Bare Snacks Review: Are Bare Snacks Healthy?
Recently I’ve been on a bit of a health kick, but I’ve encountered a bit of trouble finding a snack that doesn’t taste like sawdust. What was I looking for? Something healthy enough to keep me going through the day. Something that’s fun to eat. But something that doesn’t give me a crazy sugar crash an hour or two later. I also try to eat as close to the source as possible, or at least foods that aren’t overly processed.
For a while, I tried straight-up cut up vegetables, but they become soft so fast after being cut and not refrigerated, and I wasn’t getting nearly enough energy. Next I tried fruit, but that got boring really fast, and it’s also a bit awkward to try looking decently professional in school while chowing down on a massive (and very loud) apple. But then, the heavens themselves must have sent seven blessings down upon my head – I suddenly came across Bare Snacks.
I was impressed with the various fruit chips from the get-go. There’s a massive variety of different types and flavors to choose from, and with what looked like a spot on perspective on green living and as little processing as possible. So, here’s a little review of both the company and of some of my favorite types and flavors.
Bare Snacks Company Review
I’m often worried about where my food is coming from.
As a consumer living in a world of false advertising and big business, I’m often worried about where my food is coming from and the process it goes through to get to wherever I find it- especially when it comes to processed foods. The thing that I really liked about Bare Snacks is their commitment to delicious, healthy snacks, and honesty about the source and processing. Their catch phrase pretty much says it all – “Snack simply. Live fully”.
They believe in simplicity, tastiness, and natural ingredients. On top of that, they have a strong commitment to community, non-GMO sources, and carbon neutrality. Working in partnership with Wildlife Works, Bare Snacks does their part in trying to keep things green. They describe themselves as “committed to simplicity both in our products and life outside of the bag”. This description makes their snacks more fun to eat, while making me happy to contribute my hard-earned money to their cause. (But really, we all know it’s about the snack…)
What Is Bare Snacks?
Bare Snacks is run by a small team of people who are committed to creating the simplest, healthiest snacks, based on the barest, most natural of ingredients, in the greenest of green cities, San Francisco.
The company’s original roots were in the local farmer’s market. They’ve since outgrown it, but their sources are still the ripest and most local fruits, which they slice and then oven bake. The chips-not-chips are strangely satisfying, with a crunch like a guilty pleasure, except minus the guilt! There’s also a surprisingly diverse and interesting array of snacks, which was a huge plus after my recent run-in with wilted celery and soft carrot sticks.
Organic Coconut Chips Review
Organic coconut.
There are three different flavors of the Organic Coconut Chips:
I was honestly pretty surprised by these flavors – I mean, ginger and coconut?! I eat some pretty out there stuff, but this was one I had trouble wrapping my mind around. Not to worry, though – I was happily shocked! The natural oils in the coconut (with no added oil!) brought out the spice of the ginger just a smidge. Throw the cane sugar into the mix for the perfect amount of sweetness, and I was an immediate fan. The texture was perfectly crunchy, and the taste subtle and delicious. The same goes for the coffee bean flavor and the original. While the ginger flavor is definitely a bit less kid friendly than the other two, it’s still fantastic. And each of the three flavors boasts between just three to five ingredients! The fact that they’re all organic certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Coconut Chips Review
There are four flavors of Coconut Chips:
All four of these flavors are definitely just as tasty as the organic ones, the only main difference being that they’re not organic. The taste is flawless in all four, and I was specifically impressed with the honey coconut combination- I suppose it’s hard to go wrong with those two flavors. That being said, the combination of coconut and chili is definitely a creative and interesting one- it’s a great mix between a kick of spice and again, that natural sweet oiliness and crunchiness of baked coconut.
Chocolate and coconut is definitely one of my favorite taste combinations in the world (not to be dramatic), so it was no shocker that that was my go-to. The best part of all of these is the delicious feeling of eating something that feels wrong but isn’t. I didn’t feel tired or drained after snacking (like I would after eating, say, potato chips, for example.) Instead of feeling the need to prepare myself for a major crash, I felt re-energized as well as satisfied.
Organic Apple Chips Review
There are three flavors of Organic Apple Chips:
There are a couple of great things about these products: firstly, as you can tell from the names, they’re all organic ingredients! They also each have only one or two ingredients, and the one that has two is the Cinnamon Organic Apple Chips, the two ingredients being simply cinnamon and apples (and let’s be honest, cinnamon doesn’t even really count as an ingredient). The thing that really stood out to me is the crunch- I’ve had many apple chips in my day, but they somehow never manage to get a crunch in there like a crisp, straight out-the-fridge apple. These definitely had enough crunch to satisfy my need for snackage (and few enough ingredients that it’s completely guilt free!)
Apple Chips Review
Apples-flavored chips?
Just like the organic version, Apple Chips have three flavors:
Now, I suppose the only disappointment here is that these chips are non-organic (if that bothers you). These chips, just like the organic ones, have between one to two ingredients each; are crunchy, refreshing, and overall delicious, really. They’re also a great option for a still-healthy snack that’s not as pricey as the organic version.
Banana Chips Review
The three flavors of Banana Chips are:
Just like the apple chips, the banana chips have no sugar added and between one to two ingredients total. The flavor combinations are simple and classic, using unsweetened cocoa or cinnamon to add an interesting something more to the natural honey-like sweetness of the banana. As always, the crunch factor concerned me at first, but I was definitely impressed with both the textures and the flavors. These specifically would be a great addition to make a yogurt less boring or a crumbled pie crust more interesting.
Are Bare Snacks Chips Healthy?
Considering that Bare Snacks are made purely from fruit and various spices, I think the real question here is regarding the packaging and processing of the fruits. All of the chips are totally preservative-free, which already ups the health factor quite a bit. They are also naturally gluten free, with no added oil, no trans fats, and no cholesterol, and – just like fruit straight off the tree – a great source of fiber. The one thing to watch is not to overdo it- a bag has between two to three servings, and it can be pretty difficult not to finish off the whole bag!
Simple Mills Snacks Review: Simple Ingredients For Superb Snacks
Conclusion
These snacks provide a healthy, easy, on-the-go alternative to the less than desirable snacking that most people (myself included) try to avoid. They can be added to yogurt, ice cream, or cereal, or they can be used as a side to make a meal more interesting (banana chips with a curry based dish? The cogs are turning…). Of course, you can enjoy them simply as they are for dessert!
They’re naturally sweet enough to be a huge hit with both kids (without them realizing that you’re sneaking in some fiber!) and with adults. Ideal for the working adult or student pressed for time, they’re a great way to grab some Vitamin C in between classes, and won’t give you a major sugar crash an hour later. All in all, these are filling, healthy, simple and delicious- Bare Snacks made with bare fruit!
