Afternoon Snack Attack? Consider barbecue Snack A Jacks! (Quaker Snack A Jacks 'Barbeque' Rice & Corn Snacks)

Member Name: Ostinato

Product:	Quaker Snack A Jacks 'Barbeque' Rice & Corn Snacks
Date:	22/07/09 (54 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: healthy alternative to crisps, filling

Disadvantages: don't all taste as good as they could...some are better than others!

Ok, so can you tell I'm on a health kick at the moment?! This is my third Snack A Jack review recently, and I fear I might be becoming something of an addict!


~THE PACKAGING~

Snack A Jacks Barbecue rice and corn snacks come in a maroony-brown packet, with Snack A Jacks printed clearly and boldly on the front. There are a few pictures on the front of the product, and information telling me they are 6% fat. It also has the basic nutritional information on it. This packaging is similar to the rest of their current range, and it has a nice consistent feel to it.

The back of the packet again, consistent with other products in the range, contains more comprehensive nutritional information, the best before dates, contact information, and a "must-haves" section. This is just a little column on the left hand side of the packet, where a customer has suggested a must-have of theirs and why. Mine says "Designer belt...because if I need to tighten my belt, I might as well do it in style!" It also tells you the web address so you can suggest your own and that they "might just turn them into can-haves!"


~NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION~

Per Pack (26g);

Calories 106kcal
Sugars 2.2g
Fat 1.6g
(Saturates 0.2g)
Salt 0.4g


Not too bad, although I was a bit shocked initially at the 106kcal! Not far off a normal bag of crisps!


~OPENING THE BAG~

Opening, the packet, probably just a bit larger than a bag of crisps, and peering inside, I see bright burnt-orange coloured mini Snack A Jacks...pleasantly surprised, they actually look very similar to the image on the front!
As with other products, the bag is probably half full-ish, expected, especially as the rice cakes are bigger than crisps...mind you, so is the bag!

Looks like there is lots of "flavouring" on the Snack A Jacks, certainly more than I expected. It's a bit of an unnatural looking colour, but very similar to other barbecue crisps I've tried, so nothing that alarms me too much.

The smell, is somewhat barbecue reminiscent, quite a nice smell, but not overwhelming, and I was a bit disappointed after being so surprised with the chocolate popcorn smell.


~TEXTURE AND TASTE~

The Snack A Jacks are soft, but crispy, much like ordinary rice cakes, although, obviously being mini ones, they are thinner which makes them slightly more crisp comparable.

The taste is really quite nice, a smokey meaty flavour, although not as intense as I was expecting...though that's probably a good thing. Some of the Snack A Jack have more flavour than others, so I'd recommend maybe shaking the bag up a bit before opening it to see if that helps distribute it more evenly.


~OVERALL IMPRESSIONS~

Really, I was quite impressed with these as a savoury snack. They aren't my favourite in the range by any means, but they are good for curbing my crisp cravings mid-afternoon!
They felt quite filling, and certainly filled a hole to tide me over until dinner.
I'll definitely stick with these, and am considering trying them with a dip/salsa of some kind, to give them a bit of a twist.

Overall, I'd say they are worth trying, some people might find them a little bland, and I don't think they are the best Snack A Jacks has to offer, but they have a place in my cupboard as a healthy crisp alternative and I look forward to my next packet!

Summary: A good alternative to crisps, but not the best Snack A Jacks has to offer in my opinion