Evaluating Atkins for myself, but I have to ask... how can any eating plan include pork rinds as a "healthy" food?

It's meat and fat. Sounds Atkins to me!

You wouldn't believe how good the French toast is that I make with them.

They are also wonderful with melted brie!

I eat them like chips with Salsa....

If you miss your chips they are wonderful for salty crunchy.

french toast?!?!? you gotta share that one!!
I love mine with salsa too!!

They're healthiest if eaten with a yummy sour cream or cream cheese dip.

Check the nutrition panel! Pork rinds are 50% protein, and the fat is a naturally-occurring one.
They are crunchy, richly flavored, and don't make you go on a binge. They make the best cheese 'n crackers ever! (Pork rinds with a piece of swiss cheese ... OMG good!) Or great guacamole scoops.
If you are at the diet evaluation stage, you'd be smart to read one of Gary Taubes' books, like WWGF:
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fa...02745724&sr=8-1
He explains why pork rinds are, indeed, a healthy choice.

Pork Rinds are empty collagen cells, because most of the fat is cooked out. A corn puff is lot of air and fat and carbs. A puffed pork rind is air, and meat and fat-- basically what you eat on your plate. When is meat and fat not healthy?

Pardon me for saying, I think you could be stuck on the recent definition of healthy. Low fat, low cholesterol, and high carb. That to me is very unhealthy food. What is healthy is high fat, good protein and only a small amount of very vitamin rich carb food, like blueberry and broccoli.

I also suggest you check the nutrition panel. My sweet DH brought me home some "Pork Krackles" recently. I was immediately suspicious when I saw "Source of dietary fibre" on the front of the packet. Huh? Since when do meat and fat have fibre?

So I checked the ingredients to find the following: pork rind, vegetable oil, salt, hydrolysed soy proteins (ugh), tapioca starch wha..? etc, etc.

Vigilance pays.

Crush 2 cups of pork rinds, mix with an egg & a half cup of heavy cream. Let sit for 5 minutes, then grill the thick batter front and back. Serve with berries, SF syrup, and/or whipped cream!

And a BIG pat of butter.

(This is a modification of Karen's recipe in the Recipe Section)

Thanks for all the interesting replies. But you'll never find me eating them - even though they do sound like a great sub for chips. And adding sour cream or cheese just makes it worse! On religious grounds

Well, with only 5 pounds to lose, I doubt you will ever get to the point where you need some kind of "treat" to keep going with this WOE. I guess that's good news.

Good luck on your journey!

My family think coating tilapia with the crushed pork rinds is better than flour/corn meal coating. Fry it in the skillet. It's yummy! Use the BBQ ones, though.

Donna

Oh, you're wrong... I do need treats and that's why I can't seem to get down to my goal weight. Job, children, life stress.. you know how it is. But here's the thing that I figured out last night - why pork rinds (with sour cream) are so counterintuitive for me.... I don't think I've ever seen slim/fit people, people at their target weights, eating pork rinds and/or fried fatty foods regularly (even if non-carb.) Or sour cream, bacon, etc regularly. That's why I'm reading Taube's book right now! Thanks for the suggestion. As a hypoglycemic with diabetes in the family... who is also at a hormonally risky middle age... I think I need this as a lifestyle.

I eat pork rinds ALL the time. With sour cream or cream cheese. Best snack ever. I prefer them to regular chips because they are ACTUALLY filling.