Potato chips have a junk food reputation, but there are a couple of companies putting a healthy spin on the deep fried classic. You can even whip up a batch of your own popped potato chips at home!
Cooking, and eating for that matter, is about experimenting and enjoying new foods. One of my favorite ways to do this is by finding and making healthy versions of my childhood fatty favorites. I was one of those carb-fueled kids who ate chocolate cake and mac and cheese, but it was the potato chip that I adored the most.
When I learned to eat healthier and avoid the snacks I can’t resist, the thin, salty potato treats were the first to go. Though the snack food marketplace is saturated with sodium-packed, trans fat-fueled options, food companies like Frito-Lay are making healthier versions of their old favorites. Many of these serve up marked improvements over their predecessors, but always remember to read the label. If you find the new version of your old favorite is still missing the mark, there are plenty of chips to try that have been good from the start.
Healthy Potato Chips
popchips
Encouraging snackers to “think popped,” popchips have put a new spin on potato treats. These chips rely on heat, pressure and “a little snack magic” to make the perfect healthy potato chip. They are fluffy, light and most importantly, delicious. These chips use simple and natural ingredients like potatoes, salt, and pepper. With zero trans fats and only 35 calories per 22 chip serving, popchips aren’t just a snack you don’t have to feel guilty about, they’re a snack you can love.
Healthy But Good Potato Chips
This bag of potato chips boasts a lofty claim, but it is most certainly one you can trust. Unlike other foods that use the word healthy as a marketing tool, these chips prove to be worth their weight in salt containing 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and about 27 calories per serving. Tasty and healthy, these salty snacks are more reminiscent of an old school potato chip than the fluffy popchips.
Make Your Own Healthy Potato Chips
That’s right – you can make your own healthy potato chips. Have fun experimenting with different seasonings and flavors and know exactly what you’re getting in each bite.
Popped Potato Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 potato
- olive oil, for brushing
- seasoning of your choice, to taste
Cooking Directions
- Use a mandoline to slice potatoes to a chip-like thickness (if you cut them too thick, they will be hard to bake evenly).
- Brush them with oil, coat them with seasoning and bake until crisp. This can be a great family activity with kids choosing what type of oil and seasoning they’d like to have on their chips.
Potato chips, like most of our foods, have become overcomplicated and infused with unnecessary ingredients, loads of sodium, and trans fats. While you shouldn’t make chips a staple in your diet, you don’t have to eliminate them completely. Whichever healthy chips you choose, make sure you enjoy them. Happy snacking!
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by williac
About the Author:
Katie Campbell is an editor for Bestcovery.com, where she writes food and grocery reviews, and recommends the best. She is a firm believer in improving the quality of problem foods rather than eliminating them. Too often we label foods bad and then eliminate them from our diets. With a few tricks and smart shopping, even the best healthy potato chips are within reach.
Thanks for these recs! I’ll definitely try this recipe out, it seems easy enough. I do wonder, are kettle chips a healthy fare, or are they pretty bad as well?
Kettle chips are deep fried, unfortunately. I wish they were healtheir! Salt and vinegar kettle chips are my guilty pleasure snack, usually only eaten on road trips or special occasions.
Aww, that’s too bad. I guess, I’ll try and eat them in moderation.hee Thanks for the answer!
These look great. My favorite chip is 40% Reduced Fat Cape Cod Chips – I don’t even notice they are different. Check out other healthy snack ideas on
Katie – have you tried Deep River Snacks? This company makes all natural, gluten-free snacks. Kettle chips, Multigrain Tortilla Chips, and Baked Fries. And, its great because they help charities gain awareness by promoting a different charity on the snack bag for each different flavor. All natural snacks that give back!
Hi Debbie! Thanks for the tip! Their chips were sold in a deli near where I used to live and I love, love, love kettle cooked chips. If only they were healthier for us!
I read their mission statement on their website, which coincidentally ends the same way this article does: “Happy Snacking!”
Sadly, I never realized what a great company they were until you pointed it out! I guess I was blinded by my cravings for salt ;-)
For the recipe – at what temperature should the chips be baked and for how long (approximately)?
Martha Stewart suggests 400 degrees, for 30 minutes or until crisp. She usually knows what she’s talking about :-)
It will vary based on the thickness of your slices, just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
The first time I made them, my chips were of varying thicknesses (I was still getting the hang of the mandolin!), so they didn’t crisp evenly but they were still delicious.
Let me know how they turn out if you try them!