My initial reaction to these were, "Wow these are yummy, and they're vegetables!" Yes they are, but they're processed. "But they're baked!" Yes they are, but they're likely processed first.
I was sharing these with my sweety and remarking how odd and un-vegetable-like the consistency of these things were. She said they likely ground up the green peas and then shaped them. For some reason I never thought of that. It makes perfect sense. You grind up the vegetable, mix it with rice and oil, then mold them to look like green beans. That would explain why they're all the same size. Duh, I didn't notice that either.
The oil is likely mixed into the product, not brushed on top. This makes for a lighter, crispier product. They use corn oil, which is definitely better than trans fats, but since it isn't expeller pressed, it's been processed too. Vegetable oils that are not expeller pressed (also known as cold pressed) are treated with high heat. The molecules of vegetable oils are not as stable as animal fats, and therefore do not stand up to heat so well. The molecules get altered. (I'll write up a separate post on this later.)
Bottom line is, treat Snapea Crisps as another form of junk food. It's still better than chips and other fried foods, but it's best to eat these in moderation.
11 comments:
Good to know, I can eat a whole bag in a sitting.
Wow. I seriously needed to know this cuz yo...i was getting ADDICTED TO THESE. I'm a health freak and eat most my carbs thru dark leafy greens/ vegetables. I dont eat wheat or grains, so I needed an alternative to snacks that aren't chips or sugar. I thought these were ok! but you totally make sense! I wonder if we can make these on our own? (Snap peas, sprayed olive oil, then baked for long time?) How bout those vegetable chips from whole foods that come in a plastic container and are squash, taro, cArrot, green peas asst? Ya think those are cool>? What other options for snacks? thank you!
This makes for great fodder for another post. I need to research some snack alternatives... ones that aren't deceptive in their health value. Thanks for the suggestion!
As far as veggie chips go, if they're fried it's likely not very good. Most deep frying oil is processed. I'll need to check them out.
I am TRYING to find a way to bake real snap peas at home to resemble the bagged ones. I used some olive oil and salt and they got somewhat crispy, but also somewhat burned.
According to the product's website, the peas are "sun-dried."
I too have been searching for a way to make these, and am thinking they are first dried, then ground up with rice (check the ingredients!), mixed with corn oil, then reshaped and baked. They're completely reconstituted, but I LOVE THEM.
*sigh*
Please do post if you find some great way of recreating these beauties!
Sarah: thanks for the tip about the peas being sun dried-I will try dehydrating them, grinding & mixing with rice flour & update.
BTW: corn oil most likely come from genetically modified corn so I will try using sunflower or safflower oil (better fats).
Thanks for a good article!
In Fairfield, CA we grind peas into power, add ingredients and then compress them into the Snapea shape. Further information about the process is proprietary. Happy Snacking
Go to this web link, they are really a junk snack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnq376tsjmU
So, yes, I realize they're "processed," meaning they're ground, dried peas mixed with rice but it appears, by the video below, they have air pumped into them while baking. (Discouraging for me, because I'm trying to home-make them! :-( )
http://youtu.be/Pnq376tsjmU
My mind is just blown by how many people
A. Dont read ingredients BEFORE putting things in their mouths
And
B. Don't realize that this green stick in your hand ISN'T A PEA POD.
Have we seriously come that far from whole foods that some people can't even recognize that something isn't a whole food with out being told?
Do we seriously trust mass food producers so much we don't even question what they are giving us before shoveling it into our esophagus??
So much for my daily vegetable intake.
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