Pork Rinds
Take the fatty skin of a pig and fry it in yet more fat. Pork rinds leave no illusion of health consciousness. The crunchy, puffed snack is crafted from a pig's undesirable leftovers and spun into something irresistible. The rinds start off as small shards of pig hide, after which they're cured, dried and fried. The hot-oil bath balloons the rinds to more than five times their original size, after which they receive a healthy dose of seasoning, much the same as potato chips. Some are simply salted, and others are tossed in barbecue or chili-lime spices. But some health junkies note that the snack food actually rises above the rest of the fatty-food depths: pork rinds have no carbs and top the charts in protein, making them a perfect choice for those following the Atkins diet. For the rest of us, though, it's eat-at-your-own-peril.