Cubicle Cuisine Test: SmartFood
Dare I say - unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for 20 years - you have tried SmartFood. SmartFood White Cheddar Cheese Flavored Popcorn is a vending machine staple eaten by everyone down on the cube farm. But, have you tried SmartFood lately, or do you wonder about its nutritional value? At About.com, nine co-workers sampled SmartFood and shared their opinions.
But first - this is not an urban legend - SmartFood was accidentally invented in its role as a fill for a newly designed reclosable package. “The popcorn turned out better than the package,” said the inventor of SmartFood to the New York Times. Introduced in 1985, SmartFood was the first white cheddar cheese pre-popped popcorn on the market.
And now, without further ado, here is the combined feedback from our testers.
(1) Describe the taste.
Our tasters described SmartFood as "cheesy" (in a good way) most often, followed by "slightly salty," and also mentioned was buttery, savory, artificial, and "just short of stale."
(2) Describe the texture.
Most tasters tried to capture the velvety tenderness of high-grade popcorn together with the mouth-feel of oil. "Smooth, creamy, fluffy, and light" where used most often. The word "powdery" came up often and some said SmartFood was slightly crunchy and even chewy to the point of sticking to the teeth.
(3) What did you like about it?
Most people had something positive to say about SmartFood. "Insanely tasty" sums it up. They said it had the perfect amount of cheese and salt and it is "better than popcorn".
(4) What didn’t you like about it?
Most frequently mentioned: Messy on the fingers. An artificial taste was noted by about a third of the testers.
(5) Did it satisfy your snack craving or did you want something else as well?
SmartFood satisfied everyone’s craving. They said a drink would be nice but not necessary. Most thought that SmartFood was a great low-calorie snack, but only 75 percent would not recommend SmartFood to a friend.
Nutritionally speaking....
The vending machine-size bag of SmartFood had 100-calories for about .75 cups. Like all popcorn, SmartFood is a high-fiber, whole grain food (yes, corn is a grain.) It is high in fiber because it provides more than 5% of the DV (Daily Value) in one serving. SmartFood provides some protein and it has very little sugar - both are a plus. The total fat and saturated fat are higher than need be, but both are below the 20% DV upper limit. The same holds true for sodium. And much of the fat is healthier unsaturated fat and trans-fats are absent. There is also a wee bit of iron and of calcium from the cheese.
Ingredient-wise, the first two are popcorn and oil, which is a good sign. And then comes butter, salt, corn syrup solids, monosodium glutamate, sugar, non-fat milk, cheddar cheese, dextrose, sodium caseinate, artificial color, lactic acid, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, and natural and artificial flavors. Most of those ingredients are components of the dehydrated butter and cheese, and others are there to enhance the flavor. That's why it's so tasty.
Overall, our testers think SmartFood is yummy. True, it has more fat and salt and fewer nutrients than it could have, but as one tester said, "It’s better than oily full-fat chips and those bland baked snacks." SmartFoot is one of the better choices from the vending machine, but please also understand that SmartFood is no fresh fruit, baby carrots, hummus, or hard boiled egg. At the same time, we all know that the vending machine is not about healthy snacks (I wish!), and these days “it could be worse” is a compliment indeed. SmartFood is also available in a reduced fat version, which saves some calories from fat, but I have not seen this type in the nearby vending machines.
Question for you:
What do you think of SmartFood?
Nutrition Facts:
Comments
I couldn't help noticing that although the article states that the snack-size package is 100 calories, the Nutrition Information block states that it's 160 calories. That's a BIG DIFFERENCE, in my book! Still, it's nice to know that, despite the presence of MSG, SmartFood is a fairly "healthy" snack...because I happen to LOVE it.
I have to admit that I've been living under a rock, because I haven't had this snack, and don't plan on running out and buying it. The description sound scary, "...in its role as a fill for a newly designed reclosable package?" Yikes....
I have some fresh Western Colorado Palisade peaches that are ripe, juicy and unbelievably good this year, think I'll have one of those instead.
Original Post by: annschmechI have to admit that I've been living under a rock, because I haven't had this snack, and don't plan on running out and buying it. The description sound scary, "...in its role as a fill for a newly designed reclosable package?" Yikes....
I have some fresh Western Colorado Palisade peaches that are ripe, juicy and unbelievably good this year, think I'll have one of those instead.
Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 cup slices (170.0 g) 1 large (2-3/4" dia) (approx 2-1/2 per lb) (157.0 g) 1 medium (2-1/2" dia) (approx 4 per lb) (98.0 g) 1 small (2" dia) (approx 5 per lb) (79.0 g) 1 extra large (3" dia) (224.0 g) 1 NLEA serving (147.0 g) Amount Per Serving Calories 61 Calories from Fat 4 % Daily Value* Total Fat 0.4g 1% Saturated Fat 0.0g 0% Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 0mg 0% Total Carbohydrates 15.0g 5% Dietary Fiber 2.4g 9% Sugars 13.2g Protein 1.4g Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 17% Calcium 1% • Iron 2% * Based on a 2000 calorie diet PS The nutritional values....
