7 Non-Fatty Chips That Are Tastier Than Kettle Cooked
These substitutes will fulfill your cravings for salt and crunch—without a ton of calories.
By Lynn Andriani
When You Need a Fix—Now
Once-maligned Brussels sprouts have been getting more and more love lately, showing up shaved in salads and roasted with pancetta. Here's one way you may not have tried these baby cabbages yet: with the leaves separated and each one roasted to a crisp. They're so thin, they cook in just a few minutes, and even slightly charred, they're addictive.
Get the recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprout Chips
When Those Bacon-Flavored Chips Are Calling Your Name
Oprah's former personal chef, Art Smith, whose new book is
Art Smith's Healthy Comfort, admits these tasty little garbanzo bean snacks are so easy to make it's almost ludicrous to give a recipe for them. All you do is pour a drained can of garbanzos onto a baking sheet with a few shakes of smoked paprika (which mimics bacon's woodsy flavor) and onion powder, and roast until the beans are browned on the outside but still tender inside.
Get the recipe: Smoky Paprika-Baked Garbanzo Beans
When You Need a Sturdy Dipper
Homemade pita chips are a lot simpler to make than you might think—and they're also much less greasy and salty than the ones in shiny foil-y bags. In her new book
Crackers & Dips, cooking instructor Ivy Manning shares her recipe, which involves sprinkling wedges of the flatbread with za'atar, a Middle Eastern herb blend. The savory snacks are terrific with Mediterranean spreads such as
Tzatziki or
White Bean Dip.
Get the recipe: Za'atar-Dusted Pita Chips
When You're Trying to Break Your Addiction to Dill Pickle-Flavored Chips
The first time cooking teacher Kim Kushner, author of
The Modern Menu, made this cauliflower dish, she and her dinner guests ate it straight out of the pan, with no leftovers. It's easy to see why: thin slices of the vegetable soak up the puckery lemon-dill dressing and, if you roast them long enough, become crunchy and buttery-tasting.
Get the recipe: Crispy Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Dill
When You Are Not Going to Settle for Anything Less Than a Potato
Sweet-potato chips can be even more satisfying than the usual versions, since you get a caramel-like flavor along with salt and crunch. This recipe from the healthy food site
BerryRipe.com combines cinnamon and chili powder, so each bite is sweet and a little spicy, too.
Get the recipe: Sweet and Salty Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Photo: Melani Bauman and Lorna Palmer
When You're Feeling Tropical
Plantains look like bananas, but they're much starchier, and therefore do a terrific job of filling in for potatoes (even if they aren’t as crunchy as chips). They're often fried and served alongside Caribbean food, but this recipe from Elizabeth Gordon, author of
Simply Allergy-Free, has you wrap them in aluminum foil and bake them, toss them with margarine and salt, and slice them for an irresistible side.
Get the recipe: Baked Plantains
When You Could Eat an Entire Bag
Superfood kale is a surprisingly flavorful craving-killer. When you tear the leaves into bite-size pieces, toss them with olive oil and pepper and roast them for just 10 minutes, they turn crispy and light. You can eat these chips by the handful and still have room for supper.
Get the recipe: Kale Chips
Next: 9 gluten-free grab-on-the-go snacks
Published 05/21/2013
