My son was introduced to Doritos and was really driving me nuts with his insistence upon eating them... DAILY. I mean I'm fine with the occasional indulgence as a treat, but every time he asked for "chips" or "blue snack" (Cool Ranch flavored) all I could think about was the genetically modified corn, MSG, high sodium, artificial colors and preservatives that were taking the place of something that could be more... well if not nutritious, at least WHOLE. You know, like a real food.
So maybe that's too much to ask in a snack, I thought, but turns out it's isn't. On a trip to my co-op, Sevananda Natural Foods, I took a turn down the oft-skipped snack aisle and I was reminded about the wide variety of snack foods that may not be so guilt-provoking.
In keeping with the nacho-cheesy theme I grabbed a bag of Garden of Eatin's Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips, Nacho Cheese Flavor. They have tons of chips with flavors like Chili & Lime and Guacamole, even Tamari! According to the site, "The Garden of Eatin' family of products contains no trans fat or hydrogenated oils, are all natural and Kosher certified. So no matter who enjoys these distinctive snacks, you’ll serve them with pride knowing they’re from a trusted brand."
Their products also contain no genetically modified ingredients. And here's something really cool I read off of the bag:
"Even our oils are different. They aren't extracted chemically. We crush seeds mechanically in a press. It makes a difference you can taste. And the water. It's not just tap water from a big spigot in the manufacturing plant. It's filtered water. Clean. Clear. Fresh. Those little taste buds on your tongue will tell you right away."
Wow, right? Somebody put a lot of thought into these chips. They're seasoned with sea salt, organic cheese, tomatoes, onions and garlic and cayenne pepper too.
Their corn chips come in a gorgeous rainbow of colors made from blue, red and yellow corn. In fact they have over 20 varieties of all natural tortilla chips, organic popcorn and taco shells and taco dinner kits. And I believe Garden of Eatin' started out with organic wheat pita chips too, which are great for all kinds of spreads and dipping.
Whether you're putting together a spread for a party of adults and you were looking for some sophisticated chips, or if you're just a parent looking for guilt-free snacks for the family, or even if you just miss eating tacos because you're haven't figured out how to make them healthy (I'll post a recipe on that separately) it looks like the folks at Garden of Eatin' have you covered. They even have recipes like this Hearty Nacho Mexi-Bake and these Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas.
These crunchy chips have a delicious heartiness about them that reminds me of the Corn Nuts I used to eat as a kid. All that health-stuff is well and good, but do they pass the kid test? Absolutely! Right down to the messy reddish annatto stained finger tips.
