PSA: Kroger's Great Value Tortilla Thins Full of Delicious Lies

I feel the need to make a Public Service Announcement: the Kroger Great Value/Private Selection Tortilla Thins Tortilla Chip nutritional information is grossly incorrect.

The nutritional label states that a serving size is 1 ounce, or 22 chips. I have weighed out 1 ounce from three separate bags now, and it's only 9 or 10 chips.

BOO!

22 chips is more like 2 ounces. That's more than double the Points, calories, fat, carbs, etc. ARGH!

I kept buying the Thins because I could have SO MANY with each meal--seriously, some brands have, like, a serving size of 7 chips. We have gotten bag after bag of the Tortilla Thins because there is a HUGE difference between having 7 chips and having 22 chips. 7 chips with salsa is a light snack; 22 chips with salsa is a meal. 7 chips with melted cheese is a side item; 22 chips with melted cheese is a dinner platter.

I'm so disappointed with Kroger. I tried to call and email them about it, but they just brushed me off saying they'd look into it. This was a few weeks ago, and the bags haven't changed. They don't seem to get it. I mean, 9 chips versus 22 chips is a BIG ASS DIFFERENCE. I was calculating the wrong Points for months. But aside from my own petty complaints, this could have serious health repercussions for people.

A diabetic closely monitoring carbohydrates knows there's a BIG ASS DIFFERENCE between 18g and 36g of carbs.

A heart patient monitoring sodium knows there's a BIG ASS DIFFERENCE between 75mg and 150mg of sodium.

And anyone monitoring fat or calories knows there's a BIG ASS DIFFERENCE between 140 calories/7g of fat and 280 calories/14g of fat.

And anyone one Weight Watchers knows there's a BIG ASS DIFFERENCE between 4 Points and 8 Points.

This is really dangerous misinformation.

And I'd venture to call this false advertising as well. I was purchasing a product specifically because of the information presented on the label, and it was incorrect. I like the Tortilla Thins because they're good, but I BUY them because I thought I could have 22 per serving for 4 Points. LIES.

Anyway, I've been thinking of this every time I see the chips, so I wanted to share. I'm now really careful to weigh out my food instead of going by the product label, but it would be nice to live in a world where you could actually trust the packaging.

Naughty Kroger!

Healthy Surprise Subscription Box

I got a Healthy Surprise in the mail.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a very good surprise. Not for me, anyway.

I've been a little, um, obsessed with subscription boxes lately. It started with BarkBox. Then I signed up for Loot Crate. Then Healthy Surprise. I'm currently waiting for BirchBox.

But the one I was TOTALLY MOST EXCITED ABOUT was Healthy Surprise. I loved the idea of getting a big box of snacks every month, full of things I'd never think to try at the store but I just might love. I was looking forward to sampling new things, branching out of my snack rut, and filling my cabinets with organic/vegan/gluten free goodies.

Sadly, it just wasn't for me. At least not on Weight Watchers.

I mean, one of the granola snacks was 9 Points! That's a whole meal for me. Most of the snacks were full of seeds and nuts--super healthy stuff, but also really high in Points.

I love that there were only a few ingredients in each product. And if I was, say, a hiker, I would be totally thrilled to fill my backpack with the chewy energy bars and dehydrated raw foods. For me, though, I just don't need to consume that many Points for a snack.

I'm pretty bummed about it. It's such a good idea, and for anyone looking for high-calorie, nutrient-rich, all-natural food, I would HIGHLY recommend it. The box came within days of me placing my first order, there was a wide variety of products, and the things I did try were totally delicious (like the almonds! YUM!).

The insert that came with my first box said to count ingredients, not calories. I definitely understand that. For people looking to eat healthier, that's always a good thing. But for someone who is still trying to lose more than 100 pounds, it's just not going to work for me.

I was hoping it would be a good addition to my weekly food delivery service but I'm going to have to cancel. Boo.

Now I need a new subscription box to sign up for! :)

Not-So-Simply Filling

Simply Filling is a lot harder than it sounds.

Especially if you're a vegetarian who doesn't like vegetables.

I'm struggling today with sticking to the Weight Watchers Simply Filling technique. I felt a lot better about things yesterday. I am determined to keep up with Simply Filling until my meeting next Wednesday, but Wednesday seems a loooong time away right now!

I thought I had a great Power Food supper planned--butternut squash soup with rosemary bread. I attempted to make the bread into a Power Food by swapping out 3/4 of the white flour with white wheat flour, and by using olive oil spray. It was definitely delicious, but I didn't realize until I tried tracking the meal that the bread isn't technically a Power Food.

Bummer. But it WAS really good! And I liked making my own bread and knowing everything that went into it. Worth the effort and the points, but it won't work this week for Simply Filling.

I've been scouring the internet for a solution, but it seems like the only reduced calorie breads that count as Power Foods are commercially prepared. That's because the calories are swapped with scary sounding chemicals. How disappointing. I made the bread in hopes of using it for tofu sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, and croutons this weekend. Now I can, but I have to count each slice as two points. Le sigh.

After the two slices of bread and a Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Sundae tonight, I'm now down to 27 points left for the week. 27 points doesn't amount to much when I'm trying to make them last until Wednesday. It leaves me wondering if I am eating enough anyway. I'm pretty hungry. Or a lot hungry. I glanced in front of me and thought for a second that I had a bowl of cheesy, gooey, crunchy nachos in front of me--then I realized it was a bowl full of torn and empty pomegranate peels. What I wouldn't give for a big ass bowl of nachos right now. Sure, I could go make some, but then I'd have no points left for the week and I might become stabby. No one needs that.

The Smart Ones was totally worth the four points, by the way. I love these things. I know I can't depend on these junk food-type snacks, but they keep me from feeling deprived. And they're just so good!

Oh yeah, before my nacho tangent I was saying I thought I may be eating too little. For comparison's sake, I plugged my food from today into SparkPeople and was told that I had eaten 920 calories out of a recommended 1440-1790. That doesn't seem right. I'm still tracking the measurements of my food for Weight Watchers so I can look back and see what worked and what didn't, so I know I measured accurately. It just doesn't seem like I should have used 8 points of my weekly Simply Filling points today when I've only eaten 920 calories.

I'm hungry. And I'm not sure if these 27 points are going to get me through the weekend, let alone until my next meeting. And I really, really want some nachos.