Have your Potato Chips and Eat them too!

Chips are everywhere… ​but real​ly; birthday parties, sporting events, your local pizza shop, supermarkets, and everywhere in between. For this reason, it isn’t surprising that the ​Potato Chip Market had an estimated worth of $8 Billion US dollars in 2017, with that number anticipated to continuously increase over the next few years.

While we obviously know chips are ​DELICIOUS​, this superbowl snack staple isn’t always the most healthful food choice. Chips are typically fried in unhealthful fats and dipped in salt, which is why this processed food has been connected to chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Even with these considerations, my clients are so surprised to find out ​I ALWAYS have chips in my pantry​… even as a registered dietitian! How do I get away this? I’ll show you how:

Choose the right chip.​ When at the grocery store, plan to choose a chip with few ingredients, extra fiber (>20% in the percent daily value would be ideal), and heart-healthy oils. This way the fiber will fill you up quicker (so you’ll eat less) and you’ll sneak in some healthful, omega-3 fatty acids (that we often don’t eat enough of).

My fave chip brands right now? Late July Multigrain Sea Salt Chips!

Balance your plate.​ Knowing that chips are usually made from whole grains or potatoes, it’s pretty obvious that chips are a source of carbohydrates in our diet. If you’re at a party and want to snack on chips, try pairing them with ​proteins ​(greek yogurt dip) or ​fats ​(guacamole) to balanced your blood sugars. Better yet, be mindful of ALL the different food groups on your plate so you don’t overeat carbohydrates and feel unsatisfied an hour later.

Intuitively eat.​ In a perfect world, everyone just wants to eat the foods they LOVE! Well, that is exactly the philosophy behind intuitively eating. Instead of depriving yourself of foods you love (like chips), give yourself permission to eat this “banned” food so you don’t set yourself up for a binge later on!