Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Beanfields | Corn & Gluten-Free Black Bean & Rice Chips | Review & Giveaway


You may remember from eons past on this blog that I have had quite a bit of difficulty with digestive issues for over a decade, with few answers to cause at this point. I experienced an unexpected reprieve during my recent pregnancy, but now that my daughter is almost 6 months old I have begun to see a resurgence of symptoms, and I have to tell you, I'm not thrilled. I already know that I have trouble with Candida overgrowth, but one theory that I've tossed around is that I may be sensitive to gluten - the protein found in grains like wheat and barley. Another theory is that I may be sensitive to corn. At this time, I am limiting my gluten intake with intentions to eliminate it completely after the holidays (what, a girl's gotta live a little, even if uncomfortably), and corn will follow once that is under control. I'd throw it all out at once, cold turkey, but frankly, it's just a little much right now. I know - people do it and do it well (my sister-in-law's family did, just this fall), but what can I say? I guess I'm a little chicken. Or maybe just lazy. Feel free to not tell me which you think it is. *wink*


I had the pleasure of testing Beanfields Crispylicious! black bean and rice chips. Corn and gluten-free, these chips are made from high quality black beans and long grain rice, and are flavored with natural ingredients. My mom helped me taste test (so did my husband, but more about that later).


Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips are great tasting snacks that are healthier for you:

bullet point Complete Protein: 4 grams in every serving, as much as a 4 oz. glass of milk.
bullet point Fiber: 4 grams in every serving, the same as a ½ cup serving of raisin bran.
And you get both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids digestion. The fiber also helps
you feel fuller longer.
bullet point Allergen Specific: Beanfields is free of every one of the FDA's eight most common
ingredients that trigger food allergies.
bullet point Complex Carbohydrates provide long lasting energy.
bullet point Minerals our bodies need, including potassium and magnesium.
bullet point Half the saturated fat and one third less sodium than most corn tortilla chips.

To make these chips even more awesome, all of the flavors are free of any genetically-modified organisms (non-GMO) and are recipients of the prestigious Non-GMO Verification awarded by the Non-GMO Project.

 They also received Best Of Show at the 2012 Natural Products Expo West for 2012! Here's what VegNews had to say about Beanfields...

"We are obsessed (no, really) with Beanfields' new Nacho Bean & Rice Chips. The vegan answer to Doritos!" - VegNews


Corn free, vegan, and gluten free, Beanfields Crispylicious! Nacho Bean & Rice Chips contain 4 grams each of protein and fiber, and have been called the healthy alternative to Doritos.

I tried these chips, and they are interesting. The bean flavor - a subtle earthiness - does interact oddly with the nacho flavor, and I am not personally a fan of that. But they're not bad! I'm not a big fan of nacho flavored chips in general, so perhaps I am not the best judge of this particular flavor, though. My mom said these were her favorite, and she does like nacho flavored chips. Perhaps we'd better take her word for it instead of mine?


The Naturally Salted variety of Beanfields is the closest to nature of the varieties. Earthy and crisp, but without much defining taste. I think these would be best used in a recipe, like taco salad or similar, where they are there more for texture than for flavor.

Evidently, the Pico De Gallo flavor of Beanfields is delicious. Sadly, I wouldn't know, because my husband ate every last one of the 2 bags we received before I even knew they had arrived!

"These things are amazing!!" ~ Nick Belleque


I was really excited about the Sea Salt & Pepper flavor of Beanfields, but I personally found them to be way to peppery. It's a great flavor, just too strong for me. I think these would be good crumbled into a hearty stew or soup, though *smiles*


These were my favorite! Sea Salt - nice and subtle, a little zippy, and perfect for a light snack or a side with soup or for nachos. Yum!

Overall, I like these chips, and I think they are a good alternative to corn chips. It's good to know that there is a decent choice for those with corn or gluten intolerance, and even those who can eat anything they want may enjoy the change of pace from plain ol' corn. I personally love black beans and how versatile they can be, and these chips are testament to just that!





You can connect with Beanfields on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.

Beanfields products are currently available in multiple stores on the west coast, and online. Full cases of 12 6oz bags in any one flavor or your personal assortment of flavors are available for $40.00 and $8.00 shipping/handling, and full cases of 24 1.5oz bags in any one flavor or your personal assortment of flavors are available for $30.00 and $6.00 shipping/handling (Naturally Unsalted is not available in 1.5oz bags).

Want to try these chips out for yourself? One lucky reader of Our Little Bit Of Wonderful will be winning a 1/2 case (6 bags) of Beanfields chips in assorted flavors! You must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States in order to win, and only entries received via the Rafflecopter widget below, and entries will be verified. Good luck! *smiles*


Disclosure:: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own, and may differ from the opinions of others. This post is in compliance with FTC regulations. Learn more by visiting my PR and Disclosure pages.

6 comments:

  1. Of course I'd love to try Nacho! My favorite flavor of any type of chip. :D I'm really curious what they will taste like.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good luck with your digestive issues. I had to give up gluten 7 years ago. I did it "cold turkey" because I was so sick and would do anything to feel better. It helped right away. I never eat gluten because if I get just a minute amount I am sick for days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, not fun :( I'm glad you were able to figure it out! How do you keep the cost of food reasonable? Any tips?

      Delete
  3. I am excited to try Pico de gallo! Mmm. They look yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was talking to someone earlier this week about wanting nachos, so nacho flavor would be the one for me. These are a lot healthier than the kind we were talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh I love sea salt, and pepper only makes things better!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading my blog post! I can't wait to hear your comments. If you have a general question, or want to contact me about something not related to this post, please use the form found on my Contact page. Thanks! *smiles*