Alive & Radiant Foods: Not your ordinary kale chip

If you haven’t submitted yourself yet to the current kale chip craze, there’s no time like the present to give the green, potato-chip alternative a shot. Some may say that kale chips are “overrated” or have been popularized by food snobs and green-freaks, but I’m willing to bet those naysayers haven’t had anything like Alive & Radiant’s Kale Krunch chips. Kaia Foods, the healthy foods company behind the Alive & Radiant brand, offers snacks made from raw foods that are truly good for you.

All of the Kale Krunch snacks are completely raw, gluten-free and made with organic ingredients. All that ‘good’ stuff is tossed together and dehydrated at a low-temperature for the finished product – a healthy, filling snack. Because these are more than your average kale chips (kale is only the base, plenty of other nutritious ingredients are added for a pop of flavor), a serving of these can easily replace a meal.

With eight flavors, there’s plenty of variety to choose from. Squash your fried potato chip addiction with flavors like Southwestern Ranch and Cheezy Chipotle, or if you’re looking for a healthy sweet-treat, try the Chockalet Chip or the Spirulina Orange Creamsicle . The Kale Krunch snacks are sold in 2.2 ounce bags individually, or you can purchase them by the case (12 bags).

Left to right: Southwestern Ranch, Cheezy Chipotle, Tarragon Dijon

Left to right: Hibiscus & Pink Peppercorn, Perfectly Plain, Quite Cheezy

• Cheezy Chipotle – The unique flavor combination of red bell peppers, cashews, lemon juice, paprika, Chipotle peppers, and smoked salt against organic kale, completely boggles my mind because it actually tastes like cheese! The pop of smokiness from the chipotle and smoked salt kept me coming back for more.
• Hibiscus & Pink Peppercorn – Totally different from the Cheezy Chipotle (or any other flavor for that matter), the pink-tinged hibiscus and pink peppercorn chips were my absolute favorite of the bunch. Cashews, lemon juice, chickpea miso, beets, chia seeds, Himalayan sea salt, pink peppercorn and hibiscus flowers made such a delicate, peppery chip. The mouthwatering zing of lemon juice brightens all the flavors and the faint floral note from the hibiscus is lovely. The addition of beets adds such a pretty, pink hue to the chips… these would be gorgeous in a serving bowl for a party (or baby shower!).
• Perfectly Plain – The ‘Perfectly Plain’ chip really wasn’t all that plain – pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, chia seeds, EVOO, and Himalayan crystal salt added a lot of flavor to these chips, really bringing out the flavor of my beloved green… kale. The tartness of the lemon juice really paired well with the natural bitterness of kale. Although there’s no vinegar, the combo was so bright and acerbic; I reached for these in place of my usual salt & vinegar chips.

Check out their full selection of flavors and order a few bags for yourself at shop.kaiafoods.com.

^{Disclaimer: Complimentary samples were provided complimentary to PhoenixBites for review purposes. However, this has no effect on our comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.}