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[misterqueue]

Triscuits, Baked Tortilla Chips, and Granola have been providing my crunch factor.  Then again, I was never that big into fried stuff any-dang-how!

(Sad Admission: I put a little granola on my baby spinach the other day so as to alleviate the crouton factor.  It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be.)

[Hobot]

Celery is pretty crunchy.  All that xylem and phloem makes for good transportation of water and nutrients in the plant's vasculature, which makes for a crunchy vegetable.  Oh, and raw carrots.  See also: apples, crunchiest of fruits (which are surprisingly good in most salads, even when the dressing is not some kind of sweet-ish vinaigrette).

Almonds are also crunchy, and the healthiest of nuts.  Gotta love that "good fat."

[CortJstr]

Almonds are also crunchy, and the healthiest of nuts.  Gotta love that "good fat."

If by "healthy" you mean "bad tasting and containing cyanide" then yes.

[jough]

Actually, I meant "crispy" not "crunchy".  Yes, there are crunchy veggies, but they're not quite the same as say the skin of deep fried chicken.  That's the kind of crisp I'm looking for.

My uncle suggested cutting up tortillas and baking them.  I will try that.

Also, I'll have to do some research as to what kinds of nuts I can reasonably eat, but I'm thinking that some roasted nuts on a salad would be awesome.  I think walnuts are pretty oily, though, so I'll have to get something that doesn't taste metallic (so no almonds) and aren't too oily (goodbye peanuts and cashews).

[misterqueue]

Oh also, whole grain english muffins are pretty much healthy as far as breads go, and they get nice and crispy if you toast them.

Just be careful, because I burned myself doing just that this morning.  Damn you cheapass toaster oven!

[theinevitable]

oh dude, totillas are the way to go.

[jough]

ARE THEY AS CRISPY AS FRIED CHICKEN SKIN?

Basically I am trying to find the healthy analogue of fried chicken. 

English muffins?  Nigga please.  Not even close.

[Hobot]

Actually, I meant "crispy" not "crunchy".  Yes, there are crunchy veggies, but they're not quite the same as say the skin of deep fried chicken.  That's the kind of crisp I'm looking for.

My uncle suggested cutting up tortillas and baking them.  I will try that.

Also, I'll have to do some research as to what kinds of nuts I can reasonably eat, but I'm thinking that some roasted nuts on a salad would be awesome.  I think walnuts are pretty oily, though, so I'll have to get something that doesn't taste metallic (so no almonds) and aren't too oily (goodbye peanuts and cashews).

Yeah, I figured my veggie suggestions wouldn't go over too well, but you can't say I didn't try. 

As far as somewhat-healthy nuts go, the Emerald Nuts brand has the most delicious roasted almonds in the history of roasted almonds.  They have paprika on them, and are just about the best damn food item ever.  Do yourself a fuck*ng favour and try them.  (Since I am girl who has little to no interest in food, my glowing recommendation of these nuts [THESE NUTS!], and of food I deem "delicious" in general, should impress you by virtue of its rare occurrence.  You know it must be good if it's made me all insistent!)

[misterqueue]

my glowing recommendation of these nuts

Nah... too easy.


Carry on.

[swinehund]

They are not nuts, but close enough. Toasted or raw sunflower seeds (toast them yourself to avoid the fried ones you will typically get, or use sparingly if they're greasy) are good on salads, as are raw hulled pumpkin seeds. They've got a greeny sort of taste, but they're pretty good for you.

Jough, I would just go for the chicken skin in tiny amounts. Make it a once a week treat or something (one single drumstick, eaten very slowly), but stick to that. Another thing I liked about the calorie counting was that I could have measured indulgences, and compensate by just eating something really lean the next day.

[pmcd9]

Jough, I would just go for the chicken skin in tiny amounts. Make it a once a week treat or something (one single drumstick, eaten very slowly), but stick to that. Another thing I liked about the calorie counting was that I could have measured indulgences, and compensate by just eating something really lean the next day.

She speaks wise.  Don't deny yourself the things you love, just use sparingly.

~Paul

[jough]

You see my mindset, though.  I'm trying to find substitutions of healthy things for unhealthy things.  Eventually I will find and make healthy things that are so different than the things I used to eat that there is no direct comparision, but right now I'm not wanting to deviate too too much from my past habits. 

So instead of mashed potatoes I'll make whole grain brown rice.  Instead of shake & bake whole chicken pieces or ordering out fried chicken I'll make a stir fry with lots of fresh veggies and a tiny bit of olive oil.

Instead of store-bought canned soup, I make my own fresh stuff.  Etc.  Whole grain wraps instead of hoagie rolls for lunch.  Baby carrots instead of potato chips.   Water instead of soda.  Walking instead of sitting.

Tiny adjustments that seem to be adding up. 

I may see if I can make my own Lemon Chicken or Orange Beef at some point.  I'll have to learn how to make healthy sauces, though, because usually my sauces consist of deglazing the pan with a corn starch and sugar mixture (along with the citrus) so there's lots of sugar to carmelize and lots of oil to keep its consistency smooth.

I wish there was a place online where I could find nothing but healthy recipes.  Most of the recipies I'm finding start with "2 lbs. Butter, 2 cups Heavy Cream..."

[Doc]

Baby carrots instead of potato chips.   Water instead of soda.  Walking instead of sitting.

Up is Down, Down is Up. Oooooooooooh Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Seriously though, that sounds like a decent strategy but I agree with Paul et al to let yourself have some nice stuff now and then just because if you abstain completely you might build up it's importance too much in your mind and just go nuts.
I know they don't really match the crunch factor your looking for but can I also chime in for roasted almonds? Without any kind of seasoning or anything they are just delicious (I hate HATE raw almonds by the way) and if you want to be sure about their healthitude buy some slivered raw almonds from the store and just roast them yourself in the oven, seriously more-ish food.

[Lister]

When I gotta get a nut I toast pine nuts.  Problem is they're like $1.25 an ounce, but they're really good mixed with couscous.

They're not crispy/crunchy, though.  I don't know a non-fried way to get that fried food goodness.  If you bake tortillas, though, be sure to let them rest for a while -- when I first made them, I was severely disappointed with them as soon as they'd cooled, but the next day they were really good.

Baked pitas are good too sometimes.

[wombat]

Crunchy (although not crispy):  I know no one is going to believe me, but good quality freshly popped popcorn is really good without butter or anything at all added except salt.  You also don't have to use nearly as much oil to pop it as it usually says on the jar.   This is of course if you can find the plain popping corn in a jar anymore - the popcorn shelves of our supermarket have been taken over by microwavable shit and we can no longer find the Orville Reddenbacher's that really was better than other brands.

Seriously, this has almost completely replaced potato chips in my life at a huge savings in fat.