Bada Bean Bada Boom
Think corn nut, only not corn, but fava bean (a.k.a. broad bean) and you’ll know how the Bada Bean Bada Boom (BBBB) bean snacks crunch. There is one major difference, though, and it’s in the grainy texture you get when you chew one of these beans. It’s just not as pleasant as a corn nut. But several of the flavor profiles were very good, which created some interesting banter during our taste test.
Starting on a high note, the buffalo wing and zesty ranch flavors earned top honors. There is also a spicy wasabi flavor available (but we didn’t have it on hand), and based on the buffalo wing spice, we think it might also be a winner. The sweet onion & mustard had mixed reviews, but overall seemed on the sweet side with not enough mustard punching through.
Finally, nacho cheeze… this is the flavor profile that took a hit. Only one person liked it. We think it’s because these snacks are vegan, so trying to make something taste like cheese without using real cheese, it just didn’t happen. (Our resident helper, Quinn, thought she might like these, but gave it one sniff and left the bean on the floor.)
Nutritionally, there are plenty of good things to say about BBBB, with 6 grams of protein, 14 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber per serving. The website denotes 7 grams of protein and 5-6 grams of fiber, but none of the products we purchased indicated protein or fiber content this high.
These beans are gluten free, vegan, non-GMO, nut free, soy free and kosher. The crunch is satisfying, and sunflower oil is used in the recipe, along with other seasonings and spices.
Unfortunately, the website for BBBB doesn’t give any information about the company, but we researched and found out Michael Shoretz founded Beyond Better Foods in 2012, and BBBB falls under this umbrella. LinkedIn had some good information.
Beyond Better Foods appears to caught in a lawsuit around negligent misrepresentation of its Enlightened brand “ice cream”. (You can read more about that here.) And Cloud10 also falls under the Beyond Better Foods umbrella, with high-protein krispy rice & marshmallow snacks (think Rice Krispie treats).
Looks like Michael Shoretz has his hands full, but we think he’s trying to innovate traditional snacking with more healthful options and we give that an IMBHO-yes.
To order BBBB, visit the website. You can also order on Amazon.
