The Good: Taste good, Not as high in sodium or fat as I would have guessed, Inexpensive
The Bad: Exceptionally addictive
The Basics: Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries completely surprise me by being a salty snack that is not entirely bad for me!
I need to start eating healthy again. I have a month before my wife and I are reunited (at most!) and at this point, I am beginning to think she would not be able to identify me by my tummy if we did get together! Part of the reason I am currently concerned is that I have just eaten a full, 3 oz. bag of Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries.
I found the 3 oz. pack on sale for $1.00 a bag and I could not resist them at that price. What surprised me most about the Cheddar Fries was not how good they tasted, but how they were not nearly as unhealthy as I might have anticipated.
Basics
Andy Capp is a comic strip character and ConAgra has licensed the name to manufacture potato and corn fry products. A snack on their own, Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries are baked and crunchy, making them like many salty snacks on the market.
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries are a corn and potato snack. The 3 oz. package contained puffed potato and corn fries that were approximately 2 1/3” long by 5/16” wide and 3/16” thick. Each fry looks like a French fry, coated in orange powder with little chives periodically peppered upon them.
Ease Of Preparation
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries is a salty snack, so basically, one opens bag and starts eating them; there is no trick to eating these cheddar fries, though you might want something to wipe your hands with afterwards as these are a bit greasy.
Taste
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries smell surprisingly, delightfully, cheesy. As one who absolutely loves extra sharp cheddar cheese, I can instantly recognize the aromas of cheese and corn when I open the bag of Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries. Given how few foods that claim to be cheesy actually smell like the cheese they are supposed to embody, the fact that these Cheddar Fries do is a big point in their favor.
On the tongue, Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries have a more mild cheddar flavor. They, appropriately, have the tang of real cheese, but that flavor is augmented by salt and chives. They completely eliminate any flavor from the corn and most of the potato flavor (though that endures as an aftertaste). The combination of cheesy, salty, and chives blends in the mouth to nicely embody what one might expect from fries actually drenched in a spiced cheddar cheese sauce.
The Cheddar Fries do dry out the mouth and leave a lingering flavor of potatoes after the primary flavors have dissipated, so I recommend having something thirst-quenching on hand when eating these!
Nutrition
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries is a poor choice for balanced nutrition, though they are not as unhealthy as one might expect. A serving size is considered one ounce and there are three servings per bag (supposedly). In the recommended serving, there are 130 calories, 45 of which are from fat. This snack has 2% of one's daily recommended saturated fat intake, but only 15% of the RDA of sodium. On the plus side, there are two grams of protein and a gram of dietary fiber.
This is not Gluten-free, nor are Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries Kosher. This salty snack is made primarily of degermed yellow corn meal, vegetable oil, and dried potatoes. That makes it mostly natural, but it does have plenty of preservatives that are not natural. There is sugar in this as well, which might account for why they are so damned addictive!
Storage/Cleanup
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries have a decent shelf life; the ones I purchased this morning have an expiration date of February 27, 2013 (or, February 2713, but I’m betting the preservatives in this do not try quite that hard!). They are, however, gone already.
Cheddar Fries are a salty snack and these are particularly greasy. As a result, they discolor paper and will stain light fabrics. Cleanup of nonporous surfaces is as easy as wiping them with a damp cloth.
Overall
Andy Capp’s Cheddar Fries are surprisingly good and while they might not be good for you, they are not particularly bad, either. This makes them a decent once-in-a-while snack, but not a food one will want to try to live off of.
For other salty snacks reviews, please check out my takes on:
Totino’s Pepperoni Pizza Chips
Orville Redenbacher's Butter Gourmet Popcorn
Cheez-It Cheddar Jack Snack Crackers
7.5/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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