REVIEW: The Better Chip All Natural Tortilla Chips

Steve 8 Comments

The Better Chip 1The Better Chip is a line of corn chips that currently comes in four flavors: Fresh Corn with Sea Salt, Red Pepper with Salsa Fresca, Jalapeño with Sea Salt, and Sweet Onion with White Cheddar. The chips are made from 100% natural ingredients, including non-genetically modified white corn. They are gluten free and cholesterol free. They were easily the healthiest thing I’ve ingested since I swallowed that fly while I was rollerblading last month.

This week I was happy to receive a complimentary sample package from them. They sent along a tote bag too, but I am proud to say I have been tote-free now for 7 years (everyday is a struggle). I also got a t-shirt, though sadly for me (happily for my wife) it was a medium. Apparently they did not know that I am a large man shaped, more or less, like when you blow into an empty juice box through its straw.

Calling your product line The Better Chip, takes some real cajones. Wait, gimme one more. Calling your product line The Better Chip, takes some real cornjones (snort). When your packaging is emblazoned with a name like that, you can’t show up with more of the same, dressed in a nice wrapper with some added buzzwords. You better be bringing some serious power. I’m talking the high cheese. The stinky limburger. Where my Rookie of the Year fans at?

The Better Chip 6

Thankfully The Better Chip is not playing around, and their moxie-loaded moniker rings true.

One of their big talking points (and rightfully so) is that each chip contain 40 percent produce. Yea, like actual food things. Like from nature. That 40 percent is a huge deal. From a visual perspective, these look great. You can see slices of red pepper and jalapeños bedazzled throughout every chip.

More importantly, that 40% leads to some really strong aromas and authentic flavors.

The Better Chip 5

The nosegrope of the Fresh Corn and Sea Salt smells delightfully like real corn. More so than I’ve ever found in packaged chip. The sea salt brings out the bright, clean flavors of the corn nicely. Each chip is heavier and denser that your average corn chip, and that, coupled with the straightforward taste, makes this a fantastically simple and satisfying effort.

The Red Pepper with Salsa Fresca chips smell strongly of red peppers and chili powder (maybe a little too much chili powder). Each is lightly dusted with a mixture of tomato, bell pepper, onion, and garlic powders, along with some other spices that help to liven up the party, fresca-style (ain’t no party like a fresca party). The salsa flavors are far superior to the recent rash of tomato and pepper-based chip varieties being trotted out by other, more mainstream chips.

The Better Chip 2

The nosegrope of the Jalapeño with Sea Salt chips was the strongest. It was green and peppery and in your face. With these, the jalapeños do all of the work. You can see them in each chip and you can taste them. There is nothing in these to muddy up the jalapeñosity (drop that at your next fresca party). Being a spice-wuss, I like the level of heat they brought as well. Assertive but enjoyable.

The Better Chip 3

The Sweet Onion and White Cheddar chips were my favorite. Again, simple and straightforward. The creamy cheese powder (which tasted like cheese) pairs nicely with the sweetness of the onion. The powder coats the mouth and welcomes the onion as it is crunched into being. Very balanced.

The Better Chip 4

These chips are great. It’s nice to read a flavor on a chip package and have the product inside actually taste like that flavor. Not an approximation. Not a food lab recreation. An actual, found-in-nature flavor. All it takes is the right combination of ingredients and some company men willing to get out of the way.

And if Rookie of the Year has taught us anything, it’s that a good combination… it’s that not getting out of the way…hmmm…it’s that when you miss a fly ball and break your arm…
Ok. That’s a dumb movie.

(Editor’s Note/Disclaimer – Steve received free The Better Chip samples from the PR firm that represents the company. We received no compensation for this review. Well, Steve got free chips, along with the tote bag and t-shirt, but the swag had no influence on his review. To be honest, I hate when companies send t-shirts because I never want to wear them. Yes, I’m a t-shirt snob.)

(Nutrition Facts – 1 bag (28g) – Fresh Corn and Sea Salt – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Red Pepper and Salsa Fresco – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Jalapeno and Sea Salt – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sweet Onion and White Cheddar – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Other The Better Chip reviews:
The Cheap Gourmet
Delightfully Gluten Free
FamFriendsFood

Item: The Better Chip All Natural Tortilla Chips (Fresh Corn and Sea Salt, Red Pepper and Salsa Fresca, Jalapeno and Sea Salt, and Sweet Onion and White Cheddar)
Price: FREE 
Size: 1 ounce
Purchased at: Received for free from The Better Chip
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Fresh Corn and Sea Salt)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Red Pepper and Salsa Fresca)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Jalapeno and Sea Salt)
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Sweet Onion and White Cheddar)
Pros: All natural. Bedazzling. Produce. Fresca parties. Thomas Ian Nicholas. Non-GMO.
Cons: Limited local availability. Eating flies. Gary Busey.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Impulsive Buy Reviewer Steve

Steve 5 Comments

Greetings snacklings,

I am Steve, Head Wordsmith and Chief Executive Office in Charge of Snack Procurement over at Food Junk. I will be stopping by occasionally to share my opinions and knowledge on a variety of food products. And just like Mr. Wendall, all I ask in exchange for the knowledge I give you, is that you buy me some shoes.

I also hope to share a pleasant variety of pop cultural references to things you may have missed (Marblehead Manor) or just haven’t thought about in a while (Suburban Commando), what with your fulfilling job, meaningful relationships, and enjoyable leisure activities.

Feel free to disagree with any and every thing I write, because, you know what they say about opinions: They make an ass out of Uma Thurman.

