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Excerpts from email chat about comfort food. [Warning: My spouse says this
rates right up there with very slow dinner conversation.]

>>My favorite snack is popcorn but I wonder about those ingredients in
microwave popcorn that comes >>in bags.  They seem to be OK.

Reply:
>You made me wonder what it was that scared me away from most brands of
microwave popcorn, so I had >another look at the ingredient lists. Most
contain the mysterious <natural flavor>.

                 *****

To the list:
So, has anybody looked asked any manufacturers about the natural flavor in
microwave popcorn?

                 *****

>>Since I no longer have a taste for lots of salt, I've been buying Bearitos
microwave popcorn (just >>popcorn--and just this side of styro-food) and
adding melted Hain's Margarine for that >>lactose-free butter flavor and
extra calories. While reexamining the popcorn shelves, I did find >>Pop
Secret's By Request (less fat) which doesn't list natural flavor. It lists:
popcorn, >>partially hydrogenated >soybean oil, salt, freshness protected by
TBHQ and citric acid. The sodium >>weighs in at 370 mg per >serving (two
servings per bag).

Reply:
>I've tried Pop Secret/Special Request, it IS quite good...I'm sort of a
popcorn expert, I'm so
>glad that it's my ONE very favorite snack that I did NOT have to give up.

                 *****

Other snacks that came up in our deep discussion:

>>Have you tried a product that is like a cracker called "No-Fries"? they're
not too bad. . .

>My current favorite is Barbara's potato chips made with safflower oil.
Pricey though . . .

                 *****

To the list:
Anybody else trying to put on some pounds? The challenges vary from celiac
to celiac: some are lactose intolerant, some don't yet digest fat well, some
are sensitive to one oil or another, some are still hypoglycemic, some get
PMS symptoms if they get too much salt, chocolate, etc. And it is soooo nice
to find something on the junk food aisle that's celiac-friendly. Summer's
comin' and the bakin' ain't easy. Suggestions welcome.

Keep on crunchin',
Mary
Mary Courtney
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Los Angeles, California