I walked into Safeway the other day and was confronted by a big display of Wheat Thins crackers, on sale for $.99 a box, marked down from $2.89 a box.

"Who in the world would pay that much for crackers?" I asked a woman who was loading up her cart. "Oh, they're a wonderful snack," she said, "and what a good price."

All I could think was how she would get hooked on this wonderful snack, so even when it went back $2.89 a box, she'd still buy it.

Another thing that amazed me was the huge variety of Wheat Thins now available:

Original Flavor, Reduced Fat Original Flavor, Sundried Tomato & Basil, Ranch, Multi-Grain (I thought they already were), Flatbread Tuscan Herb, Flatbread Garlic & Parsley, Wisconsin Colby, Vermont White Cheddar, Fiber Selects 5-Grain, Fiber Selects Garden Vegetable, Hint of Salt A Low Sodium Choice, , Cream Cheese & Chives, Parmesan & Basil, 100% Whole Grain, and Big (I kid you not, that's the name on the box - Big.

Some of them, like the Original and Reduced Fat, also come in Family Size.

And I also got to wondering why it's so important to spend all that money on 'snacks.' Why not just eat a decent size balanced meal, and if you need a little something in between what about real food you make in the kitchen instead of this boxed stuff with all the artificial flavors, additives, fats, starches, and sodium? What about a nice apple or a carrot stick? Or maybe a glass of water. If a person is trying to eat 'small meals' several times a day, there's no requirement that some of them be made up of junk food.

A friend of mine is always talking about how she can barely afford groceries what with car and house payments. But she has a cupboard full of crackers for snacking. I was thinking of letting her know that Wheat Thins are on sale this week, but then decided Why should I tell her? Let her find out for herself, or not.