Friends were coming over and we wanted to amp up the cheese and fruit plate. Santé nuts delivered on crunch and flavor!

We always love adding nuts to a fruit and cheese plate. Aside from the obvious “I love your nuts” jokes that inevitably arise, (every party has at least one person with the sense of humor of a 13 year old boy) they really are good for you. Usually, we just grab a bottle of cashews and peanuts and leave it at that. This time we tried Santé Nuts –  which come in a great mix of flavors. We were glad we did!

But first a wonderful backstory: apparently, founder Sara Tidhar had suddenly became a single mom, and was at a loss over how to pay the bills. She was already great at making roasted nuts at home, and her son said this should be her next gig. That’s exactly what she did! She started out selling them to silicon valley cafés and then a big grocery store took notice. Today, she’s an entrepreneur whose clearly on to something. They’re delicious!

They come in a ton of flavors!

We’re huge fans of the chipotle almonds, candied walnuts and the sweet and spicy pecans! The level of spice is just right, and there is something Sara did when she candied those walnuts that give them a huge crunch. I’m all about the crunch, as you know.

We decided to work a few of our favorites onto our cheese plate, and here’s how we did it. There was not a single nut left. I’m off to get some more!

For more on Sante Nuts visit their website or my Amazon page!

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The Good Bean Chili Lime Chick Peas deliver on taste, crunch and nutrition.

Generally speaking, when a snack food starts right out of the gate with ‘good for you,’ I’m don’t exactly get jazzed. I mean, in general my whole goal with a snack is to be wowed by the taste! Tell me they’re delicious first AND good for you! I’m doubly delighted when something tasty delivers on both. These do just that.

Chick peas are getting their due as a truly healthy vessel for flavor and spices. In crispy savory snacks, it’s all about the powder coating. After all, those corn chips in all sorts of zesty, fiery, cool ranchy, tasty flavors you’ve been eating? They get that flavor from the seasonings coated on TOP of the chip, not so much the chip itself. So it stands to reason that if a chick pea can deliver on a crunchy consistency, why couldn’t it take on some great flavor and replace your chip fix?

My go-to flavor for these chips were the chili lime,but they also come in sea salt, classic hummus, sweet cinnamon and thai coconut.

The chili lime deliver a healthy crunch, which is saying something considering how soft you’re used to seeing them. The flavor of lime gives a sour edge to the chili, which is about a six on the heat scale – not a bother for those who are wary of spicy foods. Just the right amount of salt makes this an addictive snack you won’t feel terrible about.

So let’s get to the dry side of things: Why are they better for you? They’re high in protein and fiber which make you feel fuller faster, and high fiber foods help prevent heart disease. Plus, a chick pea snack has a fraction of the processing involved in making a lot of crackers and chips out there. They also have a fairly low glycemic index (GI), which is a marker of how rapidly your blood sugar rises after eating a food.

This particular snack is certified gluten-free, vegan, and NON-GMO Project verified.

Did I also mention they’re delicious??

Available at grocery stores on Amazon or their own website.

That was a play on ‘stack up’ – get it?  Anyway…you don’t usually say ‘mochi’ and ‘crunch’ together – until now. Here’s why, and what makes this gluten free snack is so addictive.

Okay, are you ready for a freaky story? First, know that Sun Tropics’ Sriracha Mochi Rice Bites are easy to eat, crunchy and delicious. They’re inspired by traditional Japanese soft rice dough. But these are cooked until they’re crunchy and come in easy to eat bites. They’re tasty and easy to eat.

Okay, here comes from the wild part:

If you haven’t had actual mochi before, there’s an interesting backstory: Mochi is a traditional Japanese soft rice that is steamed, pounded and mashed and then formed into buns made of soft and chewy rice. And I mean CHEWY. They’re hugely popular around the New Year where they are often served cooked in vegetable broth. They look harmless enough, but officials in Japan usually issue warnings that their ‘hard-to-eat’ nature make them a choking hazard! As in, several people (kids and the elderly) had apparently died from suffocation because they didn’t CHEW THEM ENOUGH. Yeesh.

Now remember: THESE ARE NOT THOSE. THESE ARE CRUNCHY AND EASY TO EAT. Everyone relax.

These are cut into delicious, crunchy nuggets full of flavor. I’m a crunch person. These deliver on that in spades. The flavor has just enough of a pop or sriracha heat, but will not overblast you for shock value. Think of a medium buffalo wing type of flavor. (In fact these could easily have been called Buffalo bites in another scenario. The heat and the crunch make this a seriously addictive snack.

The line of bites offers Asian inspired flavors that also inlcude Tamari, Tokyo Curry, and Sea Salt.

These are also VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and have no MSG. (You’d be surprised how many of the snacks – especially flavored chips you’re eating all the time do us MSG.)

They’re available at health food stores, and online, although the prices online seem to be higher than you’ll pay in a grocery store.

Give them a try!