Original Post by: annschmechI have to admit that I've been living under a rock, because I haven't had this snack, and don't plan on running out and buying it. The description sound scary, "...in its role as a fill for a newly designed reclosable package?" Yikes....
I have some fresh Western Colorado Palisade peaches that are ripe, juicy and unbelievably good this year, think I'll have one of those instead.
Yup, count me in with the under a rock crowd and I'm with you on the scary sounding bit too. Got any more of those peaches?
Original Post by: troy1of2Original Post by: annschmechI have to admit that I've been living under a rock, because I haven't had this snack, and don't plan on running out and buying it. The description sound scary, "...in its role as a fill for a newly designed reclosable package?" Yikes....
I have some fresh Western Colorado Palisade peaches that are ripe, juicy and unbelievably good this year, think I'll have one of those instead.
Yup, count me in with the under a rock crowd and I'm with you on the scary sounding bit too. Got any more of those peaches?
LOL, a whole case: I freeze them and eat them all winter!
I like the taste. I like that it's not as messy as the orange colored cheese corn.
These reviews are helpful. Keep it up.
I love the stuff...unfortunately my store only sells the big bags, so I have to buy those and I have a hard time keeping it to just a single serving size. Hence, I don't buy it often, otherwise it's gone....
Scooch over ... Hey nice rock! I've never eaten the stuff either. I brought my peach for lunch today too! Great peaches this year ... yummy.
Thank you for this review. I'm also a big fan of peaches and normally pop my own popcorn so that I can control the ingredients. However, for those times when the rules must be loosened (does anyone else out there host children's birthday parties?) it's good to know that these are a better choice than most packaged snack foods. I don't think it's necessary to feel guilty for the occasional splurge - especially when one goes into the splurge armed with nutritional awareness.
oddly enough give me one of the quaker oats lightly salted rice cakes and I'm a happy camper! That fills my 'salt' snack craving more than anything. I'd much rather have some fruit or a tomato. or even a spinach salad. I'm not a fan of the popcorn only because it's usually chewy and stale when I get it and it's a waste of my snack calories for the day.
Original Post by: alphawordsmithI couldn't help noticing that although the article states that the snack-size package is 100 calories, the Nutrition Information block states that it's 160 calories. That's a BIG DIFFERENCE, in my book! Still, it's nice to know that, despite the presence of MSG, SmartFood is a fairly "healthy" snack...because I happen to LOVE it.
The article says it's 100 calories per 0.75 cups, but it doesn't state the actual amount of cups in snack-size (misleading, I know). The nutrition label under the article is correct.
However, that's not the only reason I replied... the grocery stores now have "100-calorie" bags of SmartFood sold in boxes, containing 6 bags (I think). Personally these satisfy as much as the 160-cal bags, in my book! I agree, I love it too!
I love it and buy it often because it meets my diet requirements. Nutella also makes my list, hopefully they'll have an article on that too so I can go to town on it without guilt as well.
I've been living happily under a rock too. Guess that was a bad assumption.
Sorry to say, but this strikes me as paid advertisement. Yes, popcorn is better for you than potato chips, but pre-fab cheese coated popcorn with 10 grams of fat per serving and "vegetable oil" as it's 2nd ingredient is NOT healthfood!! I suppose I should be surprised by sneaky advertising, but I am still disappointed nonetheless.
how do you freeze peaches? i'd love to know--i get really good michigan peaches by the bushel at the farmer's market, but they go bad so quickly, i don't ever have time to eat them all!
nutella's delicious, but not terribly guilt free. i was going to buy some at the store, looked at the label and put it back. i'll save it for an occasional treat instead of keeping it in my kitchen.
Sure is crowded under this rock! Never had it & never will...I have bad reactions to MSG so I would never knowingly eat anything that contains it.
I'll stick with popping my own popcorn.
I honestly have not seen Smartfood on the shelf at any grocery store in the SF Bay Area for a few years now. Pop Chips are all the rage out here now.
I prefer to pop my own popcorn (using the Alton Brown method).
Yes, "hiding under a rock" must be quite crowded for all of us and what a comment to make! I'm not in to low cal junk food either.
Original Post by: mischiefdmYes, "hiding under a rock" must be quite crowded for all of us and what a comment to make! I'm not in to low cal junk food either.
I agree with everything in mischiefdm's post.
I've never even seen the stuff, so I should consider it a good thing that I don't frequent vending machines. I am very observant and would have seen other people eating it, IF it were all that popular. After all, I was previously on a couple college campuses for seven whole years, in both the Northeast and Southeast.
I'm about to peel a peach to go in yogurt, for a healthy, low-cal snack... :)
Pop your own popcorn, spray on some Becel spray and sprinkle with Kernels white cheddar seasoning! Almost as good but way less fat and calories.
I am with the "love it" crowd - but also enjoy fresh fruit of any kind when ever possible! My kids - and the kids in carpool - love when I bring the 100 calorie SmartFood snacks for the ride home.
I was excited when I saw this I thought it would be for the popcorn clusters called SmartFood which taste good. I have not had the white Cheddar popcorn but it does not sound appealing.
Original Post by: kathader76how do you freeze peaches? i'd love to know--i get really good michigan peaches by the bushel at the farmer's market, but they go bad so quickly, i don't ever have time to eat them all!
Step 1: blanch the peaches to remove the skins
Step 2: cut the peaches in half & remove the pits; slice the halves if you want peach slices instead of peach halves, stir in a little sugar (2-3 TBSP per 25 medium peaches)
Step 3: scoop the peaches into freezer bags (make sure they're freezer bags, not storage bags)--you can fit 4-5 cups of slices into a quart bag)
Step 4: seal the bags--make sure to clean any peach stuff off the zippers so they seal tight, and get as much air out as possible; lay the bags down in the freezer
Step 5: enjoy peaches all winter long! :)
PS--to blanch peaches: boil a large pot of water, cut a small X into the bottom of each peach, drop the peaches into the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, remove from boiling water and drop IMMEDIATELY into ice water (it works best to get a big spoon and scoop the peaches out one by one), let sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes, the peel will come off pretty easily, starting where the X is. Some varieties are easier to peel than others, freestone peaches are easier to peel and remove pits than cling peaches.
Hope this helps!
Original Post by: cmnyczSorry to say, but this strikes me as paid advertisement. Yes, popcorn is better for you than potato chips, but pre-fab cheese coated popcorn with 10 grams of fat per serving and "vegetable oil" as it's 2nd ingredient is NOT healthfood!! I suppose I should be surprised by sneaky advertising, but I am still disappointed nonetheless.
I agree aspecially when item #5 says "Most thought that SmartFood was a great low-calorie snack, but only 75 percent would not recommend SmartFood to a friend."
Only 75% would not recommend it!!!
I love fresh peaches, wish the season was longer!
It's terrific on my morning cereal with a little plain yogurt!
Yum!!
I guess I've been hiding out under a rock. Just the name alone is enough to put me off. Peaches sound ever so much better.
I love this food! I become a wild beast when it is around LOL. I was suprised at how few calories it had...I thought the fake cheese on it would make it off limits. Gotta love popcorn!
It's a great family snack food. My 17 year old son begs me to buy it all the time, and there's competition as to who is going to eat it first. As a mother of to grow boys I recommend it as a great snack.
I have not been under a rock for 20 years, and I've never heard of smart food. I just asked my non-rock-abiding husband who hasn't heard of it. quit making generalizations. products are found in specific areas of the country.
If I want fake cheese on something, I go for baked cheetos. Those are my treat and there's a lot less fat in them.
Now for my real reason for commenting. I've copied down the directions for freezing peaches. It sounds heavenly, but do you thaw them completely before eating them? Do they get mushy once they are thawed? I'll be buying peaches this week, that's for sure!
Original Post by: itchandscratchIf I want fake cheese on something, I go for baked cheetos. Those are my treat and there's a lot less fat in them.
Now for my real reason for commenting. I've copied down the directions for freezing peaches. It sounds heavenly, but do you thaw them completely before eating them? Do they get mushy once they are thawed? I'll be buying peaches this week, that's for sure!
Ooh yum, baked cheetos. I'm one of those rock-dwellers who's never had Smartfood (although I have seen it, I just prefer butter & salt on my popcorn).
To answer your "peachy" questions--you can thaw them and then just eat them plain, put them on cereal or yogurt, make cobbler/crisp/pie out of them, etc. I sometimes use frozen or part-thawed ones in smoothies. They get juicy when thawed, not really mushy, but not as firm as when they were first picked, and not as firm as canned peaches.
What is it about this food? It's like a drug! I can eat an entire bag of this stuff! Camping with my family over the weekend and we were just talking about how addctive it is! We went through more bags than I'd like to admit!
Count me as one of the under the rock club. However, I notice that your article states that 75% of those responding WOULD NOT recommend this to a friend. That means only 25% would recommend it. Hardly a glowing report.
Original Post by: jbgee60Why are we discussing junk food?
I agree! And I must be odd because I have never eatten the stuff!
MSG people! A well known diet wrecker. No thanks! Up with peaches, up with yogurt, up with hummus and light toast!
This is NOT a good choice for a snack. The total calories are half from fat! 54 calories out of 100 total makes this snack undesirable. A healthy snack is one which less than 25% of the total calories are from fat. Check with a dietician. How about a snack size of Pop Secret? The ones with lower fat and sodium.
