Review of 'Beanitos' Black Bean Chips (Chipotle BBQ)

Beanitos -- Black Bean Chips (Chipotle BBQ) (vegan)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Summary: wow, very spicy...nice! It's both sweet and salty and has a real depth of flavour. In fact, I found it was too much to pair these chips with a salsa dip...it would have covered the real flavour! The nutritional profile and ingredients are really great...one of the best in terms of chips! That said, it was not quite as crispy as I would have liked. I recommend this and would definitely buy it again.

Where to buy: Bulk Barn, Foodland



Ingredients: Whole Black Beans, Whole Grain Long Brown Rice and/or Long Grain White Rice, Pure Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Chipotle Pepper Powder, Spices, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Natural Smoke Flavor, Citric Acid, Guar Bean Gum

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size: 12 chips
Calories: 140
     Calories from fat: 60
Total fat: 7g
     Saturated fat: .5g
     Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 120mg
Potassium: 260mg
Total Carbohydrates: 15g
     Dietary fiber: 5g
     Sugar: 0g
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 2%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 6%

These ingredients are simple, wholesome, and non-GMO! No issue there. The nutrition facts are great as well. For 140 calories, it is low in saturated fat, low in sodium, has an excellent fiber and protein count, and has a good dose of potassium. This is a snack you can  feel good about.

Other Black Bean Chips flavour:
- Original (vegan)

Brand:
- Gluten free
- Natural (no preservatives, artificial ingredients
- No trans fats
- Kosher
- No MSG
- Non-GMO

Review of 'The Simply Bar' Lemon Coconut

The Simply Bar -- Lemon Coconut (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: meh...really meh. I couldn't taste much of the coconut flavour (despite coconut chips being an ingredient), mostly only the lemon. The bar is very light and not very filling. It's pretty plain and not mildly sweet, with mostly soy crisps packed tightly by organic brown rice syrup. The positive is that the ingredients are great--non-GMO, organic, etc. I am keen on trying the other varieties, as the brand itself seems progressive (see below on company initiatives on environmental sustainability).

Where to buy: online, Whole Foods, Sobeys, Bulk Barn, Fortinos, Metro, Got the Goods Nutrition (Brampton), S & H Health Foods (Brampton)


Ingredients:soy crisps (non-GMO soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, starch, salt), organic brown rice syrup, inulin (chicory root fibre), cashew butter (dry-roasted cashews, sunflower oil), vegetable glycerin, coconut chips, natural flavour.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bar
Calories: 160
Fat: 3.5g
     Saturated: 1.5g
     Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 140mg
Potassium: 60mg
Carbohydrate: 16g
     Fibre: 4g
     Sugars: 3g
Protein: 16g

This bar is excellent in terms of ingredients (simple and nutritious). For only 160 calories, there is a huge protein and good fiber content. You really can't ask for much more from a snack bar in terms of nutrition. It is also low in fat and sodium. No guilt.

Other 'Simply Bar' flavours (all vegan):
- Maple Pecan 
- Caramel Peanut
- Cinnamon Pecan
- Cocoa Raspberry
- Peanut Butter Chocolate
- Cocoa Coffee

Brand:
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Gluten free
- Owned by Wellness Foods, Toronto, Canada
- Wellness Foods is a small Canadian, female owned and managed company that was started in 2002 
- Environmental initiatives