Flavors Tried: Taco Street, Salty Good
Price: $6.99 per bag ($1.50 per serving)
Nutrition per serving: 160 Calories, 11g Fat, 4g Carbs (2g Fiber), 13g Protein
It seems as though we have entered into the era of protein chips.
First, we had protein shakes, then came protein bars, then protein cookies, followed by protein cereal, and now it seems like protein chips are everywhere.
I’m not mad about this trend, because some of the protein chips out there are actually really good.
I came across these Beyond Chipz, and I immediately had to try them. Most protein chips I’ve tried to this point have been very light, almost like potato chips, and I’ve had to have a protein chip that truly resembles a tortilla chip.
These protein chips are keto-friendly, high-protein, and vegan… kind of. While their plain chips are vegan, some flavors, like the Taco Street chips I tried, only utilize plant-based protein but are not fully vegan.
Their website doesn’t differentiate between which flavors are vegan or not, so make sure you read the label if you’re a strict vegan!
Either way, for 160 calories and 13g of protein, these are very impressive chips.
For me, the scary thing about these protein chips is that the two main ingredients are pea protein and coconut flour, two flavors that I have historically hated.
Seeing as the ingredients list is very minimal, my expectations for these chips are extremely low.
Salty Good Beyond Chipz
On looks alone, these Beyond Chipz are the most tortilla chip-like protein chips I’ve ever come across.
By looking at these chips, you’d never be able to tell that they aren’t regular tortilla chips.
Even upon biting into these chips, the thickness and crunchiness perfectly embody everything we love about tortilla chips.
The flavor, however, is noticeably different from a regular tortilla chip.
Truthfully, I expected to absolutely hate these chips based on the ingredients, but they aren’t as bad as I was anticipating.
There is a definite Earthy flavor to these chips thanks to the pea protein and coconut flour, and it seems to linger with the aftertaste.
If you’ve had flaxseed tortilla chips before, these have a lot of similarities, but that Earthy flavor is kicked up a notch from regular flaxseed chips.
Are they bad? No, not necessarily. But are they good? Well… not really.
For me, I just could not enjoy these plain chips on their own. Had they been saltier (like the name implies) maybe I’d enjoy these more, but the flavor is just too potent for me to enjoy.
That being said, these chips improve significantly when eaten with dip! Whether you dip these chips in salsa, guacamole, hummus, or any other dip you like, these definitely improve.
That Earthy flavor is still noticeable, so I still do not love the flavor, but a dip will help mask that flavor a bit.
Since the texture is very much like a real tortilla chip, they make an excellent vessel for a dip.
Taco Street Beyond Chipz
OK, now we’re talking. The taco street flavor is a significant improvement over the salty good Beyond Chipz!
Since I really enjoyed the overall texture of the plain flavor, my main gripe was the Earthy flavor that I felt needed to be covered up.
Well, this taco street flavor is literally covered in tons of cheesy seasoning, meaning that Earthy flavor is significantly lessened in these.
If you compare these to a regular cheesy chip like a Dorito, you can still very much taste the difference. However, thanks to the abundance of seasoning, these are really enjoyable!
The flavor itself reminds me of a combination of cheddar and sour cream. There’s a bunch of vegetable seasoning in these, so there’s definitely a taco-esque flavor (and smell) to them overall.
I’m writing this review a bit after I initially tried these chips, and the taco street flavor is long-gone, which should tell you something.
It’s important to note that these are not vegan. I had assumed that all of these Beyond Chipz were vegan, but only the protein source is. In this case, real cheese powder is used.
Beyond Chipz Overall Thoughts
Considering I thought I was going to absolutely hate these chips, I am pleasantly surprised.
On flavor alone, I would still choose other protein chips over these. But if you want a protein chip that perfectly resembles tortilla chips, these may just be for you.
If these protein chips didn’t taste quite as Earthy, I would definitely enjoy them more. If you’re used to those flavors, and you need a low-carb chip option, you might love these!
I’m not sure I would buy these again, especially for the high price tag, but you can certainly do worse.
