Tasty Lower Fat Snacks (Pringles Rice Infusions)

Member Name: owensmum

Product:	Pringles Rice Infusions
Date:	18/02/08 (243 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lower in fat than originals

Disadvantages: Less choice of flavours

I have and probably always will have a fondness for crisps. I particularly like crisps and dips. If in need any crisp will do but my favourites are Pringles and Tortilla Chips. Unfortunately the delicious taste of Pringles comes at a price - Fatter thighs! So imagine my delight at spotting a new product on the shelves from Pringles. This is what I am reviewing today.

Pringles Rice Infusions at first glance appear to be the same as traditional pringles. They come in the same trademark tall tub and are shaped the same as the traditional ones. This makes them ideal for my favourite pass time of dipping! The Rice Infusions boxes all have a black background with a coloured infusion across the front relating to the flavour. This contains the words Rice Infusions. The well known Mr Pringles logo with the moustache face is at the top of the pack. Under the coloured area is the name of the flavour and then under this a picture of the pringle with related ingredients behind. It then states 'Naturally Lower In Fat' at the bottom. The back of the tube contains all the nutrinal info and ingredients. An example of these I have listed further down in my review.

This range was originally available in four flavours:

Sweet BBQ Spare Rib, Sour Cream & Onion, Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion

Since these were introduced last year I have had the pleasure in trying all of these flavours and they are all delicious. My favourites are the BBQ and Salt & Vinegar.

As far as memory & my taste buds can tell me all the original flavourings are very similar to their traditional pringle equivalent. They do however have a slightly different texture to them due to the rice factor. I have just purchased on special offer at Morrisons two new flavours. These cost £1.48 and were buy one get one free. The new flavours are Red Paprika and Hot & Spicy.

I will however go into more detail of my experience of the Red Paprika flavour. To open the tub you first need to lift up the clear plastic lid. Under this is a peel back seal which reveals the pringles stacked up in the tub. The pringles are golden in colour and are all uniform in their size and shape so they stack together. Each crisp has a light dusting of an orangy red powder which is the paprika flavour. The crisps have a bubble like effect to their surface which I would guess is caused by the rice. When you bite into the crisps they are light, airy and make a crunchy sound. They are quite dry and the paprika flavour iis a very subtle taste. Although the taste is not offensive in anyway I was quite dissapointed as I expected this flavour to be a lot stronger.

The following information is taken from the Red Paprika flavour box. The Hot & spicy varied slightly in its nutrional values and the list of ingredients was just as lengthy.

Nutritional info per 100g: (Tub contains 160g)

488 kcal
5.6g Protein
59g Carbohydrates - 1.8g sugar
24g Fat - 7g Saturated
31g Fibre
0.71g Salt

Also printed on the tub is the corresponding Guideline Daily Amount for Adult Women. Goes to show who their market is! Also states they have 30% less fat than regular pringles. This is due to the Rice absorbing less fat during the cooking process.

~Ingredients~
Rice Flour
Vegetable Oil
Dehydrated Potatoes
Corn Flour
Moderated Rice Starch
Paprika Flavour (dextrose, yeast powder, flavour enhancers: Monosodium Glutamate, disodium guanylate & disodium inosinate, paprika powder, maltodextrin, olive oil, flavourings, garlic powder, paprika extract, lactose, milk protein)
Com Syrup Powder
Wheat Starch
Emulsifier
E471
Salt
Onion Powder
Stabilizer: Hydroxypropyl cellulose

The box states suitable for Vegetarians.

When I first discovered the Rice Infusions I stopped buying regular Pringles. This was until I noticed they had a new Prawn Cocktail flavour in the regular ones. So I may not be able to stick to these as prawn cocktail is my all time favourite flavour for crisps. Fingers crossed they continue to expand the rice infusions range and all flavours become available in both.

So do I recommend Pringles Rice Infusions?

Ooh Yes. But maybe not the Red Paprika flavour. Of the flavours available this is one I will probably not buy in future. Although the texture is slightly different to the originals they are just as tasty and as they are lower in fat they are a (and I use the term very loosely!) healthier option. They are often on offer and even at full price of £1.48 a tub I believe they are great value.

~Pringles Background~
Pringles world is available on the internet at www.pringles.com which then gives links to sites for various countries. The following facts were obtained from this site.

In 1956 the Pringles recipe and logo were created and went into production in 1964. This surprised me! Although they became popular in the Us in the seventies they were not introduced to the UK until the early 1990s. As well as Rice Infusions and the original Pringles, they are available in Minis, Light Aromas and Gourmet.

Summary: A lower fat alternative Pringle