REVIEW: Chili Lime SunChips

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Chile Lime SunChips Bag

Did you know SunChips are 30 years old? Did you know it’s supposed to be spelled “SunChips” and not “Sun Chips?” Did you even know they’re still around?

Perhaps to celebrate its birthday, the Frito-Lay brand has rolled out Chile Lime SunChips. Because let’s face it, a birthday cake flavor would be a horrible idea.

According to the packaging, the 100% whole grain snack feature a combination of red chili pepper and lime flavors. A dive into the ingredients list shows the chips are seasoned with chili powder, buttermilk, garlic powder, spices (including chili pepper), onion powder, natural flavors, paprika, vinegar, and lime juice.

Chile Lime SunChips Closeup

While they have all those ingredients, they taste like they’re seasoned with just chili powder and lime but leaning more towards the former. I’m not complaining that the chips aren’t as complex as the ingredients list makes them seem because they are enjoyable. Although, I have to admit there’s a bit of a celery-like aftertaste at times.

All the flames on the bag might be a subtle hint that these are spicy. They are, and it takes a few chips before the heat is really noticeable, but think of these being at 1/4 or 1/3 of how spicy Flamin’ Hot products are.

Speaking of which, why hasn’t Frito-Lay offered Flamin’ Hot SunChips in their own bag? It’s available as part of a spicy Frito-Lay Munchies Snack Mix that also comes with Doritos, Cheetos, and Rold Gold pretzels, but not in a standalone offering.

If you didn’t know SunChips are still around, this Chili Lime flavor would be a tasty way to reintroduce yourself to them. If you do pick it up, or whatever variety you choose, remember to wish it a Happy Birthday.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 7 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Frito-Lay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 14 chips/28 g) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, 2 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tortilla Chips

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Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Bag

What are Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tortilla Chips?

After years of simply giving us a “hint,” Frito Lay has decided to kick the lime flavor up a notch.

How are they?

Tostitos’ Hint of Lime are my favorite mass-produced tortilla chip. I eat them plain. I eat them with dips. I love em. They’re borderline perfection to me.

Guess what? Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Tostitos might actually be slightly better!?

Have you ever gotten a Hint of Lime chip that accumulated too much flavor dust? There are usually a few per bag, and it’s a nice surprise every time I get one. These are essentially that chip for an entire bag.

That might sound extreme, but don’t get too scared off by the word “sweet.” These aren’t cookies.

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Closeup

There’s a nice balance between the sweet and salty, but they’re definitely fruitier than Hint. I honestly think they could have gotten away with just calling these “Lime and Sea Salt,” but it’s probably better that they gave everyone a heads-up.

If Hint of Lime taste like 3/4 salt and 1/4 lime, these are just that recipe flipped. You might lose a bit of that overall “salt” flavor, if that makes sense, but they’re still equally great.

Anything else you need to know?

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips Single

One of the key reasons these might have a leg up is the shape. Bite Size rounds are better chips than normal Tostitos. If I’m eating chips, I wanna be able to eat them in one bite. I’m not nibbling or breaking it beforehand. I take it as a challenge, and I feel like there’s always a risk of turning my lips into Heath Ledger Joker’s when I cram a giant triangle Tostito into my mouth.

I also find Bite Size better for dipping. Despite being smaller, they seem more structurally sound. These chips don’t even need a dip, but I tried them with salsa, and no shock, they work great.

Conclusion:

Tostitos Sweet Lime and Sea Salt Chips

All told, Sweet Lime and Sea Salt aren’t super different from Hint of Lime, so I’m curious what Frito Lay’s long-term plans are. They seem a bit redundant, but Frito has never been afraid of redundancies. How much different is a Classic Lay’s chip and Lightly Salted?

I hope these are a mainstay, and I look forward to switching between them and Hint of Lime all summer.

Purchased Price: $3.50
Size: 11 oz bag
Purchased at: Acme
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (20 Chips) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 190 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Arby’s Crinkle Cut Fries

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Arby s Crinkle Cut Fries Full

What are Arby’s Crinkle Cut Fries?

Arby’s new permanent fries are exactly as they sound — an “…accordion-style” deep-fried spud offering! The website touts the “…groves for maximum crispiness, lightly seasoned with fine kosher salt.”

(Editor’s Note: I’m pretty sure “groves” is supposed to be “grooves.” But that’s really how it’s spelled on Arby’s website. I added the screenshot below for proof.)

Screen Shot 2021 04 25 at 8 46 21 AM

How are they?

Arby s Crinkle Cut Fries Top

Crinkle cut fries are near and dear to my heart. They remind me of elementary school lunches when the best part of my day was lunchtime. These were exactly like a blast from the past – limp, slightly undercooked, but decently salted.

Anything else you need to know?

Arby s Crinkle Cut Fries Compare

I tested these head-to-head with crinkle cut fries from the grocery store. The air fried Ore-Ida ones I made were better. They were golden brown and actually had more crispness.

