An unexpected snack food.

I don't know about you but most of the snack foods that I love are finger foods. I mean, who breaks out fork and knife for a snack? Not me. Also, for me sometimes foods simply have a positive association because of something going on while I ate them. I associate finger foods with fun, good times, relaxing with my husband and yummy appetizers at my favorite restaurant. They are usually what I reached for when I was eating for comfort.

Now the other night we needed a side dish quick and we were so busy with kids and grilling, couldn't find the can opener to just open a can of something, anything to get dinner on the table. Then I remembered I just bought lettuce and red peppers the day before. So I tore off and rinsed a few leaves and threw some sticks of red peppers I had cut up on top. My husband was wondering what the heck I was doing at first and I said, "It is salad, we will eat it with our hands, here is the dressing to dip it in." When he raised a brow I said "Well, Guy Fieri does it!" (He likes the show Guy's Big Bite on the Food Network so I figured he would take me more seriously then. Good thing he really did serve salad that way, as I can't tell a lie even if I wanted to.)

Even though it was just lettuce and peppers we loved it. I mean really loved it. As I ate I realized that the dreaded limp salad I usually disdain for the cause that my salad dressing always seemed to pool at the bottom of my bowl causing me to have a soupy mess; was now transforming into something I was falling in love with! Eating whole leaves was fun, it was finger food! I would wrap the red pepper strips in a romaine lettuce leaf and dip it in my favorite dressing with the same high I get from dipping a chip in cheese dip then chowing down on it like I was eating a hefty, greasy taco. I just ate and ate and ate. I ignored the chicken on my plate most of the meal as the fresh crunch of a healthy finger food was just so great and, most importantly, very satisfying.

I felt like I was eating one of my favorite comfort foods and at the same time making a new memory. I was forming a good, even great association with a healthy food as I always really enjoy eating a meal with my husband and children. Since then I have craved this snack, I love eating with my fingers and not getting them greasy. I have a new comfort food, veggie tacos wrapped in romaine lettuce dipped in vinaigrette.

I wonder what other comfort junk foods I can find a creative way to transform into a healthy mimic of the experience? I look forward to trying some new things out.