Beanitos White bean Mac n cheese crunch: These corn-alternative snacks have an irregular crunchy texture with a similar size to puffed Cheetos. The Mac n Cheese flavor is just a marketing spin on cheddar (more on an actual cheese puff whose flavor resembles boxed Mac and cheese in a forthcoming review). They have a slightly less neutral taste than regular corn puffs, with an aftertaste that resembles wheat snacks. Not bad, but not particularly memorable. 3.0/5.0
junkfood cheese cheddar cheesepuffs beanitos white bean mac n crunch 3.0
365 Mini cheddar crackers: Surprisingly salty mini cheese crackers from Whole Foods Brand 365. Still, if you’re looking for an organic alternative to Ritz, this may be it. 3.0/5.0
365 mini cheddar crackers 3.0
Saffron Road White cheddar chickpea crisps: Chips with an irregular texture reminiscent of Popcorners, with muted confetti-colored “splotches” indicative of the vegetables used to flavor it (green for peas, orange for sweet potatoes, and red for lentils). While I liked the sharp cheddar powdered flavoring that coats the chips, the combination of vegetable with cheese is a little odd and doesn’t quite come together. Purchased from Whole Foods. 3.0/5.0
chips veggie wholefoods saffronrose white cheddar chickpea crisps 3.0
Annie’s Organic white cheddar bunny tail puffs: I haven’t purchased boxed mac and cheese since I graduated from school, but I’m not ashamed to admit that this cheap and quick staple was a regular in my pantry all throughout college and grad school. I generally preferred the white cheddar kind, like the white cheddar shells from Trader Joe’s and the Yummy Cheese flavor from Annie’s. Recently, I found that Annie’s is actually owned by General Mills, which gave me some pause when considering whether to purchased this snack. But given how muc... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cheese cheesepuffs annies orange white cheddar bunny tail puffs 4.0
Luke's Organic Cheddar Lightning Bolts: In the same way that clouds can resemble animals, these completely-normal-shaped crunchy cheese snacks require a certain level of imagination to see them as lightning bolts. The powdered cheese has a milky quality, with less of the intense savoriness of Cheetos and more of a sour cream flavor. It's not bad but also not particularly good, like organic boxed mac and cheese brands that are still trying to taste like Kraft. If you are looking for a "grown up" version of cheese snacks, there a... (read more) 3.0/5.0
cheese organic lukesorganic cheddar lightning bolts 3.0
The Laughing Cow White Cheddar Babybel Cheese: I miss those Laughing Cow mini cubes, readily available in the dairy aisle of the local supermarket in the 90s and even obtainable when traveling in Taiwan as a child. But I haven’t seen them in many years, except for in Canada where they still seem to be sold and in the UK, which I only know because there was a recent British ad campaign I found on YouTube. All we have left in the US are the wedges of spreadable cheese and the classic Babybel rounds, snackable cheese covered in red wax. Sof... (read more) 3.0/5.0
thelaughingcow white cheddar babybel cheese 3.0