Snack time

The world of snacks is complex. And supermarket shelves, with their unwavering tendency to be stocked for aisles with snack option after snack option (and imitation after imitation), offer little solace. What's tastiest? Cheez-It's or Cheese Nips? Nilla Wafers or VAnilla Wafers? Cheez Doodles or Cheetos Puffs? Where's the confused and overwhelmed snack addict to turn?

Luckily, an intelligent, snack-savvy, Boston-based husband-and-wife team has come up with solution: a blog called Second Rate Snacks. Here's what they do: Buy snacks. Eat them (or find willing nearby victims - like co-workers - to eat them). Compare, contrast, blog, repeat. They'll boldly tell you which is better, Twinkies or Gold n Cremes, and why.

On the Nilla Wafers versus VAnilla Wafer debate, for example, they say:

"Nilla Wafers were the clear winner.  It won people over with it’s subtle texture and mild flavor.  The Stauffer’s version was too rough and dry with a poor quality vanilla flavor so it just didn’t have a lot going for it."

And, on the Jell-O pudding versus Swiss Miss Pudding debate:

"At the risk of upsetting Mr. Cosby, I’ll say that if given a choice, I’d go with Swiss Miss just for the richer chocolate flavor.  Ethan doesn’t like dark chocolate and while Swiss wasn’t “dark chocolate”, he prefered [sic] the mellowness of the Jell-O pudding. "

And, on an epic, four-way battle between Hostess Apple Pie, Entenmann's Apple Pie, Little Debbie Apple Pie, and Drake's Apple Pie:

"Entenmann’s stood out from the rest. Its decent crust and flavorful filling most resembled apple pie, and the cinnamon smell/taste really contributed to the win. We wondered if the others had added more cinnamon or other spices if they would have been better. Little Debbie is O for 2 so far but I have faith in her since her Swiss Rolls are so awesome - maybe devil food cake (and nutty bars) are her specialty.  So the results are: Entenmann’s on top, followed by Hostess, and then kind of a tie between Drake’s and Little Deb for being the worst."

Weigh in, in the comments section, or read on to find your own snack salvation here.