RIND Snacks Are the Delicious Fruit Chips That Let You Eat the Peel

As someone who is frequently indulging in unhealthy snacks (whether for work or just because I'm craving something yummy), I also make an effort to seek out good-for-me treats that aren't a chore to eat.

Dried fruit has become a go-to of mine, though the cheap stuff is often crammed with preservatives, and the "pure" fruit treats are often expensive and packed into a tiny bar that tastes great, but might not be enough to satisfy. But the folks at RIND Snacks do things a little bit differently.

The brand's slogan is, "Keep it real. Eat the peel," because all of their dried fruit snacks keep the peel on in order to maintain all of the natural goodness of the fruit. The brand offered to send me a bag of each of their unique flavors to try, and after sampling them all, I can say they're on to something good.

The Brand

While most dried fruit brands remove the peel and rind to make the snacks more "palatable" to consumers, the folks at RIND Snacks leave them on to keep their flavor and all of the goodness contained inside. In fact, it's the peel that's most packed with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, so keeping it on makes a more nutritious snack that's less wasteful—and that's better for you and the planet. According to the brand, 15% of the food wasted every year is discarded in the form of edible peels.

RIND makes both chewy dried fruit and crunchy fruit "chips," and the only ingredients in the bags are dried fruit. The bags are sold in three-packs for $18.99 each, while chips and chewy variety packs of six are sold for $34.99 each, and shipping is free on orders over $20.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

The Products

Apple Chips

I've eaten lots of apple chips in my life, so I wasn't expecting anything too special from RIND's take on the classic, but I was in for a big treat. These chips were crisp and crunchy, without being too hard, and had the perfect amount of sweet apple taste in every bite. Even better, I didn't even notice that the skin was left on. It was smooth and didn't interfere with the eating experience at all, and even after eating the entire bag, I didn't feel guilty because I knew there were all kinds of good stuff inside.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Coco-Melon

I have to admit I was a little bit hesitant about the Coco-Melon dried fruit at first. This bag combines dried watermelon (which feels like an oxymoron) and pieces of crispy dried coconut—both with the peel on. The chewy pieces of dried watermelon were a pleasant surprise with the rich, summery flavor of watermelon concentrated in each bite, and the coconut pieces were probably the tastiest dried coconut I've ever had, even with a thin layer of brown skin on them—and I don't love coconut!

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Kiwi Chips

I don't eat a ton of kiwi because the fresh fruit makes my mouth itch (maybe I'm allergic?), and I was curious to see if the same would be the case for these kiwi chips. After eating a few crispy handfuls, I found that I didn't have a problem with these crispy, tangy and craveable kiwi chips, even with the fuzzy skin on. They were delicious, and I couldn't get enough.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Straw-Peary

RIND's Straw-Peary chewy mix combines chewy dried strawberries, Bosc pear slices and soft red apple into one munchable mix. Perhaps this was just my experience, but I found that the strawberries all sank to the bottom of the bag, so the first half of the experience was primarily apples and pears, but this wasn't a problem at all. Those two fruits were both ultra-satisfying, and when I finally got to the bottom and was able to interrupt them with more concentrated sweet and tart strawberries, the ratio was perfect. If anything, the mix could use more strawberries, but I'm not complaining.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Orange Chips

RIND's Orange Chips take cross-sections of sweet oranges and dry them to crisp perfection to turn them into chips. While I'm very into the RIND ethos of leaving the peel on, it doesn't entirely work for me here. I can eat a number of orange slices with the peel on, but it's not long before the bitter, almost spicy taste starts filling my mouth and overwhelming everything else. That's not a flavor I love, and I'm very guilty of just eating the fleshy part of the orange and discarding the peel. Sorry, RIND!

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Orchard

RIND calls their Orchard mix of persimmons, peaches and apples their "version of a PSL," and for good reason. It combines all kinds of great fruity fall flavors in one place and it tastes great. Persimmon may not be my favorite of the dried fruits, as the flavor is a little bit mild for me, but I especially loved the juicy dried peaches in this bag, and dried apple is always a welcome addition, in my book.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Tropical

Last but not least is the Tropical mix, combining bittersweet orange slices with pineapple rings and tangy kiwi for a beachy mix. Before you ask, no, the pineapple doesn't have the skin on, but it is super juicy and full of flavor. Even in this chewy form, I found the kiwis easy to eat, but with the chewy oranges, I found it even tougher to eat the peel. The bitterness was too much for me, and again I discarded the majority of the peels, but at least I tried.

(via RIND Snacks)

 

Bottom Line

Whether you're mostly a lover of fresh fruit or are all about the dried stuff, you should definitely give RIND a try. I love that their snacks consist of just dried fruit and no other unnecessary ingredients, and that they're being conscientious and healthy by keeping the peels on all of their snacks. The only fruit I didn't like the skin on was the oranges, and I bet a lot of people out there will disagree with me. Otherwise, they're a tasty and easy snack I love to turn to when I want something that's good for me, and I'd definitely buy from them in the future.

 

Curious about dried fruit that gives back? Click HERE to learn all about Jali Fruit Co. and how they empower women.