let the chips fall where they may {cooking}

i love chips.

potato chips, tortilla chips, pita chips, bagel chips, doritos (cause they're in a category of their own that could also be called 'freaking delicious'). i love them.

so i stopped eating normal chips awhile ago and now eat popchips, baked tortilla chips, and whole grain pita chips. good, right?

let's do even better.

first, i will never be able to top popchips so i won't even try. but the other two, i've found a way to make even healthier and consequently more affordable. and best of all, really easy.

homemade pita chips:

this is the pita that i buy - kind of. of all days for whole foods to be out of the whole wheat version, it was today when i was going to make these for you. but these are still good for you. i'll give you the nutrition info when we're done. you'll see.

get out your cookie sheets. you'll be able to fit 2 pitas on each sheet.

i put them different ways so that i can separate them easily after their cooked and i can know the exact nutrition in each serving. (and to keep it portion controlled, duh.)

DO NOT BRUSH THEM WITH OIL OR SALT THEM. 

completely unnecessary. this is where you're benefiting from making them yourself. much less sodium, less fats (even though they can be good fats, sometimes they're not) and less preservatives.

cook them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes if you like them toasted (soft in the middle still) or 15 minutes if you want them more 'chip'-like. you could even do longer if you want them reallllly crunchy.

let them stay on the sheets for 1-2 minutes and then transfer them to a plate to cool. keep the servings separated! let them cool completely before you put them in plastic bags or containers. i learned the hard way - moisture will make them go bad if they're not completely cooled first.

reasons i love these: no oil, no salt. 

here's the stats: first, there are 200 calories in a serving. i know what you're thinking - "my pita chips only have like 130 calories! fail, rachel."

oh young grasshopper, let me show you the error of your thinking. each of these servings of pita chips has 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of fiber. check that against your bagged chips. TOTALLY worth the extra 70 calories.

i've found my favorite (non-homemade) hummus. 

you can also find this at whole foods. it's my favorite. NO OIL!

now, i'm not anti olive oil or fats. i know where healthy fats can be found and i incorporate them into my diet daily. however, i don't like putting things in where they're not necessary. this hummus is perfect without oil. it's also completely natural with no preservatives.

you can have 6 tbsp of this and a serving of the chips for lunch for 284 calories and make out like a bandit with 9 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein.

are you sold yet?

homemade tortilla chips:

the exact same process. 350 degrees for 15-19 minutes. NO OIL OR SALT.

i love these. not completely natural/organic but nothing in it that makes me sad. you can find them at kroger. they are also realllllly delish with turkey tacos.

i also make sure i separate these too for portion control.

let these cool completely too. 

i'll be honest. they're not near as delish to eat alone as the pita chips are. but for me, not wanting to munch on tortilla chips senselessly is appealing. :) it was a vice. besides, salsa has SO much flavor, the chip is just a way to not look crazy eating it with a spoon.

the facts:

one serving has 71 calories (that's IT!), 8 grams of protein and (GET THIS!) 12 grams of fiber. 

if you're not sold yet, i have no hope for you.

like i've said before, it's not just about changing the kind of foods you want to eat, it's about making the ones you do want even better for you.