Potato chips have always been a favorite food of mine. I disliked that they’re so salty, although the salty can be good at times! I like to eat it although I don’t eat it too often. Once in a while I will eat it. Man we’ve become such Chicken Littles because of all the things that are not good for us but we love to eat them. Many moons ago we didn’t worry so much about what we eat, now because of our health we have to live a much healthier lifestyle and so we’re all encouraged to eat healthy. And so we should.
I don’t let that stop me though, as I said, once in a while I will indulge in eating potato chips and I’ll eat a regular size bag all by myself…yeah right….my toddler and me! What I usually do is buy the family size and divvy it out so we all can enjoy. Do you know what I dislike; they’ll put on the calorie content part how much each person should have, like say five chips per person! Are they kidding me? No way does anyone eat five chips at one sitting, unless of course they have very strong willpower!
So in order to enjoy this once in a while indulgence I like to go in search of the perfect potato chip. One that’s not too salty (less sodium), no Trans fat, maybe less calorie content and baked to boot. It’s a chore looking at all of them that’s out there on the shelf but I always come away with good ones. Plus there seem to be a new type of chip every time! How do these manufacturers do it?! It’s quite a popular treat so I guess they will try to make one for every pallet!
Just last week I had a new kind that I didn’t realize was out there, cassava chips! It had no Trans fat and wasn’t too salty. It was a regular sized bag but we were all able to have more than five chips each!
Then there are banana chips. Have you ever tried those? It’s made from green bananas (green not yellow). Kind of like the green plantains but they’re bananas. We cook green bananas in Jamaica, and most Caribbean islands do as well. It’s eaten with anything, meat or vegetables because it’s a main food item. The banana chips tend to be a little crispy but you should try them if you see them they’re a delicious treat!
These days potato chips are baked, and there are wide varieties such as Jalapeño (I tried this and loved it!) (watch out for the fiery taste; sea salted; olive oil rosemary; dill pickle; sea salt and vinegar; and there are the kettle brands which I haven’t tried yet, kettle cooked mustard; spicy Thai; and a chip that has become my basic favorite the Sun chips. These are baked chips that come in a variety of flavors.
I saw a Chip Glossary in last month’s issue of Real Simple, one of my favorite magazines:
Classic or original chips: cooked in a fryer and moved through a conveyor belt.
Kettle-cooked chips: made in small batches; no conveyor belt.
Hand made/hand cooked chips: made by hand, no machines.
Baked chips: cooked in an oven and have less fat and fewer calories than regular chips.
Crisps: made from dehydrated potatoes. The potatoes are then flaked, rehydrated and pressed into shape.
Natural chips: These are not supposed to have any artificial flavorings, colors or preservatives.
Light chips: has half the fat or/and fewer calories than the regular chip. A product name Olestra is used to replace the fat.
Reduced fat chips: has 25 percent fewer calories than the regular chip.
So now you’ll know what those names mean when you go to buy your favorite chips!