The Healthy Plantain Chips Snack & Review

I recently noticed a new healthy snack offering in my favorite grocery store  and had to investigate. Plantain Chips! Seems like every veggie and fruit is now being made into a chip. I’ve tried a few of these crispy veggie chips that were not buy again winners; plantain chips intrigued me as we cannot buy fresh plantains due to location and I’ve read so many healthy benefits of the plantain.

What Is A Plantain?

Plantains belong to the banana family. Starch content is high, but sugar content is low. Gluten-free, low sugar, Vitamin A rich, Vitamin C, Potassium rich. These little buddies of the banana are not eaten raw and are many times cooked as a veggie in Caribbean cuisine. Here is a quick recipe for Sauteed Plantains from Chowhound if you have access to fresh plantains.

Availability of Plantains Off The Shelf

Not only is it difficult to find a fresh plantain in the northern United States it is also difficult to find frozen plantains to use in a recipe. I have occasionally found frozen fried plantains in the big box stores or healthy markets; however the pickings are slim. Fresh plantains are available on amazon (of course!) – tempting!

Now On To The Chips: Review

I like the plantain chips. Crispy with a very mild banana flavor. No cholesterol is a bonus. I admit I am not a huge fan of the banana which is partly not the bananas’ fault.  When I’m in the mood for a fresh banana and I look to the kitchen counter and find a brown squishy banana and then when I’m not in the mood … I find on the kitchen counter fresh perky bananas. But I digress, bad banana management.

Pros

Healthy

Crispy

Affordable

Paleo Friendly

Gluten-Free

Cons

As we know healthy snacks are usually not the most affordable. I would classify the Plantain Chips as a medium priced snack offset by the health benefits.

Recommendation: If you like bananas you will like the plantain chips. I’