It's true that MSG content in e.g. aged parmesan is high... but it's not so low in e.g. cheddar and people tend to use a lot more of that.

Also mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. especially dried.

Mainly staying away from too much processed foods helps, but MSG content isnt' the main problem with them, it's a combination of flavoring agents + very high calorie density.

I don't know, it feels like they are engineered.

Sometimes I'm not hungry at all but I take a small bowl of potato chips with a movie. Then after that I get a real craving for MORE. And I end up eating the whole bag. It's weird. I don't have it before I start.

Maybe other more natural snacks would be better yes but they are just so nice.

That "cheddar" isn't cheddar. It's probably not even cheese. It's a yellow melting slab. Not a lot of people actually eat real cheddar.

True, the cheddar I'd use to get in Ireland was very different than the yellow plastic-wrapped slices you get in the supermarket, or the gooey slabs at McDonald's.

It was more crumbly and a darker orange colour. Also much stronger taste.

They had it in the supermarket but it was not the wrapped-slice stuff but sold in bricks.

I'm surprised they're allowed call that stuff Cheddar actually.

If I recall correctly, the MSG content in both is not inconsiderable, so this isn't really a counterpoint.