As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I was sent two complimentary bags of Tostitos Artisan chips. As luck would have it, I was hosting my book club the following night, and they were happy to help me give these a try. To accompany the chips, I threw together a quick dip of black beans, avocado, lemon juice, cumin, and chili powder. Let’s talk about taste first. The first thing that came to mind was “Doritos for Grownups”. (To be fair, a book club member pointed out that we are not too old to eat actual Doritos. I just hate having orange fingers.) But I think the black bean and garlic seasoning powder made the chips seem more artificial. The texture though was good and crunchy, and the leftover chips held up well for a few days.

The artisan chips boast natural ingredients and nine whole grains. While there are several different whole grains in these chips, they are still not a health food. I appreciate the fact that Tostidos is trying to improve the quality of the ingredients used and the overall nutritional value, but these are still a snack type food, not something you’d eat on a daily basis to get your whole grains. The group overall liked the chips, but weren’t ready to run out and buy a bag, unless there was an occasion or they were on sale. Oh, and by the way, we discussed ‘For the Thrill of It’ by Simon Baatz, an interesting book. Thanks to Tostidos for letting us try these out!

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