Beanfields Crispylicious Bean & Rice Chips

Like my fellow FBGs, I’m a sucker for a taco salad. And nachos. Or, any sort of chip-and-dip combination, really, but it’s tortilla chips that really get me into trouble because I’ll eat one after another piled high with salsa, hummus, guacamole, or, you know, the less nutritionally dense dips like spinach-artichoke dip or queso. But, to be honest, the number of calories I consume with all those chips concerns me a little less than the fact that there’s no real nutritional benefit to eating them.

Beanfields Crispylicious! Bean & Rice Chips, which come in four flavors (Naturally Unsalted, Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Pepper, and Pico de Gallo), are a low-glycemic, corn- and gluten-free option that’s made in and from ingredients farmed in the U.S. Plus, they contain double the protein and fiber of most tortilla chips. When they sent me a few bags to test out, well, you can only imagine my delight.

Nutritionally, the Beanfields chips are quite similar to another FBG fave, Beanitos, with both weighing in at 140 calories per serving and 4 grams of protein. Beanitos chips have 1 gram more fiber than Beanfields, but also 1 to 2 grams more fat. And both have options that are pretty high on the sodium front (140 to 190 mg), although both offer smarter-sodium choices. Naturally Unsalted Beanfields chips have just 5 mg, and Beanitos Black Bean and Pinto & Flax flavors have 55 mg.

The chips are hardy and substantial enough to hold a heavy dip but are still crispy and crunchy. While my husband was partial to the more strongly flavored Pico de Gallo, I liked all of them, finding the Naturally Unsalted option a great choice for flavorful dips. And while they were tasty enough to lead me into the snacking danger zone, the fiber filled me up enough to keep me from really overdoing it. —Kristen