My friends and I love Barnana's banana snack products. If you love bananas, then you'll love these snacks, too. They're great on the go. Whether you're in a rush in between classes or can hear your stomach grumble as your airplane takes off, these snacks won't let you down. Not to mention that Barnana is a brand with a mission to end food waste while also making sustainable, organic, and healthy products. So, when the opportunity to try more of Barnana's snack products presented itself, I just couldn't refuse, and I had to share my thoughts.
What is Barnana?
Barnana makes the sustainable, organic nature of its snacks a priority, and you can find their products both online and at major grocery stores like Whole Foods. The brand upcycles organic bananas in an effort to decrease food waste on banana farms. According to the Barnana website, 20 percent of bananas never leave the farm because they are deemed to be "not perfect." Barnana has upcycled over 13 million kilograms of bananas through its snack products.
The website also states that Barnana has partnered with indigenous farming villages in the Amazon Rainforest in order to help these farmers certify their crops as organic. In addition, Barnana has received international grants, allowing it to help build water wells in these villages.
And, if that wasn't enough to make you super excited about these banana snacks, the Barnana packaging also contains cut-outs for Barnana Gorilla Gear. Each cut-out is worth one point. If you collect 50 points worth of cut-outs, then you can either get Barnana gear or donate the cost of the gear to protect gorilla habitats through the World Wildlife Fund.
Taste test: Dark Chocolate Organic Chewy Banana Bites
Price: On the Barnana website, you can purchase a three-pack of this snack for $14.99. If you subscribe, you can choose how frequently you'd like these snacks delivered, and you'll save 10 percent on your purchase.
Nutrition: There are 2.5 servings in one bag. Each serving contains 180 calories, 10 milligrams of sodium, four grams of fiber, and 15 grams of sugar (only three of which are added).
Ingredients: Organic fair trade dark chocolate, organic bananas, organic tapioca syrup, organic gum arabic, and natural glaze.
Taste: I love dark chocolate, and I definitely love these banana bites. I'd compare the taste to chocolate chip banana bread, but the texture is completely different. These banana bites are perfectly chewy. Imagine a chocolate covered raisin, but better. Not to mention the fact that Barnana also makes a miniature version of this product. The one-serving, snack-size bag is perfect for those on-the-go moments and can fit easily in a purse or back-pack. These smaller, one-serving bags also provide a helping hand in portion control, which is especially useful because, trust me, you'll want to finish the whole bag.
Taste test: Peanut Butter Organic Chewy Banana Bites
Price: As with the Dark Chocolate Banana Bites, a three-pack of the Peanut Butter Banana Bites costs $14.99, and you save 10 percent if you subscribe. The banana bites come in other flavors, including Tropical, Peanut Butter Cup, Coconut, and Original.
Nutrition: There are 2.5 servings in one bag of the Peanut Butter Banana Bites. Each serving contains 180 calories, 110 milligrams of sodium, two grams of fiber, and 16 grams of sugar (four of which are added). This product is also available in smaller, one-serving snack bags.
Ingredients: Organic peanut butter coating, sea salt, organic bananas, organic soy lecithin, and natural glaze.
Taste: I'll be honest, I didn't actually try these banana bites. I don't like peanut butter, so I didn't think I'd be a fair judge of this product. I asked my roommate to try it instead, and she loved it. She complimented the banana-to-peanut-butter ratio and really enjoyed the chewy texture of this snack. Overall, she said she was pleasantly surprised by the flavor profile and texture. In fact, she kept the bag so that she could continue snacking on these banana bites throughout the week.
Taste test: Organic Ridged Plantain Chips
Price: I specifically tried the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Plantain Chips, but there are four flavors of Plantain Chips. The other three include Brazilian Barbecue, Acapulco Lime, and Sea Salt & Vinegar. On the Barnana Website, a three-pack of chips costs $14.99. You save 10 percent if you subscribe.
Nutrition: There are five servings of plantain chips per bag. Each serving contains 140 calories, 135 milligrams of sodium, and no sugar.
Ingredients: Organic plantains, organic coconut oil, organic Himalayan pink salt.
Taste: I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious taste of these chips. When I asked my friend to try them, she compared them to a thicker, less salty, and healthier version of a Ruffles chip in the best way possible. In my opinion, the chips are salty enough to satisfy those salty cravings, but the salt isn't overwhelming. Think of it as a fried, unsweetened banana. Or don't. The flavor profile is difficult to describe, and I'd definitely recommend trying these chips for yourself.
Taste test: Dark Chocolate Organic Crunch Banana Brittle
Price: The Banana Brittle comes in four flavors, including dark chocolate (which I tried), gingersnap, peanut butter, and toasted coconut. As with the other products, a three-pack costs $14.99, and you can save 10 percent if you subscribe.
Nutrition: There are 3.5 servings in one bag of Barnana Banana Brittle. One serving contains 140 calories, 100 milligrams of sodium, two grams of fiber, and 11 grams of sugar (five of which are added).
Ingredients: Banana puree, gluten free oat flour, coconut palm sugar, chocolate chips, almond flour, coconut oil, coconut cacao powder, banana flavor, tapioca starch, sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract.
Taste: I should warn you that this snack is very addicting. Both the chocolate and banana flavors shine through, and I don't think that one overpowers the other. It tastes a bit like cereal or granola. I definitely recommend breaking up the brittle and adding a bit of it to yogurt. I think it's a delicious combination and makes for a great snack. If I had to choose between the Banana Brittle and the Dark Chocolate Organic Chewy Banana Bites, I'd personally prefer the dark chocolate bites, but I think it's just a matter of preference, especially when it comes to texture. Honestly, it also depends on your mood. Both options taste great, so I'll let you pick your favorite.
All in all, Barnana has lots of delicious, sustainable, and organic banana snacks to choose from. If you're looking for a new snack brand to spice up your life, then maybe Barnana is the brand for you. With so many health benefits in bananas themselves, it's definitely worth exploring all that the banana world has to offer. I know I'm excited to look up more banana recipes to explore their full potential.