Product Review - Lentil and Hummus Chips by Simply 7 Snacks

The company:  Simply 7 Snacks

Their facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/simply7snacks
Their website:  http://www.simply7snacks.com

According to their website, their family has been in the food industry for generations.  They are out to provide people with healthy snacks that not only are good for you, but are really good too.  This brings us to . . .

The product:  Simply 7 hummus chips and lentil chips

 

Now I can't remember how I found my way to Simply 7's facebook page.  Probably thru a side ad maybe.  I love facebook side ads.  But I am really glad I did.

I found my way to their website and offered to do a product review here in my blog of their products.  They emailed me back and said that yes, they were interested.  And so they sent me a case of their hummus and lentil chips to try out.

Now they are offering consumers something different in the way of chips.  These chips are made out of lentils and chickpeas.  Traditionally chips have been made out of corn or potatoes.  But why not beans?

Behind their new chip concept are their 7 core standards:
(http://www.simply7snacks.com/Pages/our-7-standards.aspx)

1. 0 Grams Trans Fat and No Cholesterol
2. No Artificial Colors or Flavors
3. No Additives or Preservatives
4. Gluten Free Ingredients
5. All Natural Recipes
6. Simple Ingredients
7. Simply Delicious

Sounding good so far, right?  They have 6 varieties of their chips:

• sea salt hummus chips
• sea salt lentil chips
• tomato basil hummus chips
• spicy chili pepper hummus chips
• creamy dill lentil chips
• bruschetta lentil chips

But the proof is in the tasting, and I have been tasting.  The first thing you may be wondering is:  what is the difference between lentil chips and hummus chips?  Well, there is a difference in the shape and texture of the two chips, and in the taste.  I don't know quite how to describe the difference in taste between the two, but I like them both.  As for texture, the hummus chips seem to have a crunchier and lighter texture than the lentil chips.  What I like about both chips is they are bite size.  And here is one thing that I love about both chips:

They are perfectly designed to hold dips and salsa.  These are a couple of the sea salt hummus chips, and one has dip in it; while the other has salsa in it.  Now dip will usually hold onto a traditional potato chip.  But when was the last time you ran across a bowl shaped chip that basically worked as an edible spoon?  They are particularly great for salsa.  With most chips,  the liquid part of salsa will hold onto the chip; but the good chunky parts will usually try to fall off.  These chips don't let that happen, and are especially great for eating with salsa.  I am really enjoying them for that purpose, and so is my hubby.

Another thing that I really like about these chips, and I just realized this today, is that they don't have that chip greasiness that you get sometimes.  They have a wonderfully light, non-greasy taste.  Now on to the individual flavors:


Sea salt lentil chips

  

Sea salt hummus chips

 


Now here you can see the difference between the hummus and the lentil chips.  Both are of the sea salt flavor.  There is a difference in shape, and a difference in texture, and difference in flavor.  If I had to compare them to something on the market (and this is a stretch because there is nothing else quite like them), I would compare the texture of the hummus chips to that of Munchos chips; but much better.  The flavor on the other hand is uniquely different from munchos.  With the lentil chips, I would have to use the following comparison:  if a cracker and a chip had a baby, it would be the lentil chip.  But very light and with a flavor all its own.


Bruschetta lentil chips

 

These chips have a flavor that, upon first taste, is almost a barbecue type taste.  But then as you eat more, you get a fresh tomato flavor too; combined with the taste of a good Italian tomato sauce.  A very delightful combination of seasonings.

Creamy dill lentil chips

 


Have you ever had sour cream and chive potato chips?  But what if you don't like chives, yet like the sour cream part?  Well here's your chip.  This creamy dill flavor has the wonderful creamy flavor, with the lively dill flavor mixed in.  Now I am a big pickle lover, and I really like this flavor.  And the dill flavor isn't an overpowering one, but it is a very nice subtle one.  And it tastes really good with salsa too.

Tomato basil hummus chips



Now upon first impression, some might tend to think that the bruschetta flavor and this one would be very similar, since both involve tomatoes.  But they are very different flavors indeed.  For one thing, one flavor is a lentil chip, and these are hummus chips.  Another clue in the difference in flavors is the look.  The flavor of these chips put me in mind of my mom's stewed tomatoes.  If you took the flavor of stewed tomatoes, and turned it into a chip, it would be this chip.  The tomato flavor is much milder and less pronounced.  But it is a delicious chip, and a delicious flavor.  I have a curry dip recipe that I bet these would be great with.

Spicy chili pepper hummus chips

 

Well for those of you who like a little heat, here is your chip.  But it's not a strong, overpowering heat either.  These have a nice chili flavor, but not a tomatoey flavor.  Now I'm not a person who goes in for anything hot, but these aren't bad.  Pair these up with your favorite hot salsa, and all you heat seekers out there will be set.  Remember, all those nice chunks won't fall off of these.  You can take these babies and scoop the goodness up.

In conclusion . . .

• Did I like the chips?  A definite resounding yes.
• If these chips were available where I shop, would I buy them on a regular basis?  Again a resounding yes.
• What were my favorite flavors?  The sea salt, the tomato basil, the creamy dill, and the bruschetta.
• Which do I like best, the lentil or the hummus chips?  Well, since I love garbanzo beans, I like the hummus chips best.  They seem to have a slightly crunchier texture that I like.
• What do I like them best with?  Salsa.
• Do I have any flavor addition suggestions for Simply 7?  Yes - ranch, barbecue, and cheese.  I think these flavors would taste great on their chips.
• With no preservatives, do they keep well after opening?  Yes, they keep just fine.  I have had several bags open doing tasting for this post.  I fold the top over and use a plastic clothes pin to hold it closed.  They hold their taste and crispness just fine.

Simply 7 is forging new ground in the chip/snack industry by creating a light and crunchy snack chip made from beans.  And they aren't at all greasy either.  I would compare them to air-popped popcorn, only no husks.  If you get the chance to try these, I would encourage you to do so.  I think you will really like them.  One thing I have thought of is how great these would be used in recipes.  You know how many casserole recipes call for a cracker or chip topping?  I bet these would be really good as a casserole topping.  Another place they would be good would be to use them in place of tortilla chips in a taco salad.  And of course they are just great for snacking.  They aren't the same old potato chip.  Far from it.  They are a new breed of chip for a new century.

Happy snacking!

-- jd --

the cook behind it all

Copyright April 13th, 2012 by Jacqueline Driggers.