OTHER THINGS I CONSUMED: 1/16/26

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Unwell Cherry Lime Energy Drink

Unwell Cherry Lime Energy Drink

This energy drink is um, well, unawesome. While it has a strong cherry aroma, its cherry lime flavor doesn’t pop. Its flavor is muted, which is surprising because that wasn’t the case when I tried Unwell’s Frosted Cranberry Energy Drink several weeks ago.

But that’s not all that’s disappointing. There’s something mid-sip that I can only describe as a somewhat thick texture that’s similar to what I experience with protein beverages. That would be fine if this had protein, but it has none. It’s not a deal breaker, but again, I don’t recall Unwell’s Frosted Cranberry having it.

The beverage has 150 milligrams of caffeine from natural sources, 745 milligrams of electrolytes, doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, and is made with real fruit juice (although the can says just 4 percent). Also, the can brings Airheads candy to mind.

Barebells Wild Strawberry Protein Soda

Barebells Wild Strawberry Protein Soda

While Barebells, known for its protein bars, calls this a “soda” with 200 milligrams of caffeine, the can should really say “Protein Energy Drink.” Along with Wild Strawberry, there are also Sweet Cherry and Pineapple Sunrise varieties.

The “soda” has a pleasant strawberry aroma and a mild strawberry flavor. There’s also a slight creaminess, which I guess could be from the whey protein isolate, which provides 10 grams of protein. It contains no strawberry juice but does have artificial sweeteners. Not surprisingly, because it’s a protein “soda” with whey protein isolate, it has the same slightly thick texture as other protein beverages.

It’s an okay-tasting drink with a high caffeine content and a decent amount of protein. It’s tasty and caffeinated enough that I might try the other flavors.

A&W Ice Cream Sundae Soda

A&W Ice Cream Sundae Soda

Yes, this came out more than half a year ago, but I came across it during a visit to 7-Eleven. Actually, I passed by it a few times during previous 7-Eleven visits. However, I finally decided to pick it up because of FOMO and YOLO, and because the bottle and soda colors reminded me of Chewbacca and Han Solo.

Back in August, our reviewer, Amber, gave it a 5 rating because of its artificial chocolate aroma and the way it mostly tasted like a cream soda, with no chocolate flavor. While I could definitely smell its artificial chocolate aroma, I thought it had a pronounced chocolate syrup flavor with a bit of cream soda behind it. That artificial chocolate flavor is not for everyone, but I liked it a lot. Since it’s a limited edition flavor, I might have to pick it up again the next time I’m at 7-Eleven.

H-E-B Limited Edition Bread and Butter Pickle Sweet & Spicy Wavy Potato Chips

H-E-B Limited Edition Bread and Butter Pickle Sweet & Spicy Wavy Potato Chips

Reigning Spotted Photo Champion, Robbie, sent me a box of stuff from H-E-B to try because he knows I’m so enamored with the grocery store. He asked me what I would like to try, and I told him H-E-B’s limited edition potato chips. So he delivered with this flavor and a Korean BBQ, which unfortunately did not survive the USPS.

Having tried those Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle chips from a few years ago, I expected these to be as potent and fiery as those. However, I was surprised to find that these chips were neither potent nor fiery. They have a pleasant pickle flavor that’s not overpowering and a “spiciness” that’s almost nonexistent. I loved them so much that I ate more than half the bag while watching a Korean drama episode on Netflix.

REVIEW: Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs

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Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs bag

Allow me to get political for a second…

Don’t worry, I’ll try to toe (tow?) the line like a spineless coward.

Where are we at with the health administration discourse? Are these food dyes we devour every day really a crisis, or is eliminating them just a gimmicky distraction? Shocking to no one, I’ve heard both arguments.

I’m a little cynical. On one hand, it feels like an absolute bare minimum the food industry can do to pretend they’re feeding us “healthier” food. However, I also see no reason why synthetic food dyes and artificial flavors should exist if there’s even a 1% chance they’re harming us.

No matter your stance, Frito Lay has started the process for you. It’s begun phasing out synthetic food dyes and artificial flavors with a new Simply “NKD” line of snacks, because no one, and I mean NO ONE, likes Cheeto fingers.

That is my nonpartisan way of interpreting this.

Let’s stop arguing about things we should all agree on and focus our energy on real debates, like whether it’s “toe the line” or “tow the line,” because I’ve never been confident and couldn’t commit to either one. I’m sorry, I’m just a moderate on this issue.

“Chee-to the line.” There it is.

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs naked of dyes

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs no artificial flavor or dyes

Do you like Cheetos Puffs? Well, hopefully you liked them for their flavor and not their color, because “NKD” might be the wave of the future.

