What’s Inside: In this article, I do a deep dive into Augason Farms Banana Chips Vs. Nutristore Bananas. I compare the two products in several areas such as nutritional content, taste, shelf life, and more.
When I ordered the Augason Farms Banana Chips, I had high hopes. When I first served them to my family, they liked them. But when I looked at the nutrition label, there were some things on it that I wasn’t too thrilled about. The calorie count of the Augason Farms Banana Chips seemed high, but I know that bananas can be pretty fattening, so other than thinking I better not eat too much of them, I didn’t think much of it.
Since I’m always on the lookout for the best foods to add to my prepper pantry, I decided to order some Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas to see how they compare.
In this article, I will do a deep dive comparing Augason Farms Banana chips with Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas.
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Key Takeaways:
- Augason Farms Banana Chips have more additives and triple the calories compared to the Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas (Amazon) making Nutristore Bananas a healthier choice.
- Nutristore Bananas have a 25-year shelf life compared to the 10-year shelf life of Augason Farms Banana Chips
- Nutristore Bananas are sweeter and have a more intense banana flavor compared to Augason Farms Banana Chips.
Augason Farms Banana Chips Vs. Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas
In this article, I’ll do a thorough comparison of Augason Farms banana chips and Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas. I’ll compare the following aspects of each product:
- Ingredients
- Nutrition
- Taste
- Shelf life
- How to use the products
Nutristore Bananas
Spoiler Alert! If you want to get the full scoop on the difference between Augason Farms Banana Chips and Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas, keep reading. But if you’re in a hurry and simply want to snag the best bananas for your long-term food storage, compared to Augason Farms, Nutristore Bananas are superior in every way.
Augason Farms Vs. Nutristore Bananas Ingredients
Augason Farms
Nutristore
Let’s start off by comparing the ingredients in each of the products. The image above left is the ingredient label for the Augason Farms banana chips. As you can see from the image, Augason Farms banana chips have the following Ingredients:
- Dehydrated banana slices that consist of:
- Bananas
- Refined coconut oil
- Sugar
- Banana flavoring
The image on the above right is from Nutristore Bananas. As you can see, the Nutristore bananas have the following ingredients:
- Bananas
- Citric Acid
Let’s talk a bit about the difference in ingredients.
Right off the bat you can see that the Augason Farms banana chips have a lot of additives. I’m pretty disappointed in this because in general fruit that is dehydrated or freeze dried has plenty of sugar, without adding any additional sugar. So why add sugar? I’m assuming the coconut oil is to help crisp up the bananas – thus making them chips. I’d prefer it wasn’t there, but it probably is necessary for traditional banana chips.
The ingredient that concerns me the most in the Augason Farms banana chips is the addition of “banana flavoring” because what really is that? I’m assuming it’s some type of unnatural flavoring, and since bananas have plenty of flavor on their own, I’m not sure why it’s needed.
The ingredient list of the Nutristore bananas (Amazon) is much shorter, which is a good thing. You can see that the Nutristore bananas have just bananas, and citric acid.
I did a little bit of digging to learn the why behind the inclusion of citric acid. While I don’t have the inside scoop on that, I do know that citric acid is commonly used in canning and sometimes in dehydrating. It acts as a preservative, and can also keep fruit from discoloring.
Citric acid is generally considered safe, but according to this article on Healthline, some people are allergic to citric acid. It appears to be a rare problem, but it’s something to be aware of.
Nutritional Differences Between Augason Farm Banana Chips and Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas
Augason Farms
Nutristore
Now let’s compare the nutrition labels of the Augason Farms Banana chips and the Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas.
You can see from the images above that the serving size is ½ cup for both the Augason Farms Banana chips and the Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas. That’s about where the similarities end.
The most obvious, and most shocking difference between the two nutritional information lables is in the area of calories. Augason Farms banana chips has triple the calories of the Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas. This makes the Nutristore bananas the clear winner, right out the gate.
