CHEPS

Beanfields sent me "cheps" to review months ago.

 

 

....I like to say chips in the way that I imagine Sassy Gay Friend would say chips. 

ya' know

CHEPS.

Anyway...

Because I'm a jerk, I'm only getting around to writing the review of the chips now.

Beanfields

They make chips out of beans and rice. They are GMO-free. This is something I like. I swear my tummy knows the difference!

Beanfields are not certifiably allergy free, as they are made on equipment also used for dairy, soy, wheat and corn. However, for those of us who are mildly allergic, as opposed to "deathly" allergic, they are a great alternative to corn or soy chips.

This said -

When I first saw the ingredients, I felt slightly perturbed...

Schooled by health gurus like Marion Nestle and Alexandra Jamieson, I have been taught to be wary of the ingredient paragraph. Basically, if food comes with a paragraph of ingredients, it's probably too processed to be healthy food.

Of course, I'm also an overworked adjunct English prof. I'm insanely busy and insanely broke. So I ate the cheps.

Honestly? I ate the cheps. I loved the cheps. And I haven't stopped eating cheps since.

Here's what I love about Beanfields.

the taste

The nacho flavor tastes like nacho Doritos. 

Except better.

The pico tastes like cool ranch Doritos.

Except better.

The sea salt is mild enough to work with any kind of hummus or salsa.

Except better.

the texture

The crunch is soft and airy.

By soft, I don't mean "uncooked" or "wilted."

These chips are easily breakable.

They have a great crunch.

But without cutting your gums and mouth up.

I swear - it was the texture had me nomming binge-style.

There was something COMFORTING about these chips.

the nutrition

4 grams of complete protein

4 grams of fiber

complex carbs

tested free of gluten

1bp.blogspot.com

Typically - I stick with the ayurvedic perspective on chips.

Oh? You didn't know there's an ayurvedic perspective on CHEPS???

As a Vata dosha, I'm a neurotic cold-body. I do better with soft, well-cooked, mushy foods - NOT cold cheps. True to form, unless I'm terribly starving, I can't digest chips well at all.



But Beanfields - because they are made primarily of BEANS - didn't bug my stomach.

The Beanfields peeps sent me so many cheps that I shared with gluten free pals, Classy Poppy and Tigercat.

You may remember Poppy and Tigercat from my previous post. They are on the Homesweet Homegrown book tour right now. If you are into gardening, you should totes check them out when they stop into your town - and or check out our pal Robyn's book!

Back to the cheps...

Here's what Classy Poppy had to say about Beanfields. Look at this picture and pretend she's talking to you. It's fun.

Dude, I can't praise the texture of these chips enough! They are a welcome break from the monotonous texture of most GF snacks and cereals. Instead of the hard, toothy grittiness I expect from corn and rice-based snacks, these are softer and much more flavorful. The chips are nicely nutty, but without the mustiness that bean flours sometimes impart. There isn't the usual flavor fatigue that one experiences with flavored chips. What I'm trying to say is that each bite tastes as fresh as the first - there's an excellent balance between the taste of the chip itself and the seasoning blend. Also, and this is minor, I really like the "'clean" feeling from these -- you know the greasy, coated-teeth sensation, and the residue on your fingers (from Doritos/mainstream snack chips)...none of that with Beanfields.

luckyladybug.net

Nacho flavor: I actually tasted the tomatoey flavor here, which I can't say I've ever noticed in snack chips before. I liked it. It reminded me of summer. I very much wanted to melt cheese on these, but they were so delicious just on their own that I didn't bother. I think crushing these up would make an excellent GF sub for homemade breading (good flavor and perfect texture for a crunchy coating).

Pico de Gallo: NOM NOM NOM! I love this flavor. More piquant and tangy than the Nacho. Not saltier per say than the Nacho, but the salt taste is more apparent, which I liked. Both these chip flavors would be nice to crush up onto soup. Now I need some tomato soup. Or chili.

Good job Beanfields! I'm delighted.

Me too, Poppy. Me too.