Tortilla Chip Alternatives
Trader Joe’s Edition
If you have browsed down the chip aisle of your grocery store lately, you may have felt overwhelmed like I have with the amount of choices that are available. I don’t know about you but typically when I’m running into the grocery store to grab a bag of chips, I don’t have time to read the nutrition label for every single option I’m looking at so I end up grabbing what feels like a safe bet to me and move on with my shopping. I have been deceived on numerous occasions by packaging that made the bag of chips appear much healthier than it truly was once I got home, read the nutrition label and was surprised by what I saw. So let me make it easier for you! I’ll go over alternatives that are available on the market that are healthier options to foods that you enjoy without sacrificing too much on the taste and texture, especially when it comes to a crunchy chip! In a future post, I will tackle the tortilla chip aisle of a big grocery store but for now, I want to start simple with a couple options from one of my favorite grocery stores, Trader Joe’s. If you’re lucky enough like me to have a Trader Joe’s nearby, follow along as I review a few alternatives that are currently available at Trader Joe’s and make more nutritious options compared to your regular flour tortilla chip.
When I think of a tortilla chip, my must haves include:
Durability (a tortilla chip is a vessel to get dip into my mouth after-all)
Crunchiness
Flavor (including saltiness!)
I know there are much more factors to a tortilla chip but if we’re looking at these basics and there are alternatives available that meet this criteria, what would hold you back from giving the healthier alternative a try?
See below for two great options at Trader Joe’s that provide more nutritious alternatives!
Quinoa and Black Bean infused Tortilla Chips:
Nutrition Wins for 1 serving aka 8 chips (compared to original corn tortilla chips):
Half the saturated fat (Great for heart health)
1/3 the sodium (yes it does taste less salty but if you already have a salty dip, the taste difference likely won’t be that significant)
3 times as much fiber (Fiber helps keep you full, control your blood sugar and poop regularly!)
Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips:
Nutrition Wins for 1 serving aka 7 chips (compared to original corn tortilla chips):
500mg of omega-3 fatty acids - Meets about 33% omega-3 needs for men and 50% for women! (Huge bonus for a tortilla chip! Omega-3s are crucial for heart and brain health)
Half the saturated fat (Great for heart health)
less than 1/3 the sodium
Source of iron (Important for anemia and pregnancy)
