Disclaimer: This blog post is proudly sponsored by Nurse Mates, but all opinions are my own. Nurse Mates are committed to bringing you the very best in quality footwear, scrubs and accessories. From comfort technologies to timeless style, inspired by nurses, Nurse Mates have created bespoke products that will meet the demands of your workday, becoming the trusted, most dependable product source for your workday and for everyday healthy lifestyles. As a Nurse Mates affiliate, we may receive compensation, if you purchase products or services through the links provided, at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of the blog.
Crunchy, salty, and downright delicious, chips are among the most loved of all snack foods. While their tastiness is undeniable, many popular chips are highly processed and packed with unhealthy ingredients, including added sugar and artificial coloring.
Still, there are a number of chip brands that create products made from wholesome ingredients, keeping consumer health in mind.
The chips on this list are made with nutritious, whole food ingredients and don’t contain additives like refined oils, artificial colors, and added sugars.
Here are 8 of the best healthy chips on the market:
1. Barnana pink salt plantain chips
Price: $ There’s a lot to love about Barnana plantain chips. First, these chips are made with healthy ingredients, including organic plantains, organic coconut oil, and Himalayan pink salt. Plus, these chips are vegan, paleo-friendly, certified organic, and kosher.
What’s more, the pink salt flavor is low in sodium, providing just 75 mg per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving, which makes these chips a good alternative for those watching their sodium intake.
Additionally, Barnana brand takes sustainability seriously, working with farmers to reduce food waste by using imperfect produce that would otherwise be thrown away to create their products.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
Calories: 150
Carbs: 17 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Fat: 9 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sodium: 75 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $
Safe + Fair makes food-allergy-friendly snack foods, including chips. Their olive oil and sea salt popcorn quinoa chips contain nutritious ingredients, including whole quinoa, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds.
These crunchy chips are lower in calories and higher in protein and fiber than traditional potato chips, making them a good alternative to popular chip brands. Plus, these chips are made with olive oil.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
Calories: 110
Carbs: 18 grams
Protein: 2 gram
Fat: 4 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Sodium: 190 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $
Many cheese puff products contain a number of ingredients that aren’t good for overall health, including artificial flavors, artificial coloring, and flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG). They’re also high in sodium and calories, making them a less-than-healthy snack choice.
Still, there are healthier cheese puff choices on the market, including Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs.
The “No Cheese” cheesiness flavor is made from nutritious ingredients like coconut oil, sweet potato powder, nutritional yeast, and ground mustard, and doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or flavor enhancers.
Plus, they’re lower in calories and sodium than other cheese puff products.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
Calories: 130
Carbs: 18 grams
Protein: less than 1 gram
Fat: 6 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sodium: 190 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $$
If you’re searching for a veggie-filled chip alternative, Made in Nature Veggie Pops make an excellent choice.
These snack balls are created from a nourishing mixture of ingredients including kale, chickpeas, bell peppers, cauliflower, almonds, and sunflower seeds and are high in protein and fiber, which helps boost the fullness factor of this salty snack.
The sour cream and onion flavor is a nutrient-dense alternative to sour cream and onion chips, which are typically high in calories and fat, and low in protein and fiber.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the sour cream and onion flavor.
Calories: 140
Carbs: 11 grams
Protein: 7 grams
Fat: 7 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Sodium: 280 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $$
Siete brand tortilla chips are grain-free and a good choice for those following paleo diets. They’re made with limited ingredients and come in a variety of flavors, including nacho, ranch, sea salt, and salt and lime that are sure to please even the pickiest chip lover.
Siete uses avocado oil to make their chips, which is a healthier alternative to highly refined oils like canola and soybean oil.
Avocado oil is mostly composed of monounsaturated fats and rich in antioxidants. It’s also stable when used at high temperatures, making it a good choice for frying chips.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the sea salt flavor.
Calories: 130
Carbs: 19 grams
Protein: 1 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Sodium: 150 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $$
Brad’s veggie chips are made from real vegetables and come in a variety of flavors.
They’re air-dried, not baked or fried, so they’re low in calories and fat, yet high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals due to their nutritious ingredients like organic veggies, flax seeds, buckwheat groats, and spices.
Brad’s makes a number of different veggie chips, including kale chips, red pepper chips, broccoli cheddar chips, and sweet potato chips — all of which are packed with vegetables.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the red bell pepper flavor (15):
Calories: 90
Carbs: 11 grams
Protein: 1 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Fiber: 4 grams
Sodium: 110 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
Price: $ Forager Project brand makes organic, grain-free chips that are packed with healthy ingredients.
Their grain-free greens chips are made from tiger nut and cassava flour, as well as kale, coconut oil, spinach powder, and black and white sesame seeds — all of which add to the nutrient-density of the product.
In fact, each bag of Forager Project grain-free greens chips contains 1.5 cups of organic leafy greens, making them a great choice for those looking to increase their vegetable intake.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the grain-free greens flavor (16):
Calories: 130
Carbs: 14 grams
Protein: 1 grams
Fat: 8 grams
Fiber: 1 grams
Sodium: 125 mg
Added sugar: 0 grams
How to choose?
When shopping for healthy chip options it’s important to choose products based on their ingredients and nutritional profile.
Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients the better. However, some healthy chips may contain more ingredients than others if they’re flavored. Spices, nutritional yeast, and salt are examples of healthy flavoring ingredients that may be listed on the back of chip bags.
Look for chips that aren’t made with artificial coloring or flavoring, and don’t contain added sugar. Added sugar can be listed in many ways on ingredient labels, including high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar.
Another factor to consider is the calorie and macronutrient content of the product. Choose chips that deliver 150 calories or fewer per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving to maintain healthy snacking portions.
Also, because most chips are typically low in protein and fiber, it’s a good idea to pair them with a protein- and fiber-rich dip like hummus or black bean dip to make your snack more nutritionally complete.
Additionally, if you have any food restrictions, it’s important to choose chips that fit into your dietary pattern.
To Conclude
Although many popular chip products are packed with unhealthy ingredients, including additives like artificial coloring and sweeteners, you can choose from many healthy alternatives.
The healthy chips on this list are not only tasty but also made with wholesome ingredients sure to satisfy your cravings for a salty, crunchy snack.
This blog post is proudly sponsored by Nurse Mates, but all opinions are my own. Nurse Mates are committed to bringing you the very best in quality footwear, scrubs and accessories. From comfort technologies to timeless style, inspired by nurses, Nurse Mates have created bespoke products that will meet the demands of your workday, becoming the trusted, most dependable product source for your workday and for everyday healthy lifestyles. As a Nurse Mates affiliate, we may receive compensation, if you purchase products or services through the links provided, at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of the blog.