Carolina Gold Nuggets Microwave Pork Rinds 8 ounce bag

What are microwave pork rinds? Microwave pork rinds are pork skins that have been cooked to remove 70% of the fat in the product. The cooking process results in a shelf stable product that has a shelf life of 9 plus months. The remaining 30% of the fat is sufficient to allow them to be cooked or puffed in a microwave or in the oven. The resulting microwave pork rind is a healthier (less saturated fat) alternative to the puffed bagged pork rinds. It looks like microwave pork rinds cost more than bagged fried pork rinds. Why? Not when you compare the common denominator of the actual food product. In bagged fried pork rinds you are just buying more fat. Both microwave pork rinds and bagged fried pork rinds are both made from the same pork product. In order to puff the pork rinds they are fried in fat. As with any food fried in fat, the pork rind absorbs fat as part of the cooking process. For example if over time you purchased 10 lbs of microwave pork rinds and 10 lbs of fried bagged pork rinds, you would have really only purchased 8.2 lbs of the original product used to make bagged fried pork rinds. The remaining 1.8 lbs is the fat you purchased absorbed in the cooking process. From an economic view if you purchase a sealed bag of fried pork rinds as it come off the manufacturing line, the shelf life is about 3 to 4 months. Once the bag is opened the product deteriorates quickly and within a few days they have lost their crunch factor. Microwave pork rinds have a 9 month shelf life even if the bag is opened and you only cook as much as you plan to eat.

I want to buy a diet friendly snack for my family, what advice do you offer. Read the label and do your own research. Look at the ingredients and avoid products that include MSG and other additives. The fullness factor of microwave pork rinds is higher than many other snack food products.