Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips

Whoa! Did you know chips that are similar to tortilla chips and not at all like potato chips can be made from mostly beans and a little bit of rice? They can also be way more delicious than regular flour or corn chips tortilla chips. Don’t try to steal this idea because it has already been done and done extremely well by Beanfields.

Beanfields is a family owned company started by the Glidden Family (ya know, of the famous paint brand) from Founder Reed Glidden’s vegetarian food idea. A life-long natural food eater, Reed decided that since many snack food companies had begun to use beans as an ingredient, so he thought he could too. The first home-cooked batch is still pretty close version of the current chips sold by Beanfields throughout the United States.

I had never heard of a chip being made from rice and beans, but I am so glad I did because these are amazing. To me all the ingredients are common food ingredients (well, maybe not the malodextrine) which I would happily consume without reservations. No processed foods here. All chips, regardless of flavor have a very natural earthy texture in which you can easily see the flakes of long grain rice and likely pieces of black and navy beans, among the other ingredients that vary between each flavor. Unlike other types of chips these are “oh so flaky and light,” leaving me with the feeling that my snack is nutritionally good for me and not just some empty calories that are covered in grease.

Now for these awesome flavors; Beanfields offers 4 flavors and one unflavored variety. The Nacho flavor was the most surprising to me. As I’m not particularly a fan of Doritos brand neon orange colored tortilla chips, Beanfields have discovered how to make them taste spot on as you would expect them to taste. All without bright orange traffic cone colored powder, which instantly made me feel much more comfortable about eating a flavored chip.

Beanfields Unsalted is as pure as a bean and rice chip can be, with no added salt it is great for dipping, without adding any distracting flavors to your dip or salsa. I enjoyed them with a spicy bean dip, so I enjoyed extra bean flavor. They were even great by themselves, as I usually prefer unsalted tortilla chips anyways.

Need to kick up your flavor a bit? Try the Salt N’ Pepper version. It has a lively taste to wake your taste buds with a generous amount of black pepper. I enjoyed these as a spicy kick by themselves, always having some water on hand if I consumed too many because the black pepper can really kick in without you realizing.

If black pepper may be too spicy, Beanfields offers a Sea Salt version. Seasoned with a touch of natural sea salt, they are also great for dipping or eat by themselves. I have been over the moon for all these flavors, all being way better than traditional chips. Unfortunately their Pico De Gallo flavor was my least favorite. Perhaps it was because I had been expecting the idea of a fresh salsa/vegetable flavor. To me it was more of a smoky taco meat flavor. Not terrible at all, but I certainly enjoyed all the other flavors much more. Try the Pico De Gallo flavor for yourself, you may even find that you love it.

These chips have 4 grams of fiber and protein to keep you fuller longer and between 5-6 grams of fat, varying between batches. They are also vegan, gluten-free and verified Non-GMO, making them free of any genetically modified organisms. Beanfields offers 1.5oz. or 6 oz. bag sizes. The 1.5oz. bag being around 140 calories total for each flavor, which is super awesome for a snack.

Beanfields chips are available in stores in the NYC Metro area and always available for purchase online. Check here to see if there is a store near you. They currently have a sweepstakes on Facebook to win a case of chips, like them to enter to win. I hope you try these chips because it just may start a tortilla chip revolution.