If I'm being totally honest, which I always am, (I'm seriously horrendous at lying) I'm not much into snack food or snacks in general. They're usually quite processed and often laden with added sugars and/or fat. I'd much rather munch on a few dried figs (maybe with chocolate), assorted berries, or just hummus and some veggies.
However, when I was contacted to see if I wanted to sample Bare Crunchy Coconut Chips, I was super excited. I've actually been wanting to buy them and even looked for chips in our local grocery store, but I couldn't find them. Is it weird to have a Pinterest board full of food you want to try? Well, these were on there. Check.
If you live in a small town like I do, or a state that doesn't have Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (seriously get on up here already, WF and TJ), or if the closest "healthy" food store is 50 miles away, Bare has a store locator on their website so you can partake in these scrumptious little guys. They also can be purchased on Amazon. Huzzah!
Now, it's important to note that not all their flavors are vegan. The Simply Toasted and Sweet n' Heat, however, are!
Details
- They're baked, so a bit healthier than your average fried snack.
- No preservatives.
- No cholesterol.
- No trans fats.
- Gluten Free.
- 3 grams of fiber per serving.
- Kosher.
- Non-GMO certified.
- No wheat or nuts involved in the process of making the chips.
- They are "lactose-free"...but that doesn't exactly mean milk-derived-free (damn you coffee creamers).
- Made in small batches.
- Each 1/2 cup serving has about 150 calories.
- Versatile snack eaten plain, or an addition to trail mix or salads.
Taste
I loved the clean, coconutty flavor and crunchiness of the Simply Toasted version. It would be akin to eating the bulk bin coconut flakes from the store, but much more crunchy and chip-like, and about three bajillion times more delicious.
The Sweet n' Heat version may have been my favorite, if only because I am a sucker for any "sweet and spicy" food. I was thinking they would be great as a sort of "crouton" atop an asian salad...as I shoveled them into my mouth.
I just devoured these chippies plain, by hand, and utterly without shame. Also, they weren't so spicy that it slowed down the devouring process...just to let you know. If you're a wimp when it comes to spicy (I actually am), you'll be fine with these. They had the perfect amount of heat.
Todd, however, wasn't impressed with these chips. As he says, "I'm not much into coconut." His judgements cannot be trusted though...the man doesn't like pesto. Who on Earth doesn't like pesto?! It's preposterous!
Price
On Amazon, they'll run you about $2.50 a package, which has 1 1/4 cups of chips, which is a serving and a half. I can't tell you what they cost in local stores, because I haven't been able to find them.
It would take me about 45 seconds to eat an entire package, so that's a quick $2.50. To be fair though, a $4 latte isn't that far of a stretch from this. Unless you're literally addicted to caffeine...like me. Suffering from a wicked caffeine headache, I'd pay any amount to make it go away.
However, these are made from coconuts. While admittedly I haven't bought a coconut lately (I'm much too lazy and ignorant with regards to cracking one open), I'm sure they aren't running as cheap as the dodgy corn used for tortilla chips.
Pros
- Delicious.
- A natural, whole food.
- Light in weight.
- Can be savory or sweet.
- You'll be getting 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Cons
- Can be a tad on the sugary side, depending on the flavor
- High price.
- Lack of availability for some (like me).
- A bit calorie dense for the amount.
- The package is quite big for it's contents (this always disturbs me).
Would I buy them again? Not as a regular item, mostly because they're addictive, calorie-dense, and kind of pricy. But for a treat or an airport snack, I would most definitely be all over these.
*DISCLAIMER* PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.
