I’m new to plant-based eating when it comes to dairy alternatives, so when I saw The Honest Stand’s dairy-free, mild nacho dip in my local Whole Foods, I wanted to give it a try. Before I made the purchase, I had to look at the ingredients. I’m not a big soy fan, which has no flavor or qualities that I like necessarily, so I was happy to see this nacho dip was made from cashews. I can get behind cashews.

The label was very clean, too, mostly organic ingredients of potatoes, cashews, carrots, onions, tomatoes, green chilis, vinegar, sea salt and jalapenos. I wish every label I read had ingredients like this.

If I had gone into this thinking cheese (there is no statement on the package claiming it’s a non-dairy cheese), then I might have been disappointed, but I went into the tasting with a dip in mind. To this end, I was quite happy with both flavor and texture (though it does look a bit like mustard). Don’t expect a perfectly creamy texture, but it’s not grainy or unpleasant; it’s just not cheese.

Because this is a dip and not cheese, there are 2 grams of carbs per serving size (2 tablespoons). Because of the carb content, I won’t be using it to top a plate of nachos (using low-carb Quest protein chips), because that would take at least ½ of the 9-ounce container, but I will use it sparingly instead. Regardless, I will be purchasing again and give a great big IMBHO-yes!

The Honest Stand (in plants we trust) company was created out of necessity, with co-founder Alex being diagnosed with Celiac disease and discovering she was allergic to one of the main proteins in dairy. The company first introduced its products at a small farmer’s market in Denver, Colorado and now you can find their products across the US. It’s a great story about entrepreneurs who worked diligently to solve a problem and now have created some tasty, healthy dairy alternatives.

Be sure to visit The Honest Stand’s website for more information on their other products, read more about how they started, and support their great company. And be sure to tell them IMBHO sent you!