For those following a low-carb or ketogenic diet, the craving for crunchy, salty chips can be a significant challenge. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to enjoy chips without derailing your dietary goals. Whether you prefer to make your own at home or opt for store-bought varieties, this article explores the best low-carb chip options available.
The Allure of Low-Carb Chips
Embarking on a low-carb lifestyle doesn't mean saying goodbye to all your favorite snacks. Chips, in particular, hold a special place in many snack lovers' hearts, offering that satisfying crunch and the perfect vehicle for dips. Low-carb chips provide a way to indulge in this pleasure without the high carbohydrate content of traditional potato chips. Eating the best keto chips shouldn’t feel like punishment for being on a diet. Snacks-even keto friendly snacks-should always be fun.
DIY Low-Carb Chips: Simple and Customizable
One of the best ways to ensure your chips are truly low-carb is to make them yourself. These homemade chips require minimal ingredients and can be easily customized to your taste preferences.
Basic Cheese Chips Recipe
This recipe uses cheese as the base, creating a crispy and flavorful chip that's naturally low in carbs.
Ingredients:
- Mozzarella cheese (shredded is best)
- Almond flour
- Egg
- Your favorite seasonings (such as paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, and low-carb powdered sugar)
Instructions:
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine almond flour and spices of your choice. Whisk until well combined, then set aside.
- Melt the Cheese: In a microwave-safe bowl, add mozzarella cheese. Microwave for 40-60 seconds, or until the cheese is melted.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the egg to the dry ingredients and whisk well. It’s ok if there are clumps. Add the melted cheese to the dry ingredients and egg mixture, then knead with your hands until well combined.
- Flatten the Dough: Make a ball with the dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Start to flatten the dough with your hands, then use a rolling pin until it is completely flat, about 2mm thick.
- Cut into Chips: Using a knife, cut lines about 1.5 inches wide. Then, cut triangles out of the line by cutting in a zig-zag motion until you have done the same with all the dough.
- Bake: Place the chips on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crispy and golden brown. For extra crispiness, you can broil them for an additional 2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
These plain chips are super easy! If the dough gets tough, simply warm it up slightly. If your chips aren't crisping up, ensure you're flattening them sufficiently.
Read also: Are egg white chips keto-friendly?
Store-Bought Keto Chips: Convenience and Variety
For those who prefer the convenience of pre-made chips, there are several brands offering keto-friendly options. These chips use alternative ingredients to reduce the carb content while still delivering satisfying flavor and crunch.
Key Qualities of Keto-Friendly Chips
When evaluating store-bought keto chips, consider the following:
- Ingredients: Look for chips made with low-carb ingredients like dairy proteins, chicken breast, or protein blends.
- Carb Count: Check the nutrition label to ensure the net carb count fits within your daily allowance.
- Taste and Texture: The best keto chips should mimic the taste and texture of traditional chips as closely as possible. Crunch, salt, and diversion. Keto chips can do all of that, albeit in very different ways with varying degrees of success.
Top Brands and Flavors
Here are some of the top brands and flavors of keto-friendly chips that have garnered positive reviews:
- Atkins Protein Chips: These chips have a slightly better texture due to being a little thicker.
- Quest Nutrition Tortilla Style Protein Chips: These are thicker and more chip-like, with a delicate, crispy crunch. The taco flavor is particularly noteworthy, with elements of seasoned beef, cheese, and sour cream.
- Wilde Chips: Made with chicken breast, egg whites, and bone broth, these chips are surprisingly tasty, especially the Chicken & Waffles flavor, which combines sweet maple syrup with savory chicken.
In two separate taste tests, we shopped for an assortment of low carb chips and protein chips and tried them against one another to find the tastiest keto friendly chips out there. We tried these keto friendly chips as part of our recent sour cream and onion chips taste test, and while they didn’t make enough of an impression to rank among regular ol’ potato chips, they’re pretty good. The seasoning actually tastes like both sour cream and onion, and if you’re used to the texture of Baked Lay’s, these low carb chips aren’t that much of a departure, despite being made with dairy proteins instead of potatoes. While you can totally get used to the crumbly, ancient-parchment-esque texture of Quest’s potato-style chips (like the sour cream and onion chips above-we like them!), the brand’s tortilla-style protein chips are thicker and more chip-like, with a delicate, crispy crunch. They’re light and crispy, and we really like the savory chicken flavor-and this chicken and waffles flavor really works. You get a lot of nice sweet maple syrup flavor up front, but as you chew you can taste the savory chicken flavor of the chips.
Tips for Enjoying Low-Carb Chips
- Pair with Dips: Enhance the flavor of your low-carb chips by pairing them with keto-friendly dips like guacamole, salsa, cheese dip, or spinach and artichoke dip.
- Control Portions: Even though they are low in carbs, it's important to practice portion control to manage your overall calorie intake.
- Read Labels Carefully: Always check the nutrition information to ensure the chips fit your specific dietary needs.
- Experiment with Flavors: Try different seasonings and flavor combinations to find your favorite low-carb chip variations. You could use some low-carb powdered sugar and cinnamon for a sweet chip, perfect for a cheesecake dip or cookie dough dip.
Read also: Safety of Low-Carb Diets During Lactation
Read also: Best Keto Tortillas