Warning: nudity ahead, this review may be NSFW!

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs censored

Cheetos are good and will remain good. I can’t say it any more simply … as these are technically “Simply” Cheetos, which I didn’t even know still existed. I thought that was the discontinued line that gave people gastrointestinal issues.

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs vs regular Cheetos

I reviewed the “NKD” Cheetos against regular old classic puffs, and honestly didn’t taste much of a difference. It was minor, and that was comparing a regular Cheeto vs. a “Simply,” which is marketed as a “cleaner” cheese puff that uses “real” ingredients.

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs in a bowl

These are devoid of color but still have plenty of flavor. If anyone tells you there’s a big discrepancy, they’re just outraged by change. I think the NKD puffs taste just a little blander, and that’s the “Simply” of it all, as I don’t believe the orange dust was a flavor enhancer, but classics do “pop” with a tiny bit more long-lasting flavor.

If this is how we have to enjoy Cheetos moving forward, we’re gonna be fine. We’ll heal, hopefully together.

I like the puffs, but I don’t love the branding. I can’t help but feel like the bag is designed to trick people into thinking they’re a fancy health food. Don’t slack off on your diet, just because they un-dye it.

Speaking of vibes, I hate the “we’re a hot new start-up” style name, “NKD!” Did they really need to remove the “a-e?” Maybe they’re just holding them back as an “i-o-u.” … and sometimes “y!”

It’s quite literally stripped down, unlike that very complex vowel joke.

Oh, and Chester Cheetah is nude on the bag. He goes by “Chest-hair Cheetah,” now.

Cheetos Simply NKD Puffs Chester naked

Just kidding, that perv has always been naked.

These Cheetos may be a bit less dangerous, but they are, like my comedy stylings, still “dangerously cheesy.”

So, they’re a little less fun looking. Oh well. We’ll live… if the government lets us. Vote or Dye!

Purchased Price: $3.97
Size: 8 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (13 pieces) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of dietary fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pringles Mingles Cinnamon & Sugar

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Pringles Mingles Cinnamon & Sugar bag

The chorus from the 1980s power ballad by the band Cinderella rings in my head about every time this year, “You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.” Am I thinking of a past love? A long lost pet? Mini USB cables that I thought I didn’t need anymore, but found an external hard drive that uses one? Or am I thinking of a decent potato-based snack that usually comes in savory flavors but, for a moment, came in sweet ones?

If you pick the last one, you’d be correct. But if you picked any of the others, you’d also be correct. But let’s not talk about past loves, pets, USB cables, or guessing my age from a 1980s reference. Let me remind )or introduce you) to sweet Pringles flavors from about a decade ago that have faded away like many casts from MTV’s Real World.

Some were mediocre. Others were good. But none were great. So why do I miss them? Well, because sweet Pringles was such a novel idea, and one I would like to taste again. Also, I’d like them to return from time to time so a new generation of snackers can experience them. Make it happen, Kellanova!

The varieties included Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, White Chocolate Peppermint, Salted Caramel, Pecan Pie, and Pumpkin Pie. However, one sweet flavor from that era has found its way onto the bowtie-shaped Pringles Mingles: Cinnamon & Sugar.

If you haven’t munched on Pringles Mingles, they are puffy corn-based snacks that have a crunch somewhere between Cheetos Puffs and Crunchy Cheetos. They debuted with savory flavors late last year, but now have come out with this sweet flavor for the holiday season. I enjoyed the savory varieties, and I like this one too.

Pringles Mingles Cinnamon & Sugar pieces

There’s real cinnamon and sugar on these puffs, and they make this snack pleasing to my sweet tooth. Because they’re corn-based and not made from potatoes, there isn’t that naked potato flakes flavor I remember the original Pringles Cinnamon & Sugar Potato Crisps had once the seasoning had faded. The seasoning on some of these fades too, but that’s mainly because they weren’t well seasoned to begin with. However, when there’s a decent amount of cinnamon and sugar, the sweet flavor tends to have staying power, and there’s a slight butteriness to those pieces. With its taste and texture, it reminds me of a cinnamon-flavored breakfast cereal.

Time will tell whether or not we’ll see this again next year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a return in 2026. I enjoyed them more than the potato crisp version from a decade ago, and they were difficult to stop eating. But if they don’t come back, I’ll just miss them annually with the chorus from an 1980s hair band song playing in my head.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 5.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 35 pieces/1 oz) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 4 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Collisions Stranger Things Stranger Pizza & Cool Ranch

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Doritos Collisions Stranger Things bag with my hand in the picture.