I love the taste of Smartfood. It's not very healthy though, so I eat it in very limited amounts.
Original Post by: textheavyI honestly have not seen Smartfood on the shelf at any grocery store in the SF Bay Area for a few years now. Pop Chips are all the rage out here now.
I prefer to pop my own popcorn (using the Alton Brown method).
Alton Brown is the best! I think I missed that episode though. Make some room under that rock though, because while I've seen that distinctive black bag, I've never bothered to stop and pick it up or anything.
I'm not a huge popcorn fan anyway. I've been on a huge nectarine kick lately.
Well, I started eating SmartFood when I lived in San Francisco. Ten years ago, I moved up here to the "North Country" (the REAL Northern California) and it's in the stores AND at Costco. I don't buy it anymore, though, because it IS addictive. Just as I can't have Stacey's Pita Chips in the house because they taste like toasted pie crust to me! 
Now, for all those who are referring to the "fake cheese" on it, if you check the list of ingredients, it has REAL cheese on it:
butter, salt, corn syrup solids, monosodium glutamate, sugar, non-fat milk, cheddar cheese, dextrose, sodium caseinate, artificial color, lactic acid, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, and natural and artificial flavors.
The fake part is the eight out of 15 OTHER ingredients. I'm not actually defending SmartFood...just going for accuracy.
That being said...After reading the beginning of this thread, I realized how much I LOVE popcorn. So I went out and bought one of those $9.00 Nordic Ware air popper bowls that you use in the microwave and I've had it three times since. I eat 2-4 Cups at a time (popped, of course) with a gram or two of melted butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. YUMMMMMMM!!! And low-cal, TOO!
OMG! I love white cheddar popcorn! I never noticed that it was so low in calories.
Original Post by: chris1208I've been living happily under a rock too. Guess that was a bad assumption.
I've always been quite content, albeit, a bit lonely, under my rock. Until now I didn't realize there was an entire community of us and a fun group at that of course visitors are always welcome. I think this is a fine rock and the more the merrier.... Bring on the peaches, yogurt, real popcorn and fresh sweet blackberries and raspberries....
Speaking of raspberries, the wild raspberries are ripe up in the hills in Colorado. What a wonderful treat when hiking! They are small but almost shocking in sweet, tangy flavor. I have yet to figure out how to transplant one of those bushes...
I diverge, sorry....a bit of a tangent on trail side snacking. I have to fess up though, I do eat an occasional vanilla Protein power bar so can't claim I don't eat processed foods. I did try the Pirate Booty once-not bad. I think it's about the same? Don't know.... Generally when I have a salt craving I tend to eat crackers or a dill pickle.
Original Post by: eag234Original Post by: kathader76how do you freeze peaches? i'd love to know--i get really good michigan peaches by the bushel at the farmer's market, but they go bad so quickly, i don't ever have time to eat them all!
Step 1: blanch the peaches to remove the skins
Step 2: cut the peaches in half & remove the pits; slice the halves if you want peach slices instead of peach halves, stir in a little sugar (2-3 TBSP per 25 medium peaches)
Step 3: scoop the peaches into freezer bags (make sure they're freezer bags, not storage bags)--you can fit 4-5 cups of slices into a quart bag)
Step 4: seal the bags--make sure to clean any peach stuff off the zippers so they seal tight, and get as much air out as possible; lay the bags down in the freezer
Step 5: enjoy peaches all winter long! :)
PS--to blanch peaches: boil a large pot of water, cut a small X into the bottom of each peach, drop the peaches into the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, remove from boiling water and drop IMMEDIATELY into ice water (it works best to get a big spoon and scoop the peaches out one by one), let sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes, the peel will come off pretty easily, starting where the X is. Some varieties are easier to peel than others, freestone peaches are easier to peel and remove pits than cling peaches.
Hope this helps!
This is pretty much how I do it. (I haven't needed to blanch them that long and usually freeze 3 cups each because that's about what I can use.) My cousin's wife takes wax paper and lines pie plates and then puts the peach or apples in there and when they're frozen, pops them out and stacks them in gallon bags with wax paper between in 3 or so layers. I don't make many pies so don't go there.
Frozen peaches are a bit 'mushy' but I think they are so tasty that I can get by it and enjoy them anyway. I pull a bag and thaw it in the fridge in a casserole dish and snack away. For a special desert I add a bit of Moscato d'Asti. (also wonderful on fresh peaches for a light desert). I'm also a fan of Jonathan Apples (getting very hard to find) and make fresh apple sauce. YUM!!!
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Honestly, my family devours this stuff like it's the greatest food substance on Earth, but I can't stand the taste of it. It's all chewy, stale, and the cheese tastes awful. But, whatever makes people happy.