Guilt-Free Chips

Do you ever crave a salty, crunchy snack?

Do you love potato chips but feel guilty about eating them?

Here are some ways you can still get that crunchy, crispy chip texture, and salty flavor, without the guilt!

I have been asked several times over the past few weeks about the different veggie chips that I make and talk about so I decided to share them with you.  I cannot take credit for all of these ideas though so I am going to post links to the original recipes and instructions…. I just really want to share the ideas with you here.

The very easiest are these Eggplant Chips. I like to slice them just under 1/4 inch thick and then bake them.  Spritz them with a bit of olive oil and salt before baking.  They are really easy and very good!  The dark spots on the baked chips are where I sliced them a bit thin but they are still tasty, they just don’t LOOK as good.  I know there is a pesto dip recipe there too, which I plan to try after my cilantro grows a bit more!

I make Sweet Potato Chips the same way.  I don’t have a mandolin slicer, so I get The Captain to use his more-developed-than-mine patience muscle to slice through the thick sweet potatoes.  The key is get thin and uniform-in-thickness slices. 

If you can manage to leave them alone till they cool somewhat, they are even tastier.  Sometimes I have them with ketchup…Mmmmmm.

Gabby’s Carrot Chips are honestly somewhat fiddly, and they don’t yield a lot, but they are really tasty so if you have some time and patience, give them a try.  The addition of the cinnamon works!

Oh, and I almost forgot…. Kale Chips are so easy and so tasty, too.  Just wash and sry the kale leaves, spritz with a bit of EVOO and salt  or nooch, and bake them for 15 minutes. I like them with a bit of homemade ketchup too!

About a year and half ago, I picked up a little microwave crisper for veggies, and did a post about it.   It makes truly awesome veggie chips so if you have access to one of these inexpensive little devices, you can make your chips in a couple of minutes in the mike and completely fat free, if that appeals to you.  It is especially great for potatoes and sweet potatoes but I also made zuke chips with it and they turned out really well.

I know that Kierston, who writes CaNdyFiT, also has a microwave crisper… a different one than I have and every time I walk by the display in the store, I think I should have one!  As a matter of fact, last year she did a review/giveaway about the time I first started reading her blog. 

There are a couple of other good looking chip recipes out there that I want to try… Gina’s Butternut Squash Chips look wonderful… and I have heard that beet chips are lovely too.

These veggie chips make good snacks and side dishes… and they are gluten-free, paleo, vegan, Whole30 friendly… use healthy oils, have tons of vitamins and antioxidants and are truly delicious.

What more could you want?

Oh, and for those of you who do eat white potatoes, of course we know those make splendid chips, too!

Do you make your own chips?  What veggie is your favorite?