Reviewed and Contributed by Tracey Paleo, Gia On The Move

In the time of COVID19 all holed up in our apartments here in the city of Los Angeles, (YOU, of course, dear reader, may have the luxury of living in a comfy, spacious home – ah, we dream!), with the minimization of physical activity – cooking and more frankly, eating – to our simultaneous delight and chagrin, has become a primary focus.

At the onset of the pandemic, arriving at the grocery store confronted us with two certainties – the panicked frenzy of supermarket shoppers stocking up for apocalyptic famine (which luckily has not happened so far), and the horrifying expanse of empty shelves in the once consoling, comfort food aisles.

Oh, the pain to dream of lining your extra top kitchen shelves and storage closets with favorite junk foods to get you through your sixteenth binge of Schitt$ Creek, Harry Potter, Westworld, DC Comics & Marvel Universe movies…and discovering dust balls accompanied by leftover bread ties and ‘temporarily out of stock’ signs where the life-affirming Peanut Butter & Jelly used to be.

Sigh.

Now that we’ve gotten a handle on the trips to the grocer’s thing, and we’ve all been learning at least a modicum of shopping restraint, it might actually be a good time to contemplate our snacks.  Because, let’s face it, the sheer boredom of too much time on our collective hands is most likely straining everyone’s will-power and reason against shameless nibbling.

Personally, I’ve been doing a 6-week, stay-at-home, victory lap of slow, home-cooked meals and self-enforced, conscientious recipe & food list development.  My days have been filled with Keto shakes mixed with fresh fruit and other phytonutrient powders I already had in the pantry and a definitively delicious, balanced, late-day meal of clean proteins, medicinal, garden-grown herbs & colorful vegetables.  But snacks, well, I have to admit, it’s been a struggle.

Like many people, I’ve occasionally put on my protective mask and made a secret trip to the local neighborhood corner deli, pharmacy or restaurant side shop to acquire my most favorite gooey dessert (I purposely don’t keep this stocked in my freezer as my scale tends to beat me up otherwise) or the saltiest munchie I could find to quell the anxiety of my couch looking way too attractive than it normally would.  Luckily, I’ve kept that to a bare minimum.  Thankfully, there have been better choices than corn chips in my purview.  And happily, I had the opportunity to sample some healthier alternatives prior, which has offered a bit of relief on the days when I just can’t seem to hold out.

Wait for it…SeaSnax.  Yes, Sea as in Seaweed.  Like that stuff that washes up at beaches…  (What? Eew! Yuck! Like, not ever!)…and in point of fact, surrounds your favorite sushi roll.  So there!

Of all the brands I’ve tried in the last several years, SeaSnax has consistently landed in my checkout cart, long before I was offered a sample box to write about.  The major reason is that on a pure dietary front, SeaSnax are made with 100% pure olive oil as opposed to less healthy, artery clogging vegetable oils or oil ‘blends’ that you often find even in better quality foods.  For me, the olive oil also gives this light snack a much more palatable taste, which otherwise, on its own, can sometimes be a bit ‘different’.

What’s super-AWESOME about them is that they are paleo, vegan and keto certified and contain ZERO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Nor do they contain any genetically grown materials.  And since SeaSnax are made from seaweed, they naturally contain vitamins (B1, B6, C), vegetable protein, fiber, iron and other minerals and trace elements that are good for you, even at their nominal portions.  It doesn’t hurt either that a single pack is only 25 calories.

SeaSnax released several truly exciting flavors this year, and OMG+++ are they GOOD!!!

In addition to their original roasted seaweed strips  there’s now, Barbecue, Jalapeño, Onion and a seriously outstanding Lime.

And their new Chomperz (try the Jalapeño, trust me on this! ) which hit the shelves as well, are even tastier.

Remember old fashioned Bugles?  Imagine that curly, crunchy awesomeness…but with flavors…

“I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe how delicious each one actually is!”

And unlike their artificially manufactured counterparts, Chomperz contain just six ingredients: seaweed, glutinous rice flour, rice bran oil, tapioca starch, sea salt, and the vegetable they are flavored with such as Onion, which is insanely delicious.  And an entire package only contains 80 calories.

The company touts all its snacks as “strangely addictive” and they would be right.  Their award winning premium roasted seaweed snacks are also sustainably grown.  Great for kids and adults.

The only downside apart from just not liking the taste or idea of seaweed is that prices vary from store to store, region and location.  You can pay as little as $3.99 but I’ve seen pricing well over $5 per package for Chomperz at certain health food stores.  They are orderable online, which, at this time, is especially is a plus.