Potato chips are one of my weaknesses—I can hardly resist a bag of salty, crunchy chips. Recently, though, I read an article that made me think twice about snacking on chips.
"When potato products are fried in oil at high temperatures, they produce a chemical called acrylamide that can cause cancer. And a new study in the British Journal of Cancer adds to the mounting evidence against the chemical, showing that acrylamide is associated with a 20 percent increased risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women."
Yikes! So that means that even the potato chips labeled as organic, are made with higher quality oils and ingredients, and put in good, chemical-free packaging are still fried in oil at high temperatures, making them not so good for you.
I've made homemade potato chips with coconut oil and had good success with it. Coconut oil can withstand higher heat than olive oil, which damages easily when heated to too high a temperature. But, making potato chips can be a little messy and time consuming. So, a healthy alternative to frying up potatoes is baked whole wheat pita chips. Flavor them with coarse salt and other fresh herbs for a delicous snack or to accompany soup, hummus, cooked beans, salsa, or guacamole.
Shopping List:
• Whole wheat pita bread (Choose organic, if possible, and avoid products that contain bleached flour and sugar). Good pita bread does not have many ingredients.)
• Course Salt
• Pepper
• Herbs of choice (I love rosemary on my pita chips)
• Melted Coconut oil (melt slowly over low heat) or olive oil
Directions: Cut round pita in half, in half again, and each piece in half again to get little, 2-inch triangles. Place them on a baking sheet and brush them with oil. Top with coarse salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Let cool and store in an air-tight container or ziplock bag to keep fresh.
Thanksgiving is just a week and a half away! We've got your healthy meal all planned out for you. Download our healthy thanksgiving recipes to avoid all the sugar and preservatives and feel great.
Don't stress about meal planning. Take some time this week to prepare pies or muffins and freeze them, making them easy to pull out of the freezer and thaw out the night before your feast.
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