I was at the beach on Sunday and I ate more chips and crackers than I had in a long time. There’s something about summer activities that just scream chips and crackers. Maybe it’s that they’re always out during outdoor hangs, making it all too easy to mindlessly munch. In the spirit of summer snacking, I thought I’d share all my chip and cracker thoughts so you can set some boundaries and have some feel-good options.
First a quick nutrition lesson. When I think of the nutrition quality of a food, I’m thinking of three things:
Macronutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrate ratio and effect on blood sugar balance. This will influence your energy levels, cravings, weight, and more.
Micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants required for optimal health. Your body needs a wide range of these nutrients in smaller quantities to function.
Toxic load: chemical exposure (including herbicides and pesticides), microplastics, etc.
All chips and crackers are processed. Some more than others. Some have good macros but not great micros and others have good micros but not great macros. Here’s a breakdown of my favorites and why, plus some tips on how to best enjoy them.
CRACKERS:
Overall best
Brad’s Plant-Based Veggie Flats
Amazing macros: 3 grams of net carbs, 4 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein per serving. They’re also made with all organic ingredients including cauliflower (I know, we’re over it, but you really can’t taste it), garbanzo beans, and nutrient-dense seeds like chia, pumpkin, and flax. They’re widely available and taste good too. A+++
Honorable mentions
Flackers
From a nutrition perspective, these are a 10/10. 1 gram net carbs, 9 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and all organic ingredients. They’re also easy to find, but they don’t taste as good as the Brad’s IMO.
Ella’s Flats
I looooove these—excellent macros (0 grams net carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 8 gram of protein). They would be top of my list, but they’re not organic, they’re non-GMO. I actually messaged them and they told me they have certificates from their suppliers showing undetectable levels of glyphosate and other chemicals (they even sent me a screenshot of the certificate, which I appreciate). They’re expensive and not as easy to find, but I still buy and eat them.
Top Seedz
These are the most delicious of all the crackers in the post. They’re also the most expensive, and the macros are good but not quite as good as the Brads, Flackers, or Ella’s Flats.
Others worth noting
I would give all these an A+ for being organic but they have a lot of carbs, which means they’re hard to stop eating and will spike your blood sugar. I would recommend having these with something high protein, like cheese, black bean dip, hummus, or smoked salmon.
- Mary’s Gone
- Edward & sons
- Jovial Organic Sourdough
CHIPS:
The two issues I see with chips are that they’re high in carbs and usually have seed oils. Unless we’re going down the kale chip route, there isn’t a chip version of Brad’s Veggie Flats or Top Seedz.
For blood sugar balancing, you’re aways going to want to dip your chip. It is *very* easy to eat more than one serving and having a more nutrient-dense dip will help with portion control. Guacamole, black bean dip, and cottage cheese are great options, and I’m not mad at some fully loaded nachos either.
Overall Best
MASA tortilla chips
These are made with organic corn and beef tallow and they are second to none. Very expensive for a chip, so don’t share.
Honorable mentions
Siete
The Blue Corn Tortilla Chips are the only organic tortilla chips that I could find that did not have seed oil (they’re made with avocado oil). The other Siete chips (made with cassava flour) are non GMO, but they’re not organic — more on that below.
Torres
Made with Spanish potatoes and extra virgin olive oil. They are not organic, but the potatoes are from Spain, which means less pesticides to begin with.
12 Tides
These are not really chips, they’re puffed kelp chips, but the ingredients are organic and there are no seed oils. They still have a lot of carbs though.
Late July
These do have seed oils, but they’re organic, so I think it’s the best grocery store option if you can’t find Siete or Masa. If you need to buy chips for a party, get these, but I would not have these as part of your weekly grocery shop. I honestly hesitated to include these, but I know sometimes you might need a party chip option, so here it is.
There are other non GMO potato chips that use avocado or olive oil, but they’re not organic. These options include Boulder Canyon and Thrive Market.
Comparing labels. I love a brand with better ingredients, but you have to be diligent to check the macros as well. When you compare the nutrition label of Siete with Tostitos (below), the macros are almost identical (28g serving = 17g net carbs). The difference is the lack of seed oils, use of cassava instead of corn, and non-GMO ingredients. They are not organic.
For other snacky things like popcorn, puffs, etc. I’d go for Lesser Evil. Remember, these are not low carb foods, but they’re organic and don’t have seed oils.