Bonnie: For my job as a food product reviewer (Supermarket Sampler), I taste and write about the new products you’ll find on your grocers’ shelves, most of which I would never think of putting in my grocery cart. As you may have gathered from reading this blog, I like to cook, preferring my food without all the added chemicals in most convenience foods.

That said, I need to share with you some news about how our food giants — usually steeped in chemical additives — are adding all-natural snack lines to their lineups. I like that. Take Frito-Lay’s Miss Vickie’s line of snacks, originally from New Lowell, Ontario, Canada. “Nothing artificial, and of course, zero grams of trans fat” touts each package. Vickie (the real Miss Vickie) and Bill Kerr began cooking their farm-grown potatoes in small batches about 20 years ago; the result is a tale similar to the origins of Cape Cod Potato Chips that began in Hyannis, MA, with Steve and Lynn Bernard.

If you look at the small print on the back of the bags, you’ll notice the Frito-Lay name. I’m guessing it’s so tiny because, in most of our minds, the Frito-Lay brand doesn’t equate to chemical-free, all-natural snacks.

Yet.

I like that Miss Vickie’s Simply Sea Salt Potato Chips are crunchy, flavorful and not too salty — similar to Madhouse Munchies, which contains 1 gram more total fat, but 0.5 grams less saturated fat. Either is a good chip choice. The Hand Picked Jalapeño is my favorite of Miss Vickie’s flavored chips, with its enjoyable, spicy bit of heat that’s not at all overwhelming (at least to me).

But the chips I’d really like to tell you about are Miss Vickie’s Nine Grain Simply Salted Chips. They’re multigrain chips made from corn, wheat, triticale, oats, rye, barley, sunflower seed, millet, buckwheat, flax seed and brown rice. I like that it’s a blend of all those grains and seeds. Perhaps in its next incarnation, it can contain more than the 4 grams whole grains it now has. Try it in place of tortilla chips or crackers with your favorite dip or cheese.

Bryan: There is just something special about potato chips. Though we have reviewed different versions of this ubiquitous snack food on Bite of the Best, and we very well may do so again in the future, I must say that we continue to top ourselves with the newest and most interesting products. Our most recent addition to the site is no different; Miss Vickie’s is truly one of the best chips I’ve ever had!

I was recently met with a rainbowed array of snack bags as I opened the newest case of food to arrive at my door; Miss Vickie’s chips in an overwhelming variety of interesting flavors. I am a sucker for anything “kettle” and these chips certainly seemed as though they wouldn’t disappoint. I immediately headed to my fridge and made a thick turkey sandwich so I could properly test these little morsels. (What else would you really enjoy chips with?) I stood in my kitchen, sandwich plate in hand, deliberately weighing my mood and the lineup of new flavor selections laid out in front of me. I reached for the jalapeño and then stopped, my Salsalito (spicy) turkey sandwich called for something more cooling. I avoided the Buttermilk Ranch, as I always seem to be overwhelmed by ranch. I wanted something more certain for a first impression. My fog cleared and the Country Onion with 3 Cheeses came through the proverbial mist, I was ready to eat.

These chips are simply high quality: great crunch, powerful (yet not overwhelming) flavor and not too ghastly on the nutritional value either. (I mean, these are potato chips we’re talking about.) As time progressed, I sampled all the varieties (even the Buttermilk Ranch) and was continually impressed by the depth of flavor and the unique twists on old favorites. I was even more surprised when I was told that these wonderful chips are actually a “microbrand” of Frito-Lay. I am pleased to report that the ‘big boys’ are churning out quality product. Keep it up!

Eric: I have to agree with my mother in that I was pleasantly surprised to see that a food conglomerate had added an all-natural chip to its product line. There are plenty of potato chips on the market, and regardless of whether they’re kettle-cooked, baked, roasted or simply fried, I imagine that the majority of consumers (myself included) are looking for the healthiest alternative. Recently, and quite successfully, I’ve been trying to curb my habit of snacking. This was until I was introduced to the line of Miss Vickie’s chips.

My mother touts the Nine Grain chips and the Simply Sea Salted as being her favorites – and out of the six varieties, they’re not bad picks. I, on the other hand, prefer (and have become addicted to) the Kettle Corn and Creamy Buttermilk Ranch varieties. I used to think good-tasting “healthy” chips had become more or less the unicorn of the snack world, something we all wanted to believe in but that just wasn’t real. Nowadays, I’m happy to see there is at least more than once choice out there.