On top of that, when you look beyond the glaring difference in calories, you can see there are some other issues with the Augason Farms Banana chips. Most concerning to me are the 4 grams of added sugars (compared to 0 on Nutristore) and the 16 grams of fat in the Augason Farms banana chips compared to the 0 grams of fat in the Nutristore bananas (Amazon).
Augason Farms Vs. Nutristore Bananas Taste Test
While nutrition is a top priority for many of us when it comes to the food we store in our prepper pantries, taste also matters. While it’s true that during survival times, we may be happy to just have something to eat, taste is important. This is even more true for people like me who eat freeze dried food on a regular basis, rather than just storing it away for emergencies.
So, the big question is, how does the taste of the Augason Farms banana chips taste compared to the Nutristore bananas?
I would have to say that hands down, the Nutristore bananas (Amazon) taste better. Interestingly enough, even though the Nutristore bananas don’t have any added sugar, they are sweeter than the Augason Farms banana chips. They also have a stronger banana flavor compared to the Augason Farms banana chips.
Shelf life
According to the package labels, and the information on the company websites, the shelf life of the Augason Farms Banana chips is 10 years, and the shelf life of the Nutristore Freeze-Dried bananas is 25 years. Most likely the addition of oil to the Augason Farms banana chips is why the shelf life is so much shorter compared to the Nutristore bananas.
Bear in mind that the stated shelf life on each of the products is based on two factors:
- The cans being unopened
- Optimal storage conditions.
According to the label on the Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas, “to reach the maximum shelf life, store in a cool, dark, dry environment with temperatures ranging between 55 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit.” That is good advice for any type of food storage.
How to Use the Products
Another difference between Augason Farms Banana Chips and Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas is the way that you use them.
Both products make an excellent snack, straight out of the can. In fact, especially when it comes to the Nutristore Bananas, it’s hard to stop, once you start eating them.
The biggest difference when it comes to how to use the Augason Farms Banana chips compared to the Nutristore bananas is that, according to the label on the Augason Farms bananas, “Enjoy Banana Chips straight from the container. Do not rehydrate.”
In contrast, the instructions on the Nutristore bananas states, “Add 1 cup water to 1 cup Nutristore Bananas and soak until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Drain off extra water.” In my experience, it took more like 10-15 minutes for the Nutristore bananas to fully rehydrate, but once rehydrated, they had a similar taste and texture to fresh bananas. While I haven’t yet tried them in something like banana bread, I suspect they would work well in baking and other applications.
Powdering the Bananas
I haven’t yet powdered the Nutristore banans, but I know from past experience that freeze-dried products powder up beautifully. So if you want to add bananas to baked goods or smoothies without first rehydrating them, the Nutristore bananas should work well. It is also possible to powder Augason Farms Banana Chips, but since they are so hard, you’ll need a more powerful blender to blend them into a fine powder.
Conclusion
And the Winner Is. . .
Without a doubt, the Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas are superior in every way compared to the Augason Farms Banana Chips.
In conclusion, our comprehensive comparison of Augason Farms Banana Chips and Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas has revealed a clear winner. From ingredients to shelf life, Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas (Amazon) outperform their Augason Farms counterpart in every category.
While the Augason Farms Banana Chips may be a familiar choice for some, their high caloric content and inclusion of numerous additives make them a less desirable option. In contrast, Nutristore’s (Amazon) offering is lower in calories, free from unnecessary additives, and provides a natural, robust banana flavor that was favored in our taste test.
Moreover, the longer shelf life of Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas ensures you get more bang for your buck, providing a healthy snack option that will last.
Whether you’re using them as a snack straight from the can, a crunchy addition to your breakfast cereal, or as a sweet element in your baking, Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas prove to be versatile and superior in quality and taste.
In light of these findings, we recommend Nutristore Freeze-Dried Bananas (Amazon) as the better choice for those seeking a healthier, tastier, and more durable long-term food storage solution. With their natural sweetness and strong banana flavor, they’re sure to be a hit with the whole family.