Kids Cuisine

Do you snack?  I do, constantly.  So, I was very interested the facts I learned from information I received from Reserve Brands Inc and Eagle™ Snacks. Are you included in any of these percentages?

• “On any given day, 90 percent of Americans enjoy a snack, compared to only 75 percent who eat breakfast and 88 percent who eat lunch.
• A quarter of American adults (25 percent) often snack between meals.
• Americans spend more than $61 billion a year on snack foods.
• Nine our of 10 Americans savor salty snacks, which is a billion dollar industry ($21 billion annual U.S. sales).
• Women tend to indulge in more sophisticated and premium flavored snack foods and are open to trying new experiences that hold some familiarity.
• More than a quarter (26 percent) of adult women snack one or more times per week in their car.
• Nearly 25 percent of adult women’s total calories per day come from snack foods.
• Seventy percent of working women reported snacking between meals.”

Eagle™ Snacks have been around for a long time, since the ’70s.  Once a part of Anheuser-Busch, the company eventually sold Eagle™ Snacks to Reserve Brands Inc. Reserve Brands Inc. recently introduced Poppers™ and Bursts™ to snackers everywhere.  According to their maker, “Eagle™ Snacks’ Poppers are crunchy potato spheres with a zest-packed punch you will crave. Eagle™ BURSTS™ are delectable corn puffs that will tantalize your taste buds with their smooth flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture.” But, of course they have to say that.  What do non-company people think?  Fast forward to the taste test….

My initial thought, as I got home from the gym energized and famished, was to sit at my kitchen table and eat my way through each bag Eagle™ Snacks – Habanero Poppers™, Honey Barbeque Poppers™, Salt & Vinegar Poppers™, White Cheddar BURSTS™, and Caramel Dulce De Leche BURSTS™. However, I realized my opinion would be skewed since I am not a fan of hot/spicy foods or anything Barbeque. What to do, what to do… Middle School Taste Test!

I originally thought it would be neat to have kids participate in the taste test, but I think my boss might have questioned what middle school Georgia Performance Standard an Eagle™ Snacks taste test would fall under.  In the interest of preserving my job security, I enlisted the assistance of the office staff, a couple of teachers who were on their planning time, and one of my fellow administrators.  Interestingly , the opinions varied more than I predicted. The overall consensus is that we would enjoy eating at least one of the flavors again.  In general, thoughts were that, regardless of flavor, Poppers™ offered a great crunch, not greasy, and did not include so much spice coating that it was impossible to clean your fingers. Similar, but not as salty, as Munchos, each flavor had the right amount of “kick” for its individual taste.
Individually, thoughts were as follows:

Habanero Poppers™:  This is the only one that everyone liked and said they would purchase for themselves, or for an occasion. The spice was very evident and tended to hang out on your tongue for some time, but in a good way.  They were actually a bit addictive!  After the first few testings, the spiciness lead us to guide others to taste Habanero Poppers™ last.   One of the office ladies, who is Indian and includes spicy foods in her daily diet, loved them and was excited when I handed over the bag with the remaining Poppers™.
Honey Barbeque Poppers™: According to the comments, I surmised honey barbeque flavoring is a personal decision.  One teacher ooh’d and ahh’d while smiles and chewing prevented him from speaking and another thought the sweet /savory combo was on point.  Others thought they were too salty, to honey-y, and/or too sweet. Again… a bag of personal preference, I think.
Salt & Vinegar Poppers™:  Many of us proceeded with trepidation when it came to these, as previous experiences from other chip brands brought memories of overseasoned, greasy, salty chips that cause twitching eyes as the vinegar collides with taste buds.  Not these!  While several testers admitted Salt & Vinegar would never be the first grabbed off the shelf, the agreement was that the Poppers™ had the right amount of seasoning to prompt Salt & Vinegar lovers reaching for more.
White Cheddar BURSTS™:  These little bite size squiggles didn’t fare as well as the chips.  While I (selfishly) kept the Caramel Dulce De Leche BURSTS™ at home for me, my verdict mirrored those from the test.  An initial thought when everyone read White Cheddar was excitement.  Then once in our mouths, opinions quickly changed. The balance of cheddar flavoring was fine, although not as much as you may find on other popcorn brands.  But, the texture killed White Cheddar BURSTS™ for all of us.  The “melt-in-your-mouth texture” lead is to believe that if we ever ate styrofoam, this is what it would be like. The consistency was very odd, not like anything we had eaten before. Strangely enough, while none of us thought we would choose these at the store, we did keep eating them… and eating them… and eating them.  The Principal’s assistant said it perfectly,  “I don’t like these, but would find myself not able to stop sticking my hand in the bag wondering the whole time why I continue to snack.”

Nutrition content differed from bag to bag.  The calories were all around 160-170ish per serving, total fat from 9 to 13+ grams with 0% trans fat, and sugar was low.  Sodium varied greatly as the Salt & Vinegar Poppers™ had a whopping 670 mg, while the bursts had 290mg.

Glad I was able to try these.  The Poppers™ are a great size, around the same diameter as a quarter, only round – like a hollow waffle-like sphere, or oversized Rice Chex. I think kids would enjoy them.  I know I am looking forward to seeing if Eagle™ Snacks are in my grocer.   In the meantime, check out the website.