But be forewarned, if you do take issue with anything I say, your name will be logged and when the zombie uprising inevitably occurs, you will be barred from the prison/farmhouse/school I will have taken over through an awe-inspiring blend of Machiavellian tactics and sheer brute force, and you will be forced to wander on your own, barely surviving the horrors of each new day, until you are eventually destroyed by the relentless undead or devoured by a roving pack of bloodthirsty cannibals.

Just saying.

Also, I like puppies.

NEWS: After Years of Making Other Coffees Taste Better, International Delight Finally Offers Their Own Coffee

Marvo 6 Comments

International Delight Iced Coffee on shelf/center>

Update: Click here to read our International Delight Iced Coffee review

Since I’m not a regular coffee drinker, I don’t follow what International Delight Coffee Creamer puts out. Actually, to be honest, before I did research for this post, I was confused between International Delight and General Foods International. But I learned one produces creamer, while the other produces coffee.

Oh wait, that’s no longer the case because International Delight is now offering ready-to-drink iced coffee, which is made using 100 percent premium Arabica coffee and comes in three flavors – Mocha, Vanilla, and Original.

So no longer do you have to walk into a Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin’ Donuts, or independent coffeehouse to pick up an iced coffee. Instead, you can walk up to your fridge, take out the half-gallon carton of International Delight’s Iced Coffee, and pour yourself a glass…or drink it straight out of the carton.

A cup serving of International Delight’s Iced Coffee has 150 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 105 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. A half-gallon of International Delights Iced Coffee has a suggested retail price of $3.99.

NEWS: TCBYGrocery Line Makes It Unnecessary To Go To A TCBY

Marvo 9 Comments

TCBYGrocery via A Sweet Score

It’s getting harder for me to find a TCBY location. The closest one folded and was turned into a Chinese hot pot restaurant. A few years ago, there used to be three locations on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but now there’s just one. But who knows how long that one will remain open. If that one closes, how will I satisfy my biennial TCBY craving?

TCBYGrocery, that’s how.

This month, TCBY announced a new line of pre-packaged frozen yogurt quarts, pints, and novelties to be sold nationwide at stores like Walmart and Super Target.

TCBYGrocery Quarts come in four flavors: Supreme Cookies & Cream, English Toffee Crunch, Strawberry Swirl, and Classic Vanilla Bean. TCBYGrocery Pints come in six flavors: Strawberry Swirl, Chocolate Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chunk, Supreme Cookies & Cream, Tropical Mango Peach, and Cookie Dough. A 1/2 cup serving of all flavors contain less than 140 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, and 18 grams of sugar.

TCBYGrocery Novelties include Chocolate Fudge Bars (80 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 13 grams of sugar), Strawberry Swirl Bars (100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 15 grams of sugar), Orange & Vanilla Bars (110 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 18 grams of sugar), and Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches (180 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 18 grams of sugar).

All TCBYGrocery products are made with low-fat frozen yogurt with probiotic yogurt cultures.

Photo courtesy of A Sweet Score

REVIEW: Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit

Marvo 14 Comments

Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit

Remember a few weeks ago when New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin took the NBA world by storm, creating the phenomenon known as Linsanity and the neologisms that soon followed, like Linspiration, Linderella, Linvincible, and Lincredible.

Well, there’s a dillicious baked whole grain wheat cracker that has caused a dillirious frenzy in the snack world. What snack has caused this dillirium? Why it’s the dillectable Triscuit Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil.

Look at how easy it is to come up with a bunch of made up words using “dill.” It’s not dillficult. BOOM! I did it again. It’s so simple I’m surprised Nabisco didn’t use one and put it on the Triscuit Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil box, not even “dillicious.” They only put boring words and phrases, like “100% Whole Grain”, “Good Source of Dietary Fiber”, and “May Help Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease.”

I wonder if avoiding neologisms was dilliberate. BAM! I am a verbal machine that dillivers! Oh snap! You can’t stop me, you can only hope to contain me!

To be honest, I’m surprised I put this box of Triscuit into my shopping cart because I’ve never really cared for them. I’ve always considered Triscuit crackers to be “not Wheat Thins” or “shredded wheat cereal rejects.” However, the combination of dill, sea salt, and olive oil compelled me to get over my Triscuit bias.

On the back of the Triscuit Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil box, there are two suggested topping recipes, smoked salmon & dill and tangy greek. The box also says what wine would go well with these hors d’oeuvre. (Pinot Grigio, in case you were wondering.) Well, I recommend you avoid the topping and wine suggestions and just open the bag of Triscuit, stick your paw in the bag, pull out a handful of crackers, and stuff them into your mouth, because, just like women on a European beach, they’re quite wonderful topless.

Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit Closeup

Each woven whole grain soft white winter wheat cracker has noticeable specks of dill, and after I ate a couple I started seeing the sea salt granules build up on my fingers. A wonderful sour dill flavor, which kind of reminded me of pickles, was all I could taste when I put this cracker in between my food mashers. However, after several chews, the dill dissipated and was replaced by the garlic and onion powder added to the cracker. Also, at this time, the sea salt was slightly noticeable. But I really wish the dill flavor hung around longer.

Overall, the Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit crackers are a satisfying crunchy snack and I think they’ve helped me get over my Triscuit bias. They are dillightful and Lincredible.

(Nutrition Facts – 6 crackers – 120 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 110 milligrams of potassium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.)

Other Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit reviews:
Junk Food Guy

Item: Nabisco Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil Triscuit
Price: $3.00
Size: 9 ounces
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Wonderful dill flavor. Crunchy. 22 grams of whole grain per serving. Reminds me of pickles. Decent source of fiber. Doesn’t need toppings. My ability to coin new words using “dill.”
Cons: Dill flavor needs to hang around longer. Putting smoked salmon on a Triscuit. My Triscuit bias. My ability to coin new words using “dill” since I’ll probably only use it for this review.