Are You Addicted To Potato Chips?

Potato chips are a major staple in American foods. You can find almost any flavor or variety you could think of and even some name-brand products have contests to encourage customers to create new flavors. Northern Plains Potatoes tells us that it takes 10,000 pounds of potatoes to make 2,500 pounds of potato chips, and the average American eats over 4 pounds potato chips each year! In 2011, Americans ate 1.5 billion pounds of potato chips. According to Statista based on the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS), 34.84 million Americans consumed 16 bags or more in 2018. The average person consumes approximately 110 pounds of potatoes per year! Imagine how high those numbers are for the average person living in the south would be with as many BBQs we have and side dishes of fried potatoes? So by these simple statistics, we can clearly see that potato chips are a growing snack food in America!

However, in the “diet world,” potato chips are viewed as the enemy! MayoClinic.com reports that too much salt in your diet can lead to several negative health problems, including high blood pressure and kidney disease. Most servings listed on the back of the bag of potato chips is only about 1 ounce, but as said above, most people consume far more than just 1 ounce when they sit down to eat! I have to say of all snack foods, potato chips are probably my downfall as well. I could sit and snack all day on a bag of Doritos, Lays, or Ruffles.

In recent times, the new found substitute for dieters has been “Kale Chips.” At first, it sounds odd. Why would a green vegetable become a chip? However, baking the kale actually makes it become a crispy crunch that many people miss when getting to eat potato chips with their sandwich or needing something salty to snack on. Kale is actually an excellent source of B vitamins as well as being high in vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, iron, potassium and bioflavonoids. It also helps with fiber intake! Kale is actually a dieters’ dream food because it is low in carbohydrates as well as calories; therefore, it is ok to indulge in! With all of these facts and research, I decided to give it a try! The recipe below is a kind of toss and dash recipe! It’s simple and easy! I’ll let you be the judge and decide if this will be your new replacement for your bag of chips! Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients:

Approximately 8 oz. of Kale (washed and completely dried)
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder
Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning
Chives
Olive Oil
Parchment Paper

Directions:

First, remove all stems and hard parts from the kale leaves. Then, wash and dry kale. Make sure your kale has no moisture or it can make your chips soggy after baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next, place kale in a large bowl and toss with a dash of olive oil. You just need enough oil to slightly coat the leaves so the spices will stick to the kale.

**Kale- washed, dried, and ready for tossing!**

Once the kale is lightly coated in the olive oil, add your spices. You only need a dash of each one (Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning). Then, add a tablespoon and a half of chives. Stir and toss lightly so that seasonings and chives are evenly distributed.

**All the spices you will need! Remember, just use a dash! If you use too much, the chips will be too salty!**

Line two baking pans with parchment paper and evenly spread out the kale on the pans. Try to not overlap the kale. Bake for 13 minutes, and then remove from oven and allow kale chips to sit for two minutes to cool.