Food Should Taste Good Review and Giveaway

Food Should Taste Good. Right from the beginning, this company has the right idea. We SHOULD enjoy the food we are eating. If not, why bother eating it?

When my mom brought home a bag of the multi-grain chips a couple of weeks ago, I reluctantly tried them thinking that they would be the same old tortilla chips I've tasted in the past. I expected them to be lacking in flavor, have the traditional texture, and to not be worth the calories in my dietary budget. Boy was I wrong! These chips were packed with flavor and had some impressive statistics and information on the bag.

I really considered trying to sneak the Costco (a warehouse store, known for their gigantic packages) sized bag out the door, but I figured my mom might notice if I was suddenly six months pregnant. So, I did the next best thing. I contacted Food Should Taste Good and asked if I could review their product. I was curious to see if all of the varieties were as yummy as the first one I tried. I knew that I wanted to spread the word about this company, especially if the other flavors were as delicious as the first I had tasted. To my delight, they sent me a pack of five different flavors. The best part- they will send the same package to one of my lucky readers! (Please see giveaway details below.)

I was given the opportunity to choose from ten different flavors: Multigrain, Sweet Potato, Olive, Jalapeño, The Works!, Chocolate, Lime, Yellow Corn, Blue Corn, and Cheddar. I was to pick five of the ones I wanted, and the winner of the giveaway doesn't have to choose the same assortment I did. The ones I decided on were Sweet Potato, Olive, The Works!, Chocolate, and Cheddar. ALL of the flavors are "made from real, simple ingredients, are free of cholesterol, preservatives and trans fat, and do not use genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). They are also certified Kosher and Gluten Free, lower in sodium, and are a good source of dietary fiber." (The quote is information provided by the Food Should Be Good marketing team.) This is great, considering I know there are a lot of people who need to eat gluten-free. I know it can be hard for them to find delicious snack options. Well, the problem is now solved!

The bags sent to me for review were not small by any means, so I decided to have a taste test party of sorts. We took the packages to my mom and dad's house, where six of us (my husband, our two kids, my mom, dad, and me) sat around the dining room table. I opened the first bag, took a chip and passed the bag around the table. We went around a second time so each person could get a first impression, and an "on second thought" reaction. After taking a few minutes to discuss the chips we had just eaten, we started with the next bag and continued until all five flavors had been completely examined.

I'll start with the Sweet Potato. This was my favorite. I have fallen in love with sweet potato fries on the rare occasion we go out to eat, so this didn't come as a surprise to any of my family members. The taste was light and fresh, with just a hint of saltiness. The chip, when I first looked at it, reminded me of the old "Tato Skins" chips made by Keebler in the 1980s. Oh, how I loved those chips. Having a updated, healthier choice to remind me of an old favorite was most excellent! At a serving size of 12 chips, this would definitely cover all of the cravings I have. A little salty, a little sweet, and crunchy. What more can you ask for?

Olive was the flavor that my husband most enjoyed. The front of the bag advertises this chip as being made with "Black, Green, and Kalamata Olives, Garlic, and Sea Salt." My dad is NOT a fan of garlic, so I thought he would immediately dislike this taste. I was surprised, however, when he said he thought the olive taste was a little too overpowering and he really didn't taste too much of the garlic. Well, for some the olive flavor was perfect, some thought it too strong- you'll just have to try some and decide for yourself! All of us agreed that this would make a perfect dipping chip.

The Works! I was afraid to try this one, but my adventurous side picked it for our line-up. The Works! is a blend of "Poppy and Caraway Seeds, Minced Garlic, and Onions." Once again, I expected my dad to stop after the first chip. Apparently Food Should Taste Good does something right with their mixtures, though, because we all passed this bag a few extra times. The adults all had the same reaction. We felt this chip tasted very similar to a Triscuit cracker. We all love Triscuits, but guess what I discovered? Triscuits have MSG and a few other ingredients I don't recognize. For me, the choice is clear. I will now stick with the brand that is NOT flour based and does NOT have chemical ingredients I don't know how to pronounce.

Cheddar was my least favorite, but I still liked it okay. What I really enjoyed about the other flavors is that there was no mess. There was no coating to stick to my fingers, and there was nothing that could be misconstrued as "artificial." I know there are no chemicals in this chip, but my mind doesn't want to believe it. The flaky cheese flavoring just screams junk food to me. The rest of my party enjoyed the chip, but this isn't the one I would choose to best represent the Food Should Taste Good brand.

Finally, Chocolate! Who would have thought to make a chocolate tortilla chip? At first we all thought it was a little strange, then we tasted it. My first reaction was it tasted like a Hostess Chocolate Donetts product. You know those miniature donuts that are covered with the waxy chocolate? You know, those same donuts that, according to MyFitnessPal, will cost you 360 calories per serving and 22 grams of sugar? Ouch! You could eat two and a half servings of the Food Should Taste good chocolate tortilla chips for roughly the calorie count and STILL only have HALF the sugar! Once again, when trying to consider a healthy lifestyle my choice is clear. There were some mixed feelings on the taste of this chip. Some of us felt it would take care of a craving for something sweet, some of us did not. Then we started to experiment. When crumbled onto a bit of vanilla ice cream, these chips were completely transformed. THAT was delicious!

All in all we decided that the Food Should Taste Good brand has really got the right idea. Their products live up to their name, and they ARE a healthier alternative to traditional potato chips. I would like to offer a word of caution, however. Do not mistake these chips for health food. They should not replace your fruits and vegetables simply because they've left out some of the bad-for-you ingredients used by most manufacturers. This is a treat, plain and simple. To be very honest, I will need to be aware of my own purchasing habits with this product because I could sit and eat a whole bag. They are that good. But, as I always preach, if you can't control yourself, they shouldn't be in the house. More than likely this will be a product I keep at my mom and dad's house for those special occasions. I know me. I know I can't stay away from food that is delicious and satisfying the way these tortilla chips are.

Now for the REALLY FUN part- the GIVEAWAY! Food Should Taste Good has generously provided a similar sample pack to one of my lucky readers. You will have several chances to win.

The first entry is mandatory if you want to do any of the optional entries. You must complete this before doing any of the optional entries. For this entry, you must visit the Food Should Taste Goodwebsite and look at the variety of chips offered. Come back and leave me a comment telling me which chip you think would be your favorite and WHY. If you don't have both parts of the question answered, I will not count your entry. Please be sure to include your email address in your comment so I can reach you if you are the winner.

Each of the following is worth one additional entry. Please leave a separate comment for each and include your email address in each entry so I can contact the winner!

1. "Like" Food Should Taste Good on Facebook and tell them Karen's Healthy Lifestyle sent you over.

2. Follow Karen's Healthy Lifestyle on Google Friend Connect (on the left sidebar at the top)

3. Follow Karen's Healthy Lifestyle on Facebook

4. Follow The Puppy Who Refused to Die on Facebook

5. Read the first chapter of The Puppy Who Refused to Die and tell me where the puppies ate their first meal

Everyone has six chances to win this great sample pack from Food Should Taste Good. I wish you luck! This contest will run through April 30th. I will draw a winner using Random.org after going through the contest entries to be sure they have been entered correctly. Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and leave your email address on EACH comment! I will email the winner to get your choices for your sample pack. You will have 48 hours to respond. If I don't hear from you, I will move on to another winner. And don't forget: FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD!

Now for the legal part: This product was provided to me by the Food Should Taste Good brand. I was not paid, and all opinions are my own. I share them freely with you and have not been told what to say.