Arby s Crinkle Cut Fries Compare Closeup

Unfortunately, Arby’s is pretty serious about its mediocre crinkle cut fry offering. The fast food chain even made a TV commercial for it!

Conclusion:

I ate every single one of those limp, slightly undercooked, but decently salted fries, but they’re not better than frozen crinkle cut fries found at your local grocery store.

Maybe one day Arby’s will offer a mixed spuds basket with its curlies, crinkle, and cakes – kind of like mixing all the sodas together. But I wouldn’t get the crinkle fries on their own. I’ll stick with the curlies!

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: Medium
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Medium) 530 calories, 26 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 630 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Bottled Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

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Starbucks Bottled Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Bottle

My Starbucks card is almost always used to purchase a trenta-sized Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. No additions. No swapping. All I say are the words “vanilla sweet cream cold brew,” plus the word “please,” and I end up with a massive cup of it that has enough caffeine to make my heart beat like a drum at a heavy metal festival.

So imagine my excitement when I found out Starbucks was offering a bottled version of my preferred drink. I was so hyped about it that I added it to my Amazon Subscribe & Save so that I can experience the coffee drink whenever I want when I’m at home.

Sure, I’ll be a pain in the Starbutt to earn Starbucks Stars for them since I have to jump through hoops that involve uploading receipts. But once the caffeine starts flowing through my bloodstream, I think I’ll be all better.

However, after tasting it, I canceled the Amazon subscription because this bottled Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a poor representation of the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew that I get handed to me with my name on it.

Yes, I didn’t expect this bottled version to taste EXACTLY like what I’ve gotten from a barista. But I also didn’t expect it would taste like any other bottled coffee drink.

Starbucks Bottled Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew Bottle Closeup

With a regular Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew drinks, there’s some substance because of the cold brew and cream. It has a noticeable vanilla flavor, and it’s sweet, but that sugariness doesn’t hide the cold brew. But with this bottled version, it’s thin, and it has a flavor I can’t discern from other sweetened bottled iced coffee drinks that also have milk. Basically, it tastes bottled Frappuccino-ish, and that’s not what I want. If I wanted that, I’D JUST BUY A DAMN BOTTLED FRAPPUCCINO! saijo;lop.s

Sorry, the caffeine wore off. And that gibberish at the end was me slamming my keyboard because of my disappointment with this coffee drink and probably caffeine withdrawal.

Purchased Price: $4.79
Size: 11 fl oz
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, 13 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of protein, and 155 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal

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Kellogg s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal Box

What is Kellogg’s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal?

It seems like everything is getting a reboot these days. Maybe it’s your favorite old movie, maybe it’s a nostalgic toy… or maybe, just maybe, it’s a beloved childhood treat. If you’re excited for option three, then we have news for you. Little Debbie, maker of the classic Cosmic Brownies, is teaming up with Kellogg’s on a new Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies cereal. It’s mini brownie squares complete with rainbow pieces to look like the original.

How is it?

Kellogg s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal Brownie

As I opened the bag, I first noted this: If you were conducting a blind sniff test, I’d think this was a bag of Cocoa Puffs. It’s a strong whiff of chocolate. Now, obviously, I had to buy a box of the original Cosmic Brownies for true comparison. (I was surprised to find out that my husband had NEVER tried the brownies, which makes me wonder how sad his sack lunches were growing up…) I tried the brownie and immediately followed it with the cereal.

While the texture of the actual brownie is very fudgy and soft, what you’re getting here is a standard, crunchy cereal that feels like anything else you find on grocery shelves. You might as well close your eyes and play eeny, meeny, miny, mo with a handful of chocolate-based cereals, and you wouldn’t know this was supposed to mimic the brownie.

Kellogg s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal Closeup

I noticed a strong cocoa taste that is sweet without being TOO sweet, which I liked. The nutrition facts back it up – only 14 grams of sugar in a serving. Sadly, the rainbow pieces are so small that they added no impact or flavor to the cereal.

In terms of rating – while it doesn’t taste exactly like the original brownie, it still tasted pretty good for a fun cereal. I knocked points off for the comparison, but not for the taste alone when you separate that concept.

Anything else you need to know?

Kellogg s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie Cereal Spoon

Definitely add milk if you do want it to have any semblance to the brownie. A splash of milk helps soften the cereal and bring out the fudgier taste I was desiring. Unfortunately, the flavor stayed mostly with the cereal, so the milk at the bottom of the bowl ended up being not very chocolatey.

Conclusion:

If you like chocolate cereal, Kellogg’s Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies is worth a try. But if you’re coming for a replica of the original, you might be disappointed.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from Kellogg’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8.2 oz box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 1/3 cup) 150 calories, 2 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 14 grams of total sugars, and 3 grams of protein.

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