Is Brad's plant based original crunchy kale Halal?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a packaged food is Halal, we look for three main culprits: alcohol (often hidden in flavorings or vinegars), pork (gelatin, lard, enzymes), and non-Halal meat derivatives. Brad's plant based original crunchy kale is remarkably clean in these regards.

The base of the snack is simple: kale, sunflower seeds, and chickpea miso. The chickpea miso is a plant-based ferment consisting of rice, chickpeas, sea salt, water, and koji spores (aspergillus oryzae). Koji is a fungus used in fermentation and is entirely permissible. There is no alcohol involved in the fermentation process of this specific product.

Flavor comes from lemon juice, carrot, onion, garlic, and tomato. These are all whole, plant-based ingredients. The turmeric powder adds color without artificial dyes. Finally, the probiotic ganeden bc30 (bacillus coagulans) is grown on a medium of organic inulin (chicory root) and is not an animal-derived ingredient.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, Brad's plant based original crunchy kale is a powerhouse. It is low in calories but high in volume due to the dehydrated kale, which helps with satiety. The fat content comes primarily from sunflower seeds, providing healthy unsaturated fats and vitamin E.

Because the ingredients are mostly vegetables and seeds, the sugar content is naturally low (usually less than 1g per serving), making it an excellent snack for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. It also provides a modest amount of plant-based protein from the chickpeas and seeds. It fits well into a calorie-controlled diet or a low-carb lifestyle.