A Healthier Option: Martin's Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
When it comes to snacking, potato chips often top the list as a tasty, crunchy treat. However, traditional potato chips are typically fried in unhealthy oils and loaded with fat, calories, and sodium.
Enter Martin's kettle cooked potato chips - offering a healthier take on the classic snack. Martin's chips are kettle cooked rather than fried, lending to a crunchier chip with robust potato flavor, while using less oil. But are they really a smarter pick? Let's take a closer look at why Martin's chips may be a better bet for your health.
Kettle Cooking Method Makes a Difference
Martin's potato chips are cooked in small batches using custom-made kettles. The chips are continuously stirred and flipped within the kettle, allowing them to cook evenly while the sugar in the potatoes caramelizes, enhancing flavor.
This kettle cooking technique requires only a fraction of oil compared to deep frying - about 18 cup per batch versus several gallons used in commercial fryers. Less oil equals less fat and calories per serving.
Ingredients Keep it Simple
A quick glance at the ingredient list shows uncomplicated, natural components:
- Potatoes
- Canola and/or safflower oil
- Sea salt
That's it! No lengthy, multi-syllabic chemicals or additives like MSG, artificial flavors or colors that are added to many conventional chips.
Instead, simple, whole ingredients lend to the tasty flavor and crunch already inherent in quality potatoes. This simplicity also avoids unnecessary health effects or reactions caused by synthetic or additive ingredients.
Healthier Oils Used
The oils used to cook Martin's chips - canola and safflower - represent healthier options than oils typically used in fried chips, such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These unhealthy oils are associated with:
- Higher bad LDL cholesterol
- Lower good HDL cholesterol
- Increased inflammation
- Greater risk of heart disease and stroke
In contrast, canola and safflower oils provide mostly monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats - the healthier kinds of fats.
More Nutrient-Dense Potato Choice
Russet potatoes serve as the base for Martin's kettle cooked chips. These potatoes boast higher amounts of:
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Antioxidants
Compared to white potatoes often used to make fried chips. The nutrition in the potato itself makes Martin's chips a little better for you.
Lower in Fat, Calories and Sodium
Thanks to the kettle cooking method and better oils, Martin's chips contain 50% less fat than regular potato chips. They also contain fewer calories and less sodium per serving.
For example, a 1 ounce (about 15 chips) serving provides:
- 140 calories
- 8 grams fat
- 270 milligrams sodium
Versus regular potato chips, with approximately 160 calories, 10 grams fat, and 380 milligrams sodium in the same portion size.
Are Martins Chips the Healthiest Option?
While Martin's kettle cooked chips beat out conventional chips when it comes to nutrition and ingredients, even better options exist when youre aiming for a healthy snack.
Other Healthy Chip Alternatives
Baked potato and veggie chips ditch the frying method altogether. Brands like Simply 7 use crispy vegetables like sweet potatoes or use lentil or chickpea flour as the base instead of potatoes. Most baked chip options are non-GMO, plant based, and free of gluten, cholesterol, and artificial everything.
High protein chips offer a mega serving of protein - were talking 10, 20 even 30 grams per bag! Options like Quest Chips or Protes Chips make the perfect snack for athletes, body builders needing muscle recovery, or those following higher protein diets like paleo or keto.
Bean chips and crackers, usually made from black beans or lentils, cram in extra fiber, protein and nutrients lacking in potato-based chips. Beanitos, Garden of Eatin and Food Should Taste Good lead this group.
The Verdict on Martins Chips
At the end of the day, most nutrition professionals classify Martin's kettle cooked chips as a less unhealthy potato chip option - but still a treat to enjoy in moderation. The simplified cooking method and ingredients help these chips edge out typical fried potato chips.
Yet when you compare Martins to the newest healthy chip options using alternate bases and baking methods, they cant quite compete nutritionally. Still, if you are looking for a quality potato chip to satisfy a craving or snack attack, Martins remains one of the better choices.
Just keep portion sizes in check and enjoy Martins kettle cooked chips as part of an otherwise balanced diet filled with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.
When eaten in moderation alongside nutrient-rich foods, Martins chips can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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