The Healthy Binge Makes Snacking Nutritiously Flavorful

Love snacking? Have a habit of munching on a few somethings between meals? Guilty?

What if we told you, there’s a crunchy, clean-ingredient snack that is packed with flavors, you’d look forward to snacking. In season two of Shark Tank India, Sharks Aman and Peyush invested in The Healthy Binge, a brand that manufactures baked snacks. To find out what got them investing in this brand, we ordered the assorted pack for our The Healthy Binge Crispies review. 

Can you guess our collective fav from the six?

All you need to know is explained in the table below. 

Because these are marketed as a nutritionally better snacking alternative, the nutrition quotient was a key parameter in our The Healthy Binge crispies review. We also gauged the taste and texture. Are these truly appetizing?

1. Taste

A snack, however healthy it may be, needs to be appetizing enough for you to actually munch on it. We answered questions like – 

• Does the flavor profile justify the flavor labels?
• Do these taste fresh?
• How bold are the spice mixes, and are they in sync?
• Can the millets be tasted or are the characteristic flavors masked off by seasonings?

Considering that not a lot of people like the taste of millets in munchies – the seasoning masking the innate taste might not be a bad thing. 

2. Texture

How crispy are these ‘crispies’? Do they have a bold crunch or a soggy bite? 

What does the texture say about the freshness of these snacks?

3. Nutrition Quotient

Here we scanned the ingredient list and the nutrition labels. How many calories does one serve offer? Is it too high, low, or just balanced? Are these favorably divided among the three macronutrients? 

The quality of ingredients- what fat source does this use? What is the main source of carbohydrates? The type of millets used?

4.  Other Parameters

The price, packaging, shelf life were recorded here.

Our detailed experience with all the six variants are explained below. 

Our Experience

The spice mix had coated all crispies generously and evenly. These were dome-shaped snacks, with a slightly cracked surface at the bottom. The crunch was intact, no complaints there. 

As for the flavor, Cajun Spice had that peppery heat with a noticeable kick at the back of the throat. What enhanced the flavors further was the thoughtful pairing of spice with oregano. We quite liked the flavors in this variant. 

Product Details

In a violet pack with a contrasting red font, we got 40 grams of these crispies priced at Rs 40/- These have a shelf life of six months. The main ingredients are  Jowar flour, Rice flour, Corn, Ragi flour, INS 170 (i), Vitamin E, Sunflower oil, Salt, spices and condiments, E551, INS330.

INS 170 (i) i.e calcium carbonate is a commonly used anticaking agent. E551 (Silica dioxide) is also an anticaking agent. INS 330 is a citric acid which is used as an Acidity regulator.

Our Experience

With an almost identical dome-shaped structure, this variant had a deeper, darker hue than the above variant. 

It showcased the warming pungency of garlic with a blend of desi masale. The spice mix was quite appetizing (slightly addictive as well). Like Cajun Spice, Masala Moringa had crisp bites. 

Product Details

This variant was packed in a similar pack with yellow font. The net quantity, price, and shelf life are identical to the above variant. 

 Jowar flour, Rice flour, Corn, Potato powder, Moringa powder, Emulsifier (INS170 (i)), Vitamin E, Sunflower oil, Salt, Spices and condiments, E551, INS 330 are the ingredients used in the making. 

Our Experience

The Classic Cheese Amaranth crispies had a cheese ball-like amber hue. This emitted a drool-worthy aroma of cheese and had a flavor equally tasty. The balance between cheese, spice, and salt was spot-on. 

Product Details

In a violet-green packing, we had 40 grams of Classic Cheese crispies priced at Rs 40/- with a six-month shelf life. The ingredients that go in the making are amaranth flour, jowar flour, rice flour, potato powder, natural mixed tocopherol, salt, sunflower oil, spices and condiments, INS 330.

What is tocopherol, why is it used?

Tocopherol is naturally-derived from olive oil and is also known as vitamin E. This pale yellow liquid is found in ingredients like sunflower, peanuts, walnuts, sesame, as well as dairy products and meat, eggs, cereals, etc.

This antioxidant has been deemed safe by the FDA and is commonly added in skin products like moisturizers, acne treatments, sunscreen, etc. 

Our Experience

Visually, these were like the other variants we reviewed from the range. As we opened the pack, we were welcomed by a desirable, smoky aroma. 

The flavors were a good balance between sweet and tangy notes, tied together with the innate smoky, woody, spiciness. The classic BBQ flavor was replicated quite well. 

Product Details

This variant was packed in the same pack with orange text. The price, quantity, and shelf life are exactly like the above variants. Quinoa flour, jowar flour, rice flour, potato powder, natural mixed tocopherol, salt, sunflower oil, spices and condiments, INS 330 are the ingredients used. 

Our Experience

As suggested by the name, this had a chatpata flavor profile. It was a flavorful mix of salty, spicy, tangy, sweet tastes. The sweetness was similar to that of a popular street snack- dahi papdi. It resembled the flavors of imli chutney (sweet + tang) and was lingering. The aftertaste was sweeter than expected, not undesirable, this was just a surprise. 

Product Details

The main ingredients here are jowar flour, rice flour, ragi flour, INS 170, natural mixed tocopherol, sunflower oil, salt, spices and condiments, INS 330.

40 grams of this variant retails for Rs 40 with a shelf life of six months. 

Our Experience

Right off the bat, this flavor variant is made for a specific audience. The shape of these puffs was noticeably different than the others. These were more rounded, as compared to the other dome-shaped crispies. Salted Caramel Jowar crispies had a softer crunch with a light, airy bite. The characteristic sweetness of caramel was well balanced out with salt. Kids would enjoy this as an evening munchy or a snack with a glass of milk. You could even add some to their lunch box. 

Product Details

50 grams of these pops are packed in a violet blue pack. This is priced at Rs 50/- with a shelf life of six months. The pack is not resealable.

Jowar flour, rice flour, corn, vitamin E, sunflower oil, salt, spices and condiments, INS 330, and natural and nature-identical flavoring substances are used. 

Here are some interesting FAQs on The Healthy Binge Crispies

Mishry had a lip-smacking experience with The Healthy Binge Crispies. These baked snacks are relatively lower in calories as compared to fried snacks, have an impeccable crunch, and the flavors are quite addictive. 

After reading our experience with six variants, which one would you try first?

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.