Croutons Deserve Better Than Being a Salad Sidekick

Do you remember the movie A Bronx Tale? It’s a classic, but in case you missed it, there’s a scene where Robert De Niro’s character explains to his son that “the saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”

Get our free mobile app

This makes me think of croutons—stay with me. We're looking at the crouton all wrong. They are way more than a salad sidekick. The next time you're in the kitchen, grab a bag of croutons, open it, and stuff like ten of them in your mouth. What you're about to realize is the crouton could be a standalone snack that doesn't need to be paired with stupid lettuce.

Pound for pound, the crouton may be one of the most flavor-packed snacks in America, and yet many don't even see it as a snack option. Why are we letting "Big Food" tell us how to live our lives? Is someone at Lay's lining the pockets of lobbyists to ensure the crouton doesn't find its way to the potato chip aisle?

Is this a simple case of misappropriated talent, or a deeper, more sinister effort to keep croutons down? Food for thought—chew it.

I recently shared similar remarks to "THE WEB," and these were some of the responses:

Gina M: I will not even MAKE a salad without croutons.

Phil L: Texas toast croutons.

Lisa G: Croutons are confusing.

Erica R: Croutons are too big. They need to make a cross between a crouton and a breadcrumb. Now that’s yummy.

Joye B: Stews croutons are amazing!!!

Pete K: I eat them as snack food sometimes.

Katy: I have a snack for you. It involves croutons. I'll teach you everything you need to know. You're welcome.

Chris Mags: Mom would fight you if you got caught eating them Like chips.

I'll tell you what I'm going to do, I’m buying a bag for the next road trip. I’m confident they will steal the show. #newcomerstealstheshow

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Show Podcast on Apple & Spotify