Thursday, July 24, 2014

Fruity, Not Milky Or Nutty, Blue Diamond Strawberry Almonds (Mostly) Satisfy!


The Good: Good flavor, Fairly nutritious.
The Bad: Not really that fruity, Environmental impact of the packaging
The Basics: The Strawberry Over Roasted Almonds from Blue Diamond might not be the most realistic flavored, but they are enjoyable.


Now that I am no longer stuck at a horrible night job where I get most all of my food in bar form, I am discovering that I enjoy exploring other foods once again. In the case of some snack foods, it is exciting to me that some of them are actually enjoyable to me, as opposed to a form of simple sustenance. That has led me back to a lifelong love affair with nuts. Tonight, that finds the form of Blue Diamond Strawberry Oven Roasted Almonds.

Despite suddenly being reminded how much I love nuts of various types, as a reviewer, I found myself in a more neutral than impressed place when it came to Blue Diamond’s Strawberry Almonds. They are tasty, for sure, but they are not overly accurate for replicating the flavor of strawberries.

Basics

Blue Diamond Strawberry flavor Oven Roasted Almonds are a ready-to-eat snack that combines fruit and nut flavors and the result is a sweet snack, not a nutty one. Packaged in a 1.5 oz. plastic tube which is a single serving, the Oven Roasted Almonds are well protected. After pulling apart the top seal, consumers have access to the almonds that are dusted with a powder that gives them their Strawberry flavor. Each tube represents a single serving.

Outside their light pink frosted appearance, the Strawberry Oven Roasted Almonds look just like ordinary almonds.

Ease Of Preparation

These are roasted nuts, so preparing them is as easy as opening the bag/tube they come in and consuming them. There is no trick or work needed to eat Strawberry flavor Oven Roasted Almonds.

Taste

The Strawberry Oven Roasted Almonds smell very nutty without truly hinting at the strawberry flavoring that is powdered onto it. There is only the most vague fruit scent to some of these almonds; otherwise the buttery, nutty scent to the almonds dominates the aroma that comes out of the bags of these almonds.

On the tongue, the sweetness of the strawberry almonds overcomes the nutty, buttery, or dry flavor that many almonds have. Instead, there is a light fruity flavor that is sublimated to the sugary flavor of the almond’s coating. While the strawberry flavor might not be the most exceptional, it effectively breaks up the flavor of almonds and allows consumers to forget they are eating something healthy.

There is no dry or buttery aftertaste to these almonds. Instead, they leave the mouth with a sweet aftertaste that is nice. The aftertaste lasts only about five minutes after one has finished consuming them.

Nutrition

Blue Diamond Strawberry Oven Roasted Almonds are fairly healthy, despite the sugary coating! A serving is considered 43 grams which is an ounce and a half. With the standard recommended serving size, the nuts have 18 grams of fat! That's 28% of the RDA of fat, with 7% of the RDA coming from the one and a half grams of saturated fat! While there is 10% of the RDA of calcium and eight grams of protein, these do not have an incredible range of nutrients in them. In addition to potassium (260mg) and a surprisingly low amount of salt (only 35 mg sodium!), these nuts have iron, Vitamin E, and Magnesium, but no other vitamins and minerals.

The ingredients list for these Strawberry flavor Oven Roasted Almonds is fairly short as well. Blue Diamond Strawberry almonds are made primarily of almonds, sugar and natural strawberry flavor. There is nothing unpronounceable in these nuts.

Storage/Clean-up

Just as with the preparation, Blue Diamond Strawberry flavor Oven Roasted Almonds are low stress when it comes to storage and cleanup. Storage is simple when the nuts are kept in their tubes at room temperature or cooler. Kept sealed in their bags, these nuts would not expire until May 2015, though I doubt mine will last that long as I have been enjoying them.

Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Almonds are easy to clean up after as well. Simply wash your hands after eating to get any stray flavor dust off. There should be no other residue, but if there is, it may easily be wiped away with a damp cloth.

Overall

Blue Diamond Strawberry flavor Oven Roasted Almonds are enjoyable, but more generic in their sweetness and fruit flavor than truly embodying the flavor of strawberries. Even so, they are enjoyable and worth trying, especially for those looking for something that does not taste much like nuts and is healthier than Jordan almonds.

For other nut reviews, please visit my takes on:
Everybody’s Nuts Sweet Chili Pistachios
Planters Flavor Grove Jalapeno Pistachios
Planters Flavor Grove Vanilla And Caramel Almonds

6/10

For other food and drink reviews, please visit my Food And Drink Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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