Healthy Snack for School Parties: Sweet Potato Chips
May 14, 2012 | Posted by Stacy under Healthy school snacks |
Need a healthy snack idea for a classroom party? I adore just about every chip flavor from Food Should Taste Good. But with 175 percent of the daily value for Vitamin A and 3 grams of fiber per serving (about 1 ounce or 15 chips), the kettle cooked Original Sweet Potato Chips really take the cake. They contain just three ingredients: sweet potatoes, sunflower oil and sea salt. They’re certified vegan and gluten free. And at 140 milligrams, the sodium content isn’t off the charts.
In case you’re curious, here’s a little more about how they’re prepared, courtesy of Food Should Taste Good:
“We start with domestically sourced, high quality sweet potatoes. We then slice them directly into high quality sunflower oil, one batch at a time. Our sunflower oil has a higher percentage of monounsaturated fat than traditional sunflower oil and is free of trans fat and cholesterol. The sweet potato slices are cooked at a lower temperature than traditional potato chips and are stirred by hand throughout the process.”
While the chips may not have sent them into the same kind of nirvana as, say, Pringles or Barbeque Lays, my kids happily devoured them and clamored for more.
The sweet potato chips also come in flavors such as Barbeque, Salt & Vinegar and Salt & Pepper (a tad spicy for my kiddos).
MORE HEALTHY SCHOOL SNACK IDEAS:
- Healthy school parties: 18 fun cupcake alternatives (plus, ways to celebrate without food!)
- Smart Snack of the Week: Chickpea Poppers
- Smart Snack of the Week: Fruit & Veggie Stoplights
Yes! FSTG makes dangerously delicious bags of goodness. My son loves them and so do I (a bit too much…to the point where portion control becomes a challenge–for me, anyway!).
Great blog!
Parents really need to be cautious about sweet potato chips. They carry 140 calories per one ounce, a regular potato chip carries 150 calories and they have the same dry, salty characteristics as white potato chips that lead to overeating. Thay also replace foods such as fruits and vegetables that improve health and are lacking inalmost every child in America. We nutritionists use to love sweet potatoes because they were not fried or turned into chips, but we can’t say that any more. A chip is a chip– I call them party foods not growing foods.
Thanks for the feedback, Eileen. I must admit that I’m shocked to hear that a chip with 175 percent of the Daily Value for Vitamin A wouldn’t be considered a “growing food.” But I think it reflects the plight of parents today. What foods ARE good to feed our kids? My children get tired of eating fruits and veggies (Ok, my boys won’t even eat veggies) and I want to make them feel “normal” by giving them chips. And packaged snacks are just a fact of life for many busy families. To me, these seem like a much better alternative to Doritos. But as Alexa also points out, they are easy to overeat. So be sure to dole out individual portions–don’t eat right out of the bag!
Hi Stacy choosing snacks can be very tricky. You are right, for a chip, sweet potato chips are a really good source of vitamin A but a real sweet potato, carrots or cantaloupe are great sources too, and most kids will not overeat these foods so mom and dad do not have to monitor. Your advice to dole out single size servings is a good and maybe serve the chips with some sliced fruit too.
Here is a link to some snack ideas I suggest. http://www.fortheloveoffood.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/25-Snack-Ideas-for-Kids1.pdf