Hey all! MJ here.
This month’s topic: Chips CAN be a part of a balanced diet:
That’s right kids! I’m a huge proponent of non-deprivation with food (as you probably know by now). No food is off limits and that includes the oh so delectable, crunchy, flavor-filled chip! True story. I am writing about this because I prefer “snack foods” for a meal quite often, and I want you to feel this allowance as well. If I don’t want pasta, rice, tortilla, or other standard carb for dinner (and yes, they ARE whole grain), I’m having chips! I merely substitute. So, let’s talk about which chips are nutritious, why, and how to incorporate them in to a balanced diet if you so choose.
Beanitos Bean Chips: high in protein and fiber, most satiating chip, decent sodium content, and minimal ingredients! Currently my favorite chip out there Whole beans, like black and pinto, are cooked and mixed with rice to form these satiating buggers. And they don’t spike blood sugar levels due to the fiber and protein content, meaning you’ll feel fuller longer. Just a heads up, you might feel gassy due to the beans, but the more you eat them the less you might get those symptoms. Fiber works like that. You don’t need to add a protein with these chips, just some salsa (can be your vegetable serving!) and poof! Carb/protein combo.
Ingredients: Whole Navy Beans, Whole Grain Rice, Pure Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil, Guar Bean Gum, Sea Salt.
Serving size: 1oz/10 chips, 140 cals, 7g fat (0.5g sat fat), 0mg chol, 150mg sodium, 5g fiber, 4g protein.
Late July: 100% whole grain, non GMO, feel good company (donate 10% profits to children and the planet) Lightly salted & crunchy whole grains & seeds. This is a family operated company that has a heart and history. I like to feel good about my food so this one is high on the list for me.
Ingredients: Organic Ground Whole Corn, Organic Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil and/or Organic Expeller Pressed Safflower Oil, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Grain & Seed Blend (Organic Flax, Organic Millet, Organic Brown Rice, Organic Quinoa, Organic Amaranth), Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, Sea Salt.
Serving Size: 9 chips (28 g), Calories 120, Total Fat 4.5 g, Saturated Fat .5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 70 mg, Total Carbohydrate 18 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 0 g, Protein 2 g
Popchips: low calorie, light, natural ingredients, but watch the sodium in these Slices of potato are air-popped like popcorn—instead of deep-fried like traditional chips—to create these spicy, low-fat puffs. Neither baked nor fried, popchips “pop” a potato (thanks to a little heat, pressure, and magic) to bring you this flavorful snack chip. Popchips’ philosophy is to keep everything natural so you’ll find no fake colors, flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oil, or msg in any of their products.
Serving size: 1oz/20 chips, 120 cals, 4g fat (0g sat fat), 0mg chol, 290mg sodium, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Ingredients: potato ingredients (potato flakes, potato starch), sunflower, safflower, and/or canola oil, seasoning (sugar, whey, salt,onion and garlic powder, torula yeast, brown sugar, tomato powder, yeast extract, spices, natural flavors, natural smoke flavor, citric acid, paprika extract, paprika), rice flour.
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips: made from a vegetable (first ingredient!), highest in protein and great amount of fiber One of the world’s healthiest foods, kale gets surprisingly crunchy when dehydrated—and turns into guilt-free food with a variety of flavors. This chip will can be eaten alone without an added protein since it’s so high in it!
Serving size 1 oz, Calories 140, Total fat 7g, Saturated fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 190mg, Total Carbohydrate 12g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 3g, Protein 6g
Ingredients: All Organic- Kale, sunflower seeds, tahini (ground sesame seeds), onion, red bell pepper, apple cider vinegar, cane sugar, carrot, sea salt, garlic, lemon juice, chipotle powder
Baked Lentil Chips: low calorie, high fiber and protein, though higher in sodium These fiber-rich, low-fat chips are typically a hit amongst many. The serving size is a whopping 22 chips, I do warn to watch out for the relatively high amount of sodium.
Serving size: 1oz/22 chips, 110 cals, 3g fat (0g sat fat), 0mg chol, 250mg sodium, 3g fiber, 4g protein
Ingredients: bean flour (lentil and garbanzo), potato and or pea starch, potato fiber, high oleic sunflower oil, seasoning (whey, salt, lactose, cucumber powder, buttermilk solids, onion and garlic powder, sugar, spices, natural flavor, lactic acid, spice extract, potassium chloride.
