January 07, 2016

Product Review: Chomps Snack Sticks

Like me, I'm sure you noticed the deluge of posts, tweets, Facebook statuses and Instagram pictures coming from your friends (or maybe you too!) that have decided to make a dietary change as part of their new year. Whole30 seems to be the most frequent diet chosen. I haven't tried it myself...but I can see the draw!

I was recently offered the opportunity to receive and review Chomps Snack Sticks. Given that tastebuds vary, I decided to bring a few friends and my dad along for the ride! When I opened my sample package of Chomps Snack Sticks, one of the first things I noticed was that it was Whole30 approved.

What Are Chomps All About!?

Chomps Snack Sticks are new healthy snacks that recently hit the market and has quickly become quite popular in the Gluten Free, Paleo and Crossfit communities. We use only the best 100% Grass-Fed Beef and the sticks are cured naturally. Chomps are free of synthetic nitrates, nitrites and MSG. They're shelf stable for a whole year and the only natural preservative used is celery juice!

I'll be honest - beef sticks wouldn't be my first choice when looking for a snack. But the more I read about these little morsels, the more interested I became. They are 100% grass fed beef, nitrate and nitrite free, have no MSG, are 9g of lean protein per serving and use celery juice as their preservative!

On to the taste test!

First we tried the Original flavor. I noticed right away that they didn't have the greasy feeling of other beef sticks that are commercially available. We all (Jeanne, Rachel, dad and myself) agreed that they taste good! The spices come across well, and they're a little smokey. They are a bit softer than you might expect...think slightly firmer than a hot dog.

Next was the Hoppin' Jalapeno. This was by far the favorite! You can see the little bits of jalapeno in each beef stick, and the flavor is spicy without being overwhelming. They're just good!

Last was the Crankin' Cran. I admit, I didn't look at the full ingredient list before tasting and was expecting something slightly sweet. At first, that's what you get too...but this flavor has habanero pepper in it. The flavor of those peppers builds, and builds, and builds. Unless you LOVE hot food, I wouldn't recommend this flavor. The cranberry flavor is a good pairing with the beef, and wish it was more balanced with the habaneros.

All in all - I think that Chomps Snack Sticks are something that I'd recommend to my friends who are looking for a tasty snack that is Whole30 and Paleo friendly.