Beanitos the Original Bean Chip: Review & Giveaway (Closed)

In recent years, my hubby and I have made great strides learning about nutrition and choosing healthier foods for our family. Nowadays, we regularly read labels and steer clear of products with processed ingredients. Problem is, we're both big time snackers - especially in the evening. Once the kiddos are in bed, we often find ourselves making a beeline for the pantry and rooting around for something to crunch on - an act which can potentially wreak havoc on an otherwise wholesome diet! Thankfully, we've discovered a brand that has set out to achieve the best of both worlds - enable snack junkies to get their fix and (dare I say it) actually be good for you. Enter Beanitos, the Original Bean Chip!

Product Info:

From the creators (Doug & Dave Foreman):

We’re two brothers who love to snack! We think everyone deserves to crunch and dip without compromise—to enjoy a snack that tastes great and is good for you. But we just couldn’t find a snack that fit the bill… so we created Beanitos©.

Beanitos are an honestly delicious snack made from super nutritious beans that have fiber and protein grown right in them. They're real food, full of crunchy flavor, free of preservatives, and made with only natural non-GMO ingredients.

The following comparison chart shows how a single serve portion of Beanitos measures up nutritionally to several competing snack brands. As it can be seen, the fibre and protein content of Beanitos is two to four times higher in each case. Additionally, fat and calories are generally lower and Beanitos is the only low glycemic option of the bunch.

In addition, Beanitos are vegan and certified kosher, and they are free of corn, gluten, cholesterol, trans fat and msg.

Beanitos come in six varieties - Original Black Bean with sea salt, Chipotle Barbeque black bean, Simply Pinto Bean with sea salt, Better Cheddar pinto bean, Restaurant Style white bean with sea salt and Nacho Cheese white bean. Our local Sobeys carries the black and pinto bean varieties so I've tried all these  already (and they're delicious, I must say!) For this review, I got the opportunity to check out both flavours of the new white bean Beanitos. Here are the ingredient listings of each:

Restaurant Style white bean with sea salt: Whole Navy Beans, Whole Grain Rice, Pure Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil, Guar Bean Gum, Sea Salt

Nacho Cheese white bean: Whole Navy Beans, Whole Grain Rice, Pure Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil, Cheddar Cheese Blend [Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Buttermilk, Annatto], Sea Salt, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid, Paprika, Citric Acid, Guar Bean Gum

View other nutritional information on Beanitos here.


My Review:

I was sent a case (24 1.25 oz single-serve bags) of white bean Beanitos - 12 Restaurant Style (white bean with sea salt) and 12 Nacho Cheese.

The single size portion is just about perfect - enough to curb the snack craving and inject a solid amount of fibre and protein, but not too much to, y'know, throw your digestive system into overdrive. (Admittedly, I was not entirely gas-free the other week after ingesting almost a whole full-sized bag of the pinto bean & flax variant!) That said, I'm not a fan of the extra packaging that goes into single serve snacks in general; I prefer to buy the full size and consider it an opportunity to work on my self control. ;)

Both the restaurant style and nacho cheese flavours are similar in shape and "crunch factor" to a traditional corn chip. Taste-wise, they're lighter - less fatty and salty.

The Restaurant Style have a very subtle salt and bean flavour. I think they're pretty tasty straight up, however my husband prefers kicking them up a notch with a good dip.

They're delish with salsa too - especially a nice 'n' chunky homestyle variant.

The Nacho Cheese Beanitos are super-tasty on their own. There's no skimping on the cheese here, folks.

I could eat these guys every day. Unfortunately I just started a dairy-free regimen in order to investigate a potential sensitivity in our little guy, so I'll need to wait awhile before I can indulge again - booooo!

Overall, Beanitos definitely fulfill the snack craving! My husband and I both feel they're every bit as satisfying as "traditional" chips; Hubs said something to the effect that with other healthier snacks he's tried, he's found himself wishing he was eating chips, but with Beanitos, he just wants to continue eating! Our 2 1/2 year old daughter enjoys them too, as well as all of our parents who've had the chance to sample them. And with six flavours available (possibly more to come?), there's enough variety to avoid "snack boredom". Beanitos will definitely be a regular item on our grocery list moving forward!


Buy It:

Beanitos offers a store locator tool, however my local Sobeys isn't on the list so evidently it's not comprehensive. You can try this out first, but I'd recommend checking your local stores directly to see if any of them carry Beanitos. If you can't find a store in your area, you could always put in a request to see if one would be up for ordering them in!


Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win a box (24 bags) of Beanitos white bean chips. Open to CAN/US.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow all instructions within each entry option to ensure your entries are valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Beanitos.  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive a sample item free of charge.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.