To be honest, I know little about the Netflix show Stranger Things, which is strange because the Netflix algorithm has been suggesting it to me for years, and my wife has watched every episode. I can’t name any of the characters. I have referenced Demogorgon several times on this site, but that’s only because I worship Satan.

Is one of them named Friday? Or am I somehow getting confused with the main character of Netflix’s Wednesday? Or maybe I’m thinking of Monday from the Netflix movie What Happened to Monday? Or I’m misremembering Tuesday from Tuesday, another movie on Netflix. Or perhaps I’m thinking of Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin) from the live-action One Piece show on Netflix.

Netflix has been on a Stranger Things marketing rampage, getting the Stranger Things logo slapped on almost every type of product in a grocery store. I’d make a list, but going through it would take as long as fans have had to wait for new seasons of the show. One of the latest collaborations is this Doritos Collisions Stranger Things with Stranger Pizza and Cool Ranch flavors.

I’m not one of those diehard ranch-on-pizza kind of people. But I understand the appeal. If you are one of those folks, these chips may disappoint you.

Stranger Pizza Doritos on the left and Cool Ranch on the right.

The chips smell like every pizza-flavored snack I’ve ever had. However, my nose couldn’t detect the equally familiar scent of Cool Ranch Doritos. Though visually, it’s easy to determine which chip is which. The darker ones are pizza-flavored, while the lighter chip is Cool Ranch.

Pizza-flavored Doritos have been a thing, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever had them. My memories might be mistaking them for all the other pizza-flavored snacks I’ve munched on over the years, all of which remind me of Totino’s Party Pizzas. However, there is something a little different about these from all those other snacks. There’s a very light spiciness, as if Doritos was aiming for a spicy pepperoni flavor. It was surprising, and I totally dig it.

Doritos Collisions Stranger Things in the bag.

With the two flavors being in the same bag, I thought there would be some cross-pollination, but that didn’t happen. The Cool Ranch chips tasted like Cool Ranch, while the pizza-flavored ones tasted like pizza without a hint of Cool Ranch. Combining the two flavors in one bite also doesn’t make a difference in creating more of a mashup flavor because the stronger pizza flavor overwhelms the Cool Ranch seasoning. I’m not going to complain about that because I love pizza-flavored products, and I’ve been loving these chips.

However, if you’re hoping for a unique flavor that combines the two chips, you won’t taste it.

Purchased Price: $5.19*
Size: 9 oz bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 11 chips – 28 grams) 150 calories, 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon

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Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ and Smoky Bacon Cans

When I look at these new Pringles Smoky flavors, I can’t help but think the Pringleneers (Pringles engineers) are running out of steam. Or should I say smoke? Available in three varieties — Smoky Mesquite BBQ, Smoky Bacon, and Smoky Cheddar — they appear to be previous flavors with additional smokiness or flavors that Pringles has offered before. For this review, I found only the barbecue and bacon flavors. I’ll smoke out the cheddar one later.

I don’t know about you, but I can tell when I love a Pringles flavor when I end up eating more than half the can without realizing it, at a pace that makes it seem like my hand is a car’s piston and the Pringles can is an engine’s cylinder. However, my gluttony and repetitive arm motions remained in check with both Pringles Smoky varieties I tried.

Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ up close
Pringles Smoky Mesquite BBQ

Barbecue didn’t come to mind when I tried the Smoky Mesquite BBQ Pringles. Its aroma somewhat reminded me of ketchup or All-Dressed chips, and its flavor evoked Asian flavors similar to those found in Lay’s chips I’ve had from China. There’s a bit of lime flavor that’s really noticeable among the onion and garlic powders. But all of that flavor doesn’t draw my taste buds or my hands to the Pringles can.

Pringles Smoky Bacon close up

The Smoky Bacon seems to taste slightly different than the previous bacon-flavored Pringles. I suppose that difference could be considered a “smokiness,” but I feel as though it has a meatier flavor than what I remember the original Bacon Pringles had. However, despite their bolder flavor, I couldn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed the potato crisps. While I feel they taste fine, that greasy flavor that comes with bacon-flavored products is something I can only enjoy in doses.

Because I’m snacking on these slower than a sloth on a sidewalk, I decided to stack the two flavors, and what I tasted was something that made me think of SPAM for some reason. And now that I have that in my head, I’d really like to taste a Hormel SPAM and Pringles collaboration. That would be more exciting than these Smoky flavors.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 5.5 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Smoky Mesquite BBQ), 5 out of 10 (Smoky Bacon)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 14 crisps) Smoky Mesquite BBQ – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Smoky Bacon – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

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