Helping you sort out the best healthy snacks for kids and adults
Category: Snacks
Subcategory: Healthy or Healthier
How does it Taste?
A distinct, briny aroma upon opening the bag is the first hint that 12Tides Organic Kelp Snacks is made from sea vegetables. Ocean essences are to be expected when the first ingredient is North American kelp. The scent acts to tantalize–the nose is the most important actor in sensing taste after all, as readers of Harold McGee’s Nose Dive know.
The chips, curled like a flip-flop left out in the sun, are sturdy, unlikely to crack when swiped through a sour cream dip. Blended with cassava and tapioca, the kelp does not overwhelm the flavor profile, acting more like a flavor enhancer. This crisp tastes like a thick-cut chip.
Seaweed Benefits
That brine translates to salt (some sea salt is also added), with a half of a snack size bag counting for 200 mg of sodium or 10% of the RDA. This seaweed also offers a nice boost of potassium, iron and calcium, for a happy heart, and iodine for a happy thyroid. FODMAP-friendly and gluten-free but not keto/paleo.
More Good Stuff
A certified B Corp, 12Tides balances profit with purpose. They source from regenerative ocean farms and support small-scale ocean farmers. The product is 100% plant-based. And the package is certified compostable in an industrial facility. It is safe to take to the beach or to the park. As a healthy snack for kids, 12 Tides Organic Kelp Chips is a good choice for heart-healthy minerals and sustainability.
Recommended Flavor
Sea Salt. Though the chip has a distinct kelp flavor, it is not overwhelming and is approachable for some children’s sensitive palates. For chip junkies, try Everything. It is garlicky enough to be reminiscent of your favorite Sunday morning bagel.
*I received a free sample of this product.
