If you are a fitness enthusiast, you will associate crunchy snacks with something healthy like carrots and hummus. But for most people, it’s just a bag of fried potato chips. Eating store-bought deep-fried foods like chips may increase your risk of heart disease due to the presence of excess oil in them. It does not mean you should give up on chips altogether. There are healthy vegetable chips that can be easily made at home. You can use your choice of vegetables like kale, carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes, and turn them into crispy snacks. Try these healthy recipes for vegetable chips that you can enjoy at home.
Why to eat homemade vegetable chips?
Having homemade vegetable chips is beneficial for you due to the following reasons:
1. Better alternative to store-bought potato chips
Homemade vegetable chips are an alternative to traditional potato chips, which may not always be healthy. Potato chips contain high amounts of salt, fat, and sugar, as per research published in the Foods journal in 2023. On the other hand, a study published in the International Journal of Food Science & Technology in 2024 found that homemade kale crisps may represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity.
2. Healthier cooking method
You can deep-fry vegetables to make chips at home, or go for healthier options like baking and cooking with an air fryer. Baking is a healthy alternative to deep-frying due to its potential to provide texture and colour using less oil, as per research published in The Journal Of Food in 2017. As for air fryers, they use minimal oil, and still give the taste and texture of deep-fried foods. Using less oil can reduce your risk of heart disease, as per a study published in Clinical Nutrition in 2020.
3. Get more nutrients
Nutritious vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, kale, carrots, and beets can be used to create vegetable chips at home. “Vegetable chips made at home are considered healthier than regular chips, as they retain more of the vegetable’s nutrients,” says nutritionist Dhriti Jain. For instance, you can enjoy chips made from kale, which is full of nutrients. Hundred grams kale has 3.13 gram protein, 4.4 grams fibre, 272 mg calcium, and 1.72 mg iron, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Healthy recipes for vegetable chips
Here are some of the recipes for making vegetable chips using healthy cooking methods.
1. Baked kale chips
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale (washed and dried)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
Remove the stems from kale and tear its leaves into bite-sized pieces.
In a bowl, toss the kale with olive oil and season with salt.
Lay the kale out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the vegetable chips are crispy.
2. Sweet potato chips
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
The first step of making sweet potato chips is to preheat the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit.
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes.
Slice them thinly using a mandoline slicer for even thickness.
In a bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Spread the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Put the vegetable slices in a single layer and cook on medium heat, flipping occasionally.
Cook the vegetable chips until crispy and golden brown.
You can enjoy tasty homemade vegetable chips. You can either bake, dehydrate or lightly fry them to create healthy, crunchy chips.
Related FAQs
How many calories are in homemade chips?
The calorie content of homemade chips depends on several factors, including the type of vegetable used, the amount of oil, and the cooking method. For example, approximately 50-80 calories can be found in 1 cup of baked kale chips.
How to make vegetable chips crispy?
To make vegetable chips crispy, use a mandoline slicer for uniform thickness to ensure even crisping. Lightly coat the vegetables with oil then bake at a high temperature to ensure the chips crisp up without becoming too soft.
Disclaimer: At Health Shots, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and authentic information to support your health and well-being. However, the content on this website is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised advice regarding your specific medical condition or concerns.
Natalia Ningthoujam has written on various subjects - from music to films and fashion to lifestyle - as a journalist in her career that started in 2010. After getting stories from the crime scene, police headquarters, and conducting interviews with celebrities, she is now writing on health and wellness which has become her focus area.
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