins, minerals, and protein you need for each day !

My beauty excuse: Do you know that almond is actually a girl's best friend ? It has excellent source of vitamin E which helps to skin maintenance, rich in unsaturated fats which helps to lower the bad cholesterol, rich source of calcium which helps to prevent osteoporosis ... just to name a few ... definitely a good healthy munch that you can snack on every minute without having to worry about putting an ounce of fats :)

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-almonds.html

my favorite chocolate of all time

Ferrero Rocher. My sinfully sweet lover. The combination of milk chocolates, hazelnuts, crispy wafer, and Nutella fillings just simply melts my defenses away. Believe it or not, I can munch 30 of them within an hour !

Calories Peek: Each Ferrero Rocher contains 73 calories ... oooh, who cares ? it is soooo worth it ! :) munching one right now as I type haha ...

My beauty excuse: It has cacao which is super-rich in antioxidants (Fine, milk chocolate has lower % of cocoa, but still ...) which prevents sign of aging ! Do you need any more reasons ?