There is no shame in loving potato chips. In fact, there is no shame in loving any type of food! This is a topic I’m continually bringing up with my patients, so I might as well write a separate post on it someday. Food should be enjoyable for both your physical and mental well-being. I’m not against having some “normal” chips sometimes, but if a better variety exists that tastes just as good or better, it’s a no brainer. Enter, Coconut Oil Cassava Chips!

In my last article, Dietary Fats 101. How Much And What Kind, I wrote about the inflammatory properties of certain oils. Industrial seed oils that you’ll want to reduce your consumption of include, cottonseed, canola, soy, corn, safflower and sunflower oils. Unfortunately, these oils are used, to varying degrees, in almost every processed food. Fried foods (chips included), salad dressing and mayonnaise, contain high concentrations of these oils, unless you know what brands and ingredients to look for!

Why I like them:

• There are quite a few chip companies that use coconut oil for frying (Jackson’s Chips are another favorite of mine), which is an excellent choice for high heat frying. Coconut oil is stable at high temperatures and isn’t likely to oxidize and create free radicals, which are damaging to our cells. In case you’re wondering, avocado oil is a decent oil, but isn’t stable enough for high heat cooking, like frying.
• So crunchy and thin! These taste so, so good! They also come in a few flavors and types, like plantain and black garlic. Cassava is a starchy root vegetable, similar to a potato.
• I don’t usually have negative things to say about my “featured products,” but these are an exception and I want to be honest in my review. I do notice that the chips at the bottom of the bag are extremely oily. I usually dump them out on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. I’m not that bothered by it, because I know it’s healthful oil.

How I use them:

• I give them to my kids for snack, especially if they are going to day care or school, where other kids have chips or crackers.
• I bring them to parties, so others can try them
• I use them like croutons on my salad or soup, sometimes
• I eat them when I’m in the mood for some chips, obviously

Where you can buy them:

• I found them at Whole Foods and BJ’s, but I’m sure they exist other places. TERRA makes a bunch of other types of chips that aren’t fried in coconut oil, so just read carefully!
• You can use this search, to find stores that carry the Terra Brand.

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