Let’s face it, crunchy potato chips may be small, but they’re highly addictive and contain tons of unhealthy ingredients like trans fats, and sugar. Not to mention the high level of lectins found in potatoes. If you’re following a Gundry-approved eating plan, you know that potatoes and potato types of chips are not a healthy food choice.

But now that fall is here, a whole host of amazing produce is at your fingertips. And the good news is, some of this produce can be made into healthy, Gundry-approved chips.

Read on to learn some healthier alternatives to potato chips that are perfect for lectin-free snacking.

Fat And Calories In Your Snacks: Are Chips Made From Vegetables Healthier Than Potato Chips?

Maybe you’ve seen some veggie chips at your local grocery store. But the question remains – as delicious as these chips sound, are they actually any healthier than the original potato chip?

Well, aside from the fact that potatoes are nightshade veggies and are not included in the gundry diet plan, what about the fat and calorie content?

Truth be told, in most cases, the veggie chips you buy from the store are loaded with excess calories and unhealthy fats and are just as unhealthy as potato chips. Almost all store-bought chips are made with harmful vegetable oils like sunflower and canola oil. However, there is more to worry about when it comes to nightshade vegetables.

The good news is, by making vegetable chips at home, you can get around all of the unhealthy additives and oils. You know every single ingredient involved.

Below are some delicious chip recipes that require only vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). EVOO is low in saturated fats, but high in heart-healthy fatty acids, antioxidants, and polyphenols. It can also aid digestion and support healthy cholesterol. What’s not to like? 7,8

What Kind of Chips Make A Healthy Option? Superfood Chips From Kale, Sweet Potato, And More

Chips may be originally famous as a potato snack, but there’s a whole world of flavor out there in different varieties of chips. Think delicious fall flavors like sweet potatoes, mushrooms, apples, and kale. They also make fantastic snacks to take to a Thanksgiving party.

Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potato is close in texture to the potato – but with far mightier benefits. And baked sweet potatoes take on a wonderful natural caramelization that creates a sweet, almost earthy taste.

They’re also packed with the powerful antioxidant β‐carotene¹

Sweet Potato Chip Recipe

• 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Use a mandoline slicer to cut sweet potatoes into paper-thin rounds. Or use a crinkle-cut setting to create a “ruffles” design.
3. You can also just use a knife to slice.
4. Place all the rounds into a large bowl and pour olive oil over top. Gently toss to ensure that every surface is coated.
5. Lay the rounds onto the baking sheets, in one single layer.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden around the edges.
7. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

For another great sweet potato recipe, you can also check out Dr. G’s holiday sweet potato pie recipe.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are often referred to as “meat for vegetarians” because they’re so packed with essential nutrients, including:

• Selenium
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Vitamin D
• Protein
• Fiber²

With so many vitamins and nutrients, is it any wonder that research touts the health benefits of mushrooms?³ And they’re packed with that tasty “umami” flavor.

Mushroom Chip Recipe

• 1 pound oyster mushrooms (stems removed)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with olive oil until evenly coated.
3. Spread across baking sheets.
4. Bake for about 35 minutes – until crisp.
5. Sprinkle with salt.

For another great mushroom recipe, check out Dr. G’s toasted millet “grits” with mushrooms.

Apples

Apples are a key in-season fruit during the fall and winter and are used in a large variety of holiday dishes. But can an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Well, no. But they’re great eaten in moderation, and in season. Apples contain antioxidants, and they’ve been shown to promote heart health.⁴

Who says chips have to be savory?

Apple Chip Recipe

• 4 apples of any variety (4 apples is about 4 servings)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 225 °F.
2. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Wash and dry the apples.
4. Slice apples as thinly as possible. A mandoline slicer is a wonderful tool, but you can also use a knife.
5. Place apples on the baking sheets in a single layer.
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
7. Bake for about an hour, and then flip each slice and bake for at least another hour.

Kale

By now, you’ve probably heard just how highly nutritious kale is – some would say it’s a superfood. And kale chips are certainly not new.

Kale is high in polyphenols, vitamin C, vitamin A, and β-carotene. Its phytonutrients can help maintain support skin cell production and defend your skin against UV damage.^5,6

Kale Chip Recipe

• One bunch kale leaves, torn or cut into pieces with stems removed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt (or garlic salt)
• Black pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 °F.
2. In a bowl, toss kale with olive oil until evenly coated.
3. Place kale on a couple of baking sheets.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (or seasoning of choice).
5. Bake until crisp – about 12 to 15 minutes.

For another delicious way to get all the health benefits kale has to offer, check out Dr. G’s holiday kale salad recipe.

Spice Up Your Crisps: Add Garlic, Cinnamon And More

Feature a flavor smorgasbord of veggie chips at your next party by really making the flavor profile of those chips pop.
Typically, chips are plain salted in recipes. But if you love to play with herbs and spices, the world is your oyster here. You can go all out on your spice application, depending on your preferences.

Here are some “sprinkling” ingredients to get you started:

• Garlic salt
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Paprika
• Cinnamon (for a sweet touch)
• Spicy BBQ seasoning: paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt(a great snack for grilling)
• Salt + vinegar seasoning: Make a balsamic vinegar and olive oil emulsion before coating your chips for that famous salty/sour combo.

Finally, using devices like mandolines as your slicing method (though optional) make for super easy, quicker chips. These devices are also inexpensive to purchase, so if you’re up for regular batches of these homemade delicacies, it might be a worthy investment.

Learn More:
What To Eat When You’re Starting A Lectin-Free Diet
What You Should Know About Grain-Free Flour (Plus Recipes!)
Dr. Gundry’s Vegan Burger That “Bleeds”

Sources
1.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263096030_Sweet_Potato_Ipomoea_batatas_L_Lam_-_A_Valuable_Medicinal_Food_A_Review
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320875
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1193547
4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442131
5.https://www.livescience.com/50818-kale-nutrition.html
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257702/