Terra Sweet Potato Chips: low sodium, high healthy fat content, minimal ingredients, vegetable serving This chip contains veggies, whole grains, fiber, and a smidgen of protein. It’s hard to beat an entire serving of vegetables in one ounce of chips, especially ones as delicious. Of course you need to still eat whole vegetables, duh but you can’t deny the vegetable properties within them. While these root vegetable chips may have a higher calorie (due to the healthy fats) than the other chips reviewed, it’s ok if you allot for the calories being that they are nutrient dense calories. Another thing to check out is how low the sodium content is; just 10mg per serving. I am also smitten about the minimal ingredient list of sweet potatoes and oil (either canola, safflower, and/or sunflower). The simplicity of these antioxidant-rich chips made them catch my eye. Go Terra!
Serving size: 1oz/17 chips, 160 cals, 11g fat (1g sat fat), 0mg chol, 10mg sodium, 3g fiber, 1g protein
Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, beets, canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil
Food Should Taste Good, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips: organic wholesome ingredients, nutrient density from seeds, high fiber These corn chips, packed with nutritional superstars flaxseeds, sesame seeds and quinoa, are a great alternative to regular chips. You add this to some protein (try Texas Cavier from TJ’s), and you got yourself a carb/protein combo that’s super flavorable (spicy too!) and satiating. And it excites me that the ingredients are so clean!
Serving size: 1oz/10 chips, 140 cals, 7g fat (0.5g sat fat), 0mg chol, 80mg sodium, 3g fiber, 2g protein
Ingredients: Organic Blue Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/or Canola Oil, Brown Rice Flour, Flax Seeds, Cane Sugar, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Sea Salt, Quinoa, Rosemary Extract.
Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips, Sea Salt: Minimal ingredients, if you’re looking for that “potato chip”, mixes with anything If simple is what you want then these chips are it. I love that they keep the ingredient list short (just 3 ingredients: potatoes, sea salt, and vegetable oil) and use no artificial ingredients. Another bonus is the hearty serving size of 20 thick-cut potato chips as well as the 65% reduction in fat compared to traditional potato chips. Add some protein and you got the winning combo!
Serving size: 1oz/20 chips, 140 cals, 3g fat (0.5g sat fat), 0mg chol, 135mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein
Ingredients: Potatoes, olive oil, sea salt, natural flavoring.
Humbles: Minimal ingredients, good amount of protein, lower calorie, and wholesome Made from chickpeas and other all-natural ingredients, these baked chips have 60% less fat that regular potato chips and 3 grams of protein. You MUST check out the ingredients. Only 4 and all stellar. Add with a little more protein such as Kefir spread and you got yourself a perfect carb/protein combo.
Serving size: 1oz, 120 cals, 4g fat (0g sat fat), 0mg chol, 135mg sodium, 1g fiber, 3g protein
Ingredients: Chick Pea Flour, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Dried Sesame Seeds (Whole), Sea Salt
Simply 7 Quinoa Chips: highest in protein (a complete protein too!) but less nutrient dense, tad more processed and higher in sodium These pump up the protein count — 8 grams per 20 chips! These are more processed than I would like, but they do provide a complete protein as its first ingredient so it’s not a bad option for your carb/protein source for that meal or snack. It’s far better than a refined bagel for instance.
Serving size: 9 chips, 130 cals, 6 g fat, 12g carbs, 290 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 8 g protein
Ingredients: Quinoa flour starch, corn starch, sunflower oil, corn flour, organic buttermilk, salt, pepper, rice flour, organic cheddar cheese, onion powder, natural flavors, organic tapioca syrup, organic cream, organic whey, yeast extract, lactic acid, paprika, citric acid, garlic powder, extract of turmeric
Some chip pairing ideas! My favorite is the chunky guac made with greek yogurt from Trader Joes. AMAZE.
AND of course any salsa you may find. Most are fantastic and pure… just read the ingredients! Just know salsa is not a protein source in case you are looking for that to pair with your chip.
As always, come to me for nutrition questions or concerns!
Toodles,
Mir
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