For sheer crispy, crunchy deliciousness, the potato chip is tough to beat. Not coincidentally, it’s also one of the top dietary contributors to weight gain, according to a recent Harvard study.
But rather than lecture you on your naughty chip-chomping habit, we will help you kick it: Here are five delectable — and healthier — alternatives to potato chips. You can buy the snacks at grocery stores, but they taste better baked from scratch.
Whether you bake or buy these treats, each has less fat and fewer calories than deep-fried potato chips. And they’re all delicious.
APPLE CHIPS
How can an apple possibly fill in for potato chips? Quite spectacularly, actually. Baked apple slices are plenty crispy, and the fruit's bright flavor becomes even more concentrated as water evaporates from the chips.
Apple chips are one of the simplest snacks to make at home and they keep their crunchiness for a long time. As a bonus, they fill you up with fiber and give you a nice shot of vitamin C too.
Homemade
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 to 3 lemons, juiced
2 small, crisp apples, washed and dried
In a small pot, combine the water and sugar and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Set aside to cool. Using a sharp knife, cut each apple, placing the core end of the apple in front of the blade, into thin rounds. Remove the seeds as you cut and sprinkle slices with lemon juice. Submerge slices in the syrup and allow them to "rest" for a few hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Remove apples from the syrup and lightly dry them on a paper towel. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 60 mins.
SPINACH CHIPS
Even a leafy green vegetable can fill in for potato chips, if you bake it right. An added bonus: with spinach, there's no slicing necessary. Packed with vitamins A and C,spinach makes a surprisingly elegant and scrumptious salty snack.
Homemade
1 small bunch of spinach
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar, optional
Sea salt to taste
Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard, then tear the spinach leaves into same-size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry pieces, then put them in a large Ziploc bag or bowl. Add half of the olive oil, seal bag and squeeze, distributing the oil evenly on the kale pieces. Add rest of olive oil and squeeze the bag further, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly "massaged." Sprinkle vinegar over the leaves, then reseal and shake bag to distribute vinegar throughout.
Arrange spinach leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until they are mostly crisp, about 35 mins. Check every 10 mins. or so and turn pieces over as needed. When chips are done to your liking, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and eat immediately.
SWEET POTATO CHIPS
Packed with vitamin A and the essential mineral manganese, sweet potatoes make surprisingly tasty, crunchy, reduced-fat chips. They're most delicious when baked with a spice blend.
Homemade
1 large sweet potato, unpeeled, washed, and dried
For spice blend:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
Heat oven to 200°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper. Slice potato crosswise, as thin as possible. Coat slices with spice blend, then arrange on the prepared sheets, and keep them from touching as much as possible. Cook for 50 mins. Slices will dehydrate and shrink.
Turn chips over, and rotate baking sheets if needed for even cooking. Cook 30 to 40 more mins., until slices are crisped and fluted around the edges and the centers are still orange, not brown. Chips will be soft when removed from oven and will crisp as they cool.
Cool chips on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, up to three days.
