Reviews: S’NOODS Crunchy Noodle Chips and HIPPEAS Protein Crunch

S’NOODS Crunchy Noodle Chips

S’NOODS is a line of gluten-free, vegan crunchy noodle chips that brings pasta-inspired shapes and globally influenced flavors into the snack aisle. With its recently upgraded packaging, avocado oil positioning, and playful character-driven branding, the line feels distinctive, highly snackable, and more polished than a typical alternative chip, though the noodle chip concept may still require some consumer education.

Things that stand out:

• The product concept is genuinely differentiated, using pasta shapes as the foundation for chips rather than simply offering another tortilla, potato, or puffed snack format.
• The three-SKU lineup delivers meaningful variety, with Cavatappi Carbonara leaning savory and rich, Spicy Miso Ramen offering heat and umami, and Rigatoni Basil Pomodoro bringing a bright tomato-forward profile. Plus, each pasta shape creates a slightly different crunch and eating experience across the line. All three varieties are absolutely delicious.
• The use of avocado oil and no seed oils gives the brand a timely better-for-you cue without making the product feel overly functional or health-driven.
• The packaging has strong shelf impact, with bold bag colors, oversized typography, and illustrated pasta characters that make the brand feel fun, modern, and memorable.

Things to consider:

• The noodle chip proposition is novel, but it may not be immediately intuitive for mainstream American snack consumers who are less familiar with pasta-based chips. That’s not a knock on the brand (it’s innovative and delicious), but just that we think the buildout of this will take some time.
• Flavor names like Carbonara, Spicy Miso Ramen, and Basil Pomodoro add culinary credibility, but the brand may need sampling or clear messaging to help consumers understand the eating experience.

Rating:

HIPPEAS Protein Crunch

HIPPEAS Protein Crunch extends the brand’s plant-based snack platform into a more protein-forward format with pea protein as the hero ingredient. There are two varieties, Pizza Party and Cheddar Vibrations, and both deliver familiar savory snack cues in a baked, better-for-you package. The 4 oz. bags are bright, playful and highly readable, with strong callouts for 8 grams of protein, avocado oil, gluten-free, non-GMO and dairy-free positioning. Between the two, Cheddar Vibrations is the more straightforward and broadly approachable option, while Pizza Party offers the more distinctive and memorable flavor experience.

Things that stand out:

• The packaging has strong shelf presence, using HIPPEAS’ signature yellow base, oversized logo and bold flavor-specific color blocking to create a clear and energetic look.
• Cheddar Vibrations delivers a classic cheese puff-style flavor that feels familiar and accessible, with a good crunch that helps the product land as a credible savory snack rather than simply a protein product.
• Pizza Party is the more dynamic of the two, bringing tomato, garlic, onion and spice notes together in a way that gives the flavor more depth and a nice pop of tomato.
• The finish on Pizza Party has a bit of zing, which gives it more personality and helps distinguish it from typical cheese or ranch-style better-for-you snacks.
• The front-of-pack claims are well organized and commercially relevant, especially the 8g protein per serving and baked pea protein snack positioning.

Things to consider:

• Cheddar Vibrations is pleasant but relatively conventional, so its success will depend heavily on whether consumers value the added protein and cleaner-positioned ingredient story.
• Pizza Party has more flavor complexity, but the added tomato and spice notes may make it slightly less universal than Cheddar Vibrations for repeat snacking.
• The number of claims and badges on the lower portion of the bag creates some visual density, which slightly competes with the otherwise clean and playful brand presentation.
• While the protein callout is compelling, the product still needs to be evaluated primarily as a snack, and the flavor execution is strongest when it leads with taste rather than function.

Rating: