REVIEW: Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips

It's been a hot minute since I've received a surprise delivery. The majority of our packages (which have been many in the last few months) have been related to home renovations, so I was pumped when a box arrived and wasn't from Amazon ;)

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Okay, okay, there wasn't a puppy in the mailbox, because that'd be AMAZEBALLS, but it was still exciting!

I was stoked when I opened the package and saw the box inside was from Quest Nutrition and it was taco themed... because who doesn't love tacos?! I'm pretty sure it could be #TacoTuesday every day and I wouldn't be mad about it.

Quest Nutrition recently released some new flavors in their protein chip line - Loaded Taco and Chili Lime - and sent me a few bags to try. The hubby and I might have done a little happy dance when we opened the box and saw the contents!

Score one (or eight) for the good guys!

Oh yeah, and not only did they send a few bags of each flavor, they also sent a fanny pack (complete with a taco pin).

Now if only they would have sent an actual neon light in the shape of a taco we would've been all set ;) 

Now onto the main event: TASTE! The hubby and I both gave 'em a try and I'm here to share our thoughts on each flavor.

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First up, LOADED TACO. I was slightly nervous that this flavor might not be vegetarian friendly, seeing as the packaging had a picture of what seems to be a beefy taco, but after looking at the ingredients it appeared as though it was meat-free.

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I'll be honest, I was expecting these to taste a bit like the Taco Flavored Doritos (although, truth be told, it has been a while since I've sampled them so I don't know if my comparisons are on point or not), but in my opinion, this flavor tasted a little more like bell peppers to me than anything else. Maybe more of a fajita flavor than say taco seasoning. In fact, when I was standing next to the hubby while he was eating them, I even smelled a "lettuce" smell. Not that they were bad (both the hubby and I did enjoy them and would definitely eat them again... which is good since we have a few more bags for the cupboard), they just weren't exactly the taco seasoning flavor I was expecting. I think the hubby hit the nail on the head when he said they tasted like a complete taco (not just the seasoning you put on the meat/ non-meat).

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If you were doing a side by side comparison of the nutritional facts for the Quest chips and the Doritos, you'd see that the fat and carbohydrates are higher and the protein is lower in the Doritos, which bodes well for the Quest chips, but the sodium content is almost twice as high in the Quest chips (which is an issue for the hubby since he has hereditary high blood pressure and needs to avoid high sodium foods if and when possible). #PickYourPoison

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Cost is also a factor when it comes to these chips. If you were to buy the Quest chips online, you can get 8 bags (1.1 ounces each) for $16.75. If you were to buy the Doritos online (I am using Amazon Prime Pantry for the price, but you can find them similarly priced elsewhere), you can get one bag (9.75 ounces) for $2.50. Price per ounce means the Quest chips are $1.90 per ounce while the Doritos are $.26 per ounce. Now, don't get me wrong, I realize we often are required to pay higher prices for "health" foods because the government isn't subsidizing the ingredients, you are paying for higher quality products, etc, but it is something I felt was worth noting (especially since you all know how "frugal" I am).

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Now, onto the second flavor - CHILI LIME. I was a little nervous about this flavor, but not because I was worried it wouldn't be vegetarian friendly (although I still double checked the ingredients). I was a little concerned because the graphic on the bag had a red pepper on it and I don't do spice very well. I made sure to water close in case I needed to tame the flame.

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Although there appears to be a Doritos option that has a similar flavor (the Flamas® Flavored Tortilla Chips) because I normally don't eat the spicy flavors I can't really compare the two. The hubby does enjoy Takis (our best friends' kids got him hooked) so although these may not be a rolled chip (apparently Doritos also has something similar to the Takis - the DINAMITA® Chile Limón Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips), I thought the flavor profiles of the Quest chips and the Fuego Takis might be similar so asked him to compare the two. (Let's be real, the hubby has never turned down the chance to be a taste tester, no matter the food, but especially if chips or sweets are involved, so he was all about this ;)) He said they had a similar flavor but the Quest chips were much more enjoyable. The Takis can be a little overwhelming (not to mention turn your fingers a bright shade of red) and he said the Quest chips had the same profile, just turned down a notch or two.

If you were doing a side by side comparison of the nutritional facts for the Quest chips and the Takis, you'd see that the fat and carbohydrates are higher and the protein is lower in the Takis, which bodes well for the Quest chips, and the sodium content is slightly higher in the Takis as well. Seems like in a head-to-head battle, the Quest chips come out on top. (The sodium is about half in both the DINAMITA® Chile Limón Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips and the Flamas® Flavored Tortilla Chips compared to the Quest chips, but since neither the hubby nor I have tried these flavors I figured it wouldn't be an accurate comparison since I have no idea if the hubby would actually eat either of these options).

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Similar to the first flavor we tried, the prices for comparable options are much lower than the Quest Protein Chip. Obviously cheaper does not mean healthier or better, I'm just mentioning it because if someone has the choice between the two (or three) options, the cheaper one may win out some days... especially when the paycheck is being spread thin.

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Surprisingly the Chili Lime was my favorite flavor of the two (but not a crumb was left of either when I finished ;)). It definitely had a little kick, but I felt like you could taste the spice and the lime both independently and they were yummy flavors - not too spicy for a wimp like me. I gave them both a try on #MexicanMonday (I realize you don't need alliteration to eat something yummy for dinner, but I still think it's fun) and they paired great with my chick'n tacos. You could also use them as "toppers" on a Mexican salad or just as a snack. Neither the hubby nor I felt like either flavor left a funny taste in your mouth when you were done and the texture seemed spot on for a baked tortilla chip.

Obviously I am NOT a food blogger... seeing as this was the best I could do with "plating" a couple
veggie chick'n tacos and the tortilla style protein chips - HA! I promise it tasted better than it looked!

If you're interested in trying either of these flavors, you can now order these (as well as the other flavors in Quest's protein chip line) online. Sometimes you can find them locally at your health food or nutritional store (think GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, etc), but in case you can't, hit up Quest Nutrition's website (or keep your eyes peeled for sales on Amazon).

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What is your spice tolerance?