Garbanzo Beans

Test date: June 2010

Tester: Michele and husband Marc

Products for this test purchased at Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, and Trader Joe's.

MICHELE'S OPINION: Although my favorite is the Trader Joe's product, the S&W and Private Selection are also really good. Although if you want to control your salt and additives intake, I'd stay away from the S&W product. Among all of these, the taste differences are so subtle that I recommend just buying whatever is the cheapest. Except for the 365 No Salt Added product. That one was just plain bad. Read on for more details on price, nutrition, and taste:

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 15OZ BEANS (store first, then brand):
$1.09 Trader Joe's brand
$1.00 Whole Foods 365 Organic
$0.95 Fred Meyer Private Selection
$0.89 Fred Meyer brand
$0.89 Whole Foods 365
$0.80 Fred Meyer S&W

1. S&W Garbanzo Beans: These beans have a natural taste and are not too salty tasting.

2. Fred Meyer Garbanzo Beans: I can taste the additives in this product. Oddly, they taste a little bit like there is a beef broth flavor added. This product has the saltiest taste of the bunch.

3. Private Selection Organic Garbanzo Beans: This product also has a nice, natural taste and is not too salty.

4. Trader Joe's Organic Garbanzo Beans: This product tastes a bit more earthy than the others. Otherwise, consistency is the same.

5. 365 Garbanzo Beans, No Salt Added: It is amazing how different this product tastes from the others with salt. This tastes much more watery and is just plain bland.

6. 365 Organic Garbanzo Beans: These taste more similar to the 365 No Salt Added product above than to its real competitor, the Trader Joe's Organic product. Trader Joe's organic has A LOT more flavor.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES: In terms of calories, the 365 non-organic product comes in at the lowest per 1/2 cup serving at 90, while the other products have 110 to 120 calories per serving. The 365 non-organic product is also the lowest in protein and salt, with 5g of protein per serving and 10mg of salt. The others all share 6-7g protein per serving, but vary widely in terms of the sodium content. The S&W and Fred Meyer products have the most salt at 460mg and 430 mg, respectively, while the 365 and Private Selection organic options come in pretty low with only 100mg or 120mg, respectively. Also, its interesting to note that the S&W and Fred Meyer products are the only two with 'extra' ingredients besides water, beans, and salt, such as calcium chloride and other things I can't pronounce.

TASTE WINNER: Trader Joe's Organic Garbanzo Beans