Most snacks in a package will have some pretty questionable ingredients, so when I am shopping, and we find a snack that has good ingredients, my family buys it to try. Grocery shopping, especially outside of Toronto, is like a sport, especially for my mother, who found Crunchsters, and bought a package of each flavour on the shelf.
It might seem odd, but we were pretty excited about trying these seasoned mung bean snacks. It is rare to find a snack that is vegan, gluten-free and nut-free, and made with organic ingredients – these are the basic criteria for a snack to suit everyone in my family – and not a bad standard for any family, for that matter!
These little crunchy beans come in three flavours – Sea Salt, Smokey Balsamic (though I think it is more of a vinegar-y flavour than smokey – in a good way), and Beyond Bacon (remember, they are vegan, so no pigs harmed). The balsamic and “bacon” flavours both set off an intense burst of flavour inside my mouth upon eating them, and they are something I could definitely eat an entire bag of in one sitting! The sea salt ones are great as a salad or soup topper, as they have a nice little crunch and add a LOT of health to any salad since these snacks are very high in both protein and fibre! My mother and sister, not fans of smokey flavour still likes the balsamic ones, but liked the sea salt best. My little brother liked them all, and ate much of each bag in his massive salad for dinner.
The Crunchsters brand was started by a yoga therapist well-versed in Indian medicine, who talks a lot about the benefits of mung beans, and a chef who used that knowledge to craft a new healthy snack! I am going to tweet, instagram and/or email them this review in hopes of getting them into Toronto stores soon!
