by Ireland Walker

Everyone tends to crave something salty during the day, whether it be to pair with a good movie, to snack on while on social media or just to suppress a craving. Whatever the case may be, potato chips are often chosen as the salty snack everyone grabs, but it is not always the healthiest option. Fortunately, there are options out there that are better for your body and can also hit the spot. 

These options are chickpea chips and puffs, which are sold by many brands and in several flavors. The ingredients in these snacks are natural and nowhere near as processed as a regular potato chip.

Some of my favorite brands of chickpea-based snacks are:

• Off The Eaten Path
• Simply 7
• Hippeas

Off the Eaten Path – Chickpea Veggie Crisps

• Plant based
• Made with real veggies
• Kosher/Gluten free 

Ingredients: Rice Flour, Chickpea Flour, Dried Green Peas, Sunflower Oil, Dried Black Beans, Dried Purple Sweet Potato, Cane Sugar, Sea Salt, Calcium Lactate, Salt, Vegetable Juice (Color), and Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant).

*Off the Eaten Path has natural ingredients with real vegetables, no dairy, and natural coloring.

Simply 7 – Chickpea Hummus chips

• Non-GMO
• Gluten Free/Kosher 
• Vegetarian

Ingredients: Chickpea Flour, Sunflower And/Or Safflower Oil, Potato Starch, Rice Flour, Organic Nonfat Dry Milk, Sea Salt, Cane Sugar, Potassium Chloride Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Olive Oil, Corn Flour, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Black Pepper.

*Simply 7 has organic nonfat milks, natural flavors and no GMOs.

Hippeas – Organic Chickpea Puffs

(flavors: Vegan White Cheddar, Sriracha Sunshine, Nacho Vibes, Rockin Ranch, Bohemian Barbecue, Straight Up Sea Salt  and Jalapeno Vegan Cheddar)

• USDA Organic
• Certified Gluten-Free/Kosher
• Vegan
• Non GMO
• No Nuts
• No Soy

Ingredients all around the same for each flavor: Chickpea Flour, Rice Flour, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Cane Sugar, Rosemary Extract, Organic Flavors, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid, Organic Ingredients

*Hippeas has organic ingredients and organic flavors that are fully vegan and Non GMO.

VERSUS

Name Brand Potato Chip – Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Chips

Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn and/or Canola Oil), Sour Cream & Onion Seasoning (Skim Milk, Salt, Maltodextrin[Made from Corn], Onion Powder, Whey, Sour Cream[Cultured Cream, Skim Milk], Canola Oil, Parsley, Natural Flavor, Lactose, Sunflower Oil, Citric Acid, Whey Protein Concentrate and Buttermilk). Contains Milk Ingredients.

*A regular potato chip has unfamiliar ingredients, added milks and high fat ingredients

Clearly, knowing what is in your food and what you are putting into your body is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. After seeing the ingredients in the chickpea chips versus the regular potato chips, the difference is significant. Potato chips have many more ingredients that are unhealthy and packed with many types of oils and high fat creams.

Being introduced to, getting familiar with and switching to snacks that are better for your health, taste just as good and are just as accessible is the way to go. These three brands are some of the best alternatives to potato chips. They also offer other types of chips in addition to chickpeas chips, such as lentil, quinoa, black beans and peas chips, which all are just as crave-able.