Food Product Review: Jensen's Orchard All Natural Spinach and Artichoke Chips

Every once in a while you walk through the grocery store, and something new catches your eye. Usually, you take a cursory look at it, and then continue on to your regular purchases. Sometimes though, the product is just different enough or desirable enough to make you stop and consider it.

That's what happened to me in the chip aisle.

I usually don't buy chips. I'm not a big salty snack person. Chips are generally full of fat and sodium, and I don't need the weight, whether it comes from the fat, carbs, or water weight. If I bring home a bag of chips, it's sure to be devoured by the teenager of the house in record time. I'd rather he eat something healthier. But every once in a while, we all need a junk food fix, and the grocery store aisle sure to satisfy that craving is the snack food aisle.

So when my cart inched up to Jensen's Orchard All Natural Spinach and Artichoke Chips, I stopped. Spinach and artichoke chips? Wha? They say that they're made with real spinach, artichokes and olive oil. Frankly, it's a combination I never anticipated. Individually, I like spinach and artichokes. The blurb on the back claims that if I like spinach and artichoke dip, I'll love these chips. They also claim that the chips will be the most flavorful snack I will ever experience.

Frankly, for a snack with seven grams of fat per one ounce serving, I was expecting more. They're oval shaped with ridges, thick, and a little puffy with lots of tiny air pockets. They're an off-putting color of green- rather like the color of an artichoke. The flavor is somewhat subtle compared to other chips- the description on the bag also states that they can be enjoyed with a creamy dip, and the first thing my son said after eating one was, "These would be good if you had them with dip." I can discern no flavor of artichoke or spinach. The subtle flavor and ridged texture does make them good for dip, as long as the people you serve them to aren't too weirded-out by their color. They do leave a bit of an odd, not-quite-but-almost unpleasant aftertaste when eaten alone, but a dip might take care of that.

At a little less than $4 for a seven ounce bag, you don't get much weight for your money. They chips are bulky, though, and seem like a lot more than seven ounces in the bag. They have no trans fat, MSG, artificial flavors or colors. Like most chips, they don't have the most impressive statistics in the way of fat and sodium. Despite the fact that they're made from green vegetables, they're still definitely chips.

My verdict? If you're going to spend your caloric and fat allowance on a salty carbs, stick with the tried and true multigrain taste bud pleasers like Sun Chips. Jensen's Orchard Spinach and Artichoke Chips fail to impress.