Chips are an easy grab and go snack, which is why many people get them. They satisfy salty cravings and offer the perfect crunch. Whether it is sour cream and onion, barbecue, ultimate cheese, ranch, or whatever flavors there are nowadays, chips are unnecessary carbs and filled with processed ingredients that harm the body. What if there was an alternative to potato chips, though? Lucky for you, there is.
Have you ever had kale chips? We aren’t talking about store bought kale chips; we are talking about the ones you make at home. They are packed with antioxidants, vitamin K, and plant-based protein. Not only are they healthier than potato chips, they are also more filling, which means that you won’t gobble down the entire lot of them. You should always have a batch of kale chips ready as a healthy snack.
Benefits of Kale
- High in vitamin K, which helps to build strong bones
- High in vitamin A, which helps to promote healthy vision and skin
- Ideal for detoxing, due to the sulfur compounds that enhance the body’s cleansing abilities
- Rich in antioxidants, which help to fight free radicals in the body
- High in fiber, which helps to improve digestion and keep you feeling full
Key Rules For Making Successful Kale Chips
Never Bake
Always dehydrate your kale for the best kale chips. If you don’t have a dehydrator, just put your oven on the lowest temperature and you won’t burn them…unless you leave them in all day.
Don’t Use Too Much Oil
When you use too much oil, it makes it hard for the kale chips to become crunchy. Make sure each leaf is lightly coated in oil to help get an even bite with great crunch.
Eat Quickly
When you make a batch of kale chips, it is always best to eat them right away. If you make several batches and want to save them, store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag after and seal it tight to keep them fresh.
Don’t Over-season
You don’t have to get fancy with your kale chips. Lightly seasoning them with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika will do the trick. If you want, you can lightly dust them with some nutritional yeast. When you dehydrate the chips, the flavors intensify.
Recipe for Kale Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 head of raw kale, washed and stems removed
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 210 degrees F and line a couple baking sheets with silicone baking mats. If you don’t have silicone mats, you can use parchment paper.
- After removing the stems, cut the leaves into 2” chips. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the kale and season with sea salt and pepper. Mix this up with your hands.
- Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, let the chips cool, and enjoy.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
