Snapea Crisps - What yum!

I frequent Trader Joe's quite a lot and love the variety of foods they have that are reasonably priced while being, for the most part, healthier than your average snack aisle. I love trying new things, so when I see something different that sounds good, I'll usually buy a bag to try it.


Last week I bought a bag of "Snapea Crisps". It was an interesting concept I'd never heard of before. They're supposed to be snap peas that have been salted and baked. Hey I'm all for alternative ways to get veggies into my diet. I know I don't eat enough as it is.

I finally opened the bag today. Wow these things are GOOD! It was completely unexpected. I was thinking it would be stiffly crunchy like some baked vegetable chips. But the consistency was unlike any vegetable I have ever seen. It was more like a Funyun than a pea pod. I tell you, it was bizarre. I only see this type of thing when things are deep fried, yet on the bag they claim that it's baked. Baked? Well that's good, but there was still a lot of oil on it. I peeked inside the bag and the sides were coated with oil. My fingers were oily after eating a few pieces. My guess is they soaked the pods in oil for a long time before actually baking them.

Still, these are quite yummy, and a much better alternative to conventional potato, corn and tortilla chips. They have 5g of protein per serving and only 14g of carbs. It's a great balanced snack you can eat without worrying about your blood sugar spiking, and the ingredients are minimal with no chemicals. Bear in mind however that the fat content is something to consider. It's 8g of fat and 150 calories per serving.

Ingredients: Green peas, Corn oil, Rice, Salt, Calcium carbonate, Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

Hmm... rice is in it, my guess is that's what helps to give the product its light and airy texture. The crispness and the flavor are quite addictive. I think I'll continue buying these.