Branch Out… but avoid this!
Why must we continually take something spectacular and turn it into revolting? Sometimes the way nature intended should remain the way nature intended: avocados.
It’s been quite awhile since we’ve vehemently disliked a product, but at first taste, we were turned off from snacking on dried and seasoned avocados by Branch Out. This product destroys everything good about an avocado—the delicate, buttery, fresh flavor notes—and instead gives you an unpleasant, pungent, chemical-like ting that offers no definitive flavor profile.
It’s likely more disappointing because we were hopeful to find a snack with decent ingredients, healthful fats, and not fried. Ugh! IMBHO-no, no, no!
There are always redeeming qualities and we did find a few. The thickness of the avocado was good—not too thin, but thin enough to provide a slight crunch with a delicate bite. There was some breakage in the bag, but it wasn’t terrible, except toward the bottom where pieces were small. And the ingredient list didn’t ring any alarm bells.
So what caused the displeasure in taste? We’re not sure. Maybe the limes used were not ripe or one of the many powders used was tainted. Or, and most likely, one of the ingredients went rancid. A good whiff of the bag and our money is on rancid. Who knows. At this point, though, it doesn’t matter. We won’t be going back for more.
If you so choose, you can purchase Branch Out products on the company website (four 6 oz bags for $19.99—3 avocados per bag). Other products include banana bites, pineapple chips, and powders (avocado, blueberry, and banana). The powders are interesting and could be useful in a daily smoothie, but we’re not trusting the quality at this point, so we’ll pass. If you’ve tried one of the powders and liked it, please leave a comment and let us know.
We do like what we see with the company—a family-owned business located in Oregon. Their intent was to create plant-based products that incorporate good fats into healthy snacks. The dehydration process they use is near perfect, based on the texture of the avocado “chip”, but darn the other ingredients that spoiled the eating experience.
Perhaps it will take longer, but we think growing your own avocados will provide you with a more nutritious and tasty snack. Watch the videos below to learn more. Thanks, Emma! :)
