Sunday, July 22, 2012

Beanfields Crispylicious Bean & Rice Chips Review

I received an email from the Beanfields company asking if I would like to try some unique tortilla chips.  Bean & Rice tortilla chips to be exact.  Well, I was intrigued but I did not know what to expect since I was only familiar with corn based tortilla chips until this review.  It was love at first bite!  These chips are absolutely FASCINATING and REVOLUTIONARY!  Not only do they taste better than any tortilla chips I have ever had, but they are also:-Corn Free-Gluten Free- Non GMO VerifiedThey have 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of complete protein in every 1 oz.  serving which is twice as much as most corn tortilla chips.  Plus, beans and rice are so much better for you than corn. 

These chips are also allergy friendly because they don't contain anything from the FDA's list of eight foods that trigger about 90% of all food allergies.  Beanfields Nacho Chips are the vegan answer to Doritos, only better and without the cheese and corn.  The Nacho Chips even won "Best of Show" at 2012 Natural Products Expo West by VegNews magazine. 

Beanfields is a family owned, values-based company that is all about beans.  They believe that beans are good for families, good for farmers, and good for our planet.  I agree!  Here are just some of the reasons:

*Beans are rich in nutrients

*Beans fix nitrogen in the soil

*Beans take less water to grow per pound than any other protein source

*Beans are low glycemic

*Beans rarely cause n allergic reaction

Beanfields was founded in 2010 and they emphasize and value relationships with all of their stakeholders, farmers, ingredient suppliers, and manufacturers.  They support local nonprofits by donating their products and time, and they share profits with their stakeholders and community.  What a wonderful company!  I value companies that support not only animal rights but also other causes and give back to the community. 

I was able to try all five flavors and I could not get enough!  The only problem for me personally was the fact that my low calorie diet restriction did not allow me to eat a big bag in one sitting which I would love to do.  Thankfully they also have four of their flavors available in 1.5 oz.  bags since the 6 oz.  bag has too many calories for me and I cannot control myself once the bag is opened......

Here are my thoughts.  All chips were beautifully crunchy and not too thick, greasy or dry.  So much better than any freshly made tortilla chips from Mexican restaurants! 

Nacho Chips

What a brilliant way to veganize Doritos without using crazy ingredients and artificial flavors!  These chips are amazingly cheesy, they have a slight hint of sweet paprika which is tangled with a lovely creaminess (almost like a sour cream blended with melted cheddar cheese).  They even smell like cheddar cheese with sour cream!  This flavor is definitely going to rock your world! 

Naturally Unsalted

Those are a bit bland for me since I am used to salty chips.  The benefit of having these chips in the purest form (black beans, navy beans, long grain rice, high oleic safflower or sunflower oil) is the fact that you can taste the unique bean flavor, plus you can add them to already salty dishes (I added mine to black bean soup) without oversalting your meal.  And people with high blood pressure can enjoy these healthy and delicious chips, too. 

Sea Salt & Pepper

Close your eyes and imagine the aroma and taste of freshly ground black pepper.  Warm and spicy, yet so different from chili pepper or spicy paprika.  It doesn't happen often that a salty snack is based purely on black pepper as the main flavoring since black pepper usually accompanies other spices and flavors.  These chips are a salty bliss with a peppery bite.  My taste buds appreciated all the warmness of the black pepper. 

Pico De Gallo

The aroma of these chips reminds me of a Mexican restaurant.  They taste exactly as one would imagine it would be. 

They did not disappoint me in any way.  So many different flavors mingled all together (smoky, salty, not too spicy).  Cilantro, tomato, bell pepper and other veggies are blended with spices to create a delightful experience.  I ate these by themselves and as a topping for my enchiladas. 

Sea Salt

Very pleasant bean flavor with the perfect amount of salt.  Plain and simple, yet flavorful and fun.  So forget old, boring, deep fried and unhealthy potato chips and reach for these! 

About Me

I am a Czech Vegan living in America.  I am working on my first vegan cookbook.  On this blog I share my recipes, my thoughts on vegan living, vegan products reviews and other fun things.  Two of my recipes were published in the Vegetarian Times magazine, as winning recipes in their recipe contests (November/December 2010 issue and September 2012 issue) and another recipe was published by Eating Well in the cookbook EatingWell Fast & Flavorful Meatless Meals: 150 Healthy Recipes Everyone Will Love (2011), and Eating Well magazine (August 2012 issue). 
I love cooking and baking, running, and I enjoy veganizing Czech and American recipes.  I am an animal rescuer, chocoholic and a tea lover. 
I would like to mention that some of the products that I talk about on my blog were generously given to me with no obligation to write a positive review.  If you make vegan products and want them to be featured and reviewed on my blog, let me know.  You can email me at czechvegan (at) yahoo.com.  My old email address czech.vegan (at) yahoo.com was compromised so I can no longer access it.