Published April 15, 2014 11:29PM
What We're Eating Too Much Of: The Better Chip
I’m a fairly healthy eater, but chips will always be my weakness. Straight-up veggie chips are cool but just don't satisfy my "junk food" chip cravings. Thankfully, there are some legitimately healthy chip options available these days to pull me away from greasy potato chips.
I’m a fairly healthy eater, but chips will always be my weakness. Straight-up veggie chips are cool but just don’t satisfy my “junk food” chip cravings. Thankfully, there are some legitimately healthy chip options available these days to pull me away from greasy potato chips.
The aptly named The Better Chip company makes delicious corn chips with just a few ingredients that are certified GMO-free, gluten-free, and vegan. Each chip has a corn masa base (made from real fresh corn kernels) to make a sturdy chip that’s perfect for dipping in everything from hummus to the chunkiest salsa.
The Better Chip makes a tasty plain corn chip with sea salt, but their flavored chips are what really got me hooked—and I’m pretty picky about flavored chips. Too often I find flavored chips to have a fake taste, and I’m not a fan of the ‘dust’ coating most of them. But with these chips, the flavor comes from the fresh vegetables packed inside.
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The Spinach & Kale chips are my favorite. In some “green” chips, the last ingredient is a bit of spinach powder for color, but these chips are loaded with real fresh spinach and kale you can actually see. The bright green color and nutritional profile back it up: a 1-oz. serving of these chips will give you 60% of your vitamin K for the day, 2 grams of fiber, and even a bit of iron and calcium. I like to go all out with my greens and pair these with Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip (easily veganized by adding 1/4 cup nutritional yeast during the purée step and omitting the Parmesan).
The Better Chip just introduced two new flavors: Beets (which taste a bit like healthier, less-dusty Doritos) and Chipotle (which packs a smoky-hot flavor that’s not for the faint of heart). If you prefer more subtle spice, try the Jalapeño chips (great with a cool edamame hummus). All of their chips are low in sodium, making them a nice snack option even for little kids. My 3-year old loved the beet chips, both for their flavor and bright red color (her favorite).
Shopping tip: you won’t find these chips in the chip aisle—they’re stocked in the deli section of grocery stores (use the store finder on their website).
Are you a chip fan? Have you tried The Better Chip yet or have another favorite we should check out?