Flavors Tried: Nacho Cheese, Spicy Nacho, Ranch
Price: $23 for box of 12 ($1.92 per serving)
Nutrition: 150 Calories, 10g Fat, 5g Carbs (2g Fiber), 9g Protein
I’ve tried many low-carb chips out there, and most of them tell a very similar story.
For starters, they’re always very expensive. But like any high-protein or low-carb option, you really can’t compare it to the real thing. If you compare the price of these to a bag of Doritos, surely you’re going to feel like you’re being robbed.
Aside from the price, most protein chips, like Atkins chips, are very light and airy. That’s because they’re made from whey protein, so there isn’t a whole lot of structure to them.
These Hilo Life tortilla chips are made from almond flour, which led me to believe that they’d be different than the other options on the market.
And while these aren’t necessarily marketed as a “protein chip,” they check enough boxes to qualify.
Hilo Life Chips Nutrition
These chips may not be marketed as a high-protein snack, but 9 grams of protein in a serving of chips is nothing to sneeze at.
For comparison’s sake, a serving of Quest Nutrition Protein Chips contains 18 grams of protein, which is double what these Hilo Life chips offer.
In that respect, you might find these chips slightly disappointing.
But, when compared to normal tortilla chips that only contain a couple of grams of protein per serving, these are still a solid source of protein.
On top of that, if you’re keto or simply trying to limit your carb intake, these tortilla chips will be very appealing. If you’re not low-carb, the 10 grams of fat in each serving might be off-putting, but that’s to be expected considering these chips are made from almond flour.
All in all, while the nutrition facts may not be quite as appealing as a true protein chip, they’re still solid!
Hilo Life Nacho Cheese Chips Review
When you open this bag, it smells almost exactly like Doritos.
The smell may slightly resemble actual cheddar cheese a little bit more than Doritos though, but it’s incredibly close.
And when you look closely at the chips, you’d be hard-pressed to try to tell the difference between these low carb chips and actual Doritos.
Plus, each tortilla chip is packed with a ton of cheese, so you get the beloved “Doritos Fingers” that are finger-licking-good.
As far as taste is concerned, these very much resemble Doritos. If Doritos are a 10, these are a 9.
The main difference is the texture: when you bite the chip, there’s a great crunch to it, but it breaks down quicker than an authentic tortilla chip.
Like many protein cereals out there, the texture gets a little bit soft as you chew, but that should come as no surprise seeing as these tortilla chips are made from almond flour.
The slight difference in texture is not enough to deter me from these chips; they taste incredible.
Hilo Life Spicy Salsa Chips Review
The spicy salsa chips can only be described in two words… spicy salsa.
Seriously, I was amazed at how much Hilo Life nailed this flavor.
There’s a great kick to these chips, but not too much where it’s overpowering. I have a pretty high spice tolerance, and I still found these chips to have a little bite to them.
If you don’t do well with spicy foods, I don’t think these will inflict any pain, but you’re likely not reaching for a spicy flavor in that case, anyway.
The flavor itself reminds me of pico de gallo, and you can definitely taste the freshness of the ingredients. I have no idea how they captured all of that using nothing but powdered ingredients, but I’m certainly not complaining.
Since I first tried this flavor, I’ve gone back and used them to assemble a plate of nachos, and I can proudly say they held up very well and the flavor is a perfect compliment to nachos.
Hilo Life Ranch Chips Review
After trying the first two flavors, I made my way back to the store to grab the ranch flavor, and I was not disappointed.
The taste is very much that of Cool Ranch Doritos, but overall, the ranch seasoning isn’t as strong as the nacho cheese or spicy salsa.
Because of this, you taste the almond flour base a bit more than the other flavors.
Is it bad? Absolutely not. In fact, I really enjoy this flavor a lot, and the crunh does not disappoint.
But it’s definitely not as strong of a flavor as the others, so just know what to expect going into it.
Overall Thoughts
After trying other protein chips and finding them to be only okay, I didn’t really have high hopes for these chips.
But Hilo Life absolutely knocked these out of the park.
Since they’re a bit expensive, I only opted for two flavors, but now I’m itching to go back to the store to try the other flavors, namely the Ranch chips.
Update: I have since bought the Ranch chips, so they’ve been added to this review!
If you’re low-carb, I don’t think you’re going to find a better low-carb tortilla chip out there. The flavor of these chips is phenomenal, and the texture is as close to an authentic tortilla chip as you’re ever going to find.
If you don’t each low carb and you just want a high-protein snack, I still recommend these chips. While the protein content isn’t as high as something like Quest Chips or Atkins Chips, the 9 grams per serving is still pretty impressive.
They’re expensive, so they likely won’t become a staple in anyone’s diet, but they’re 100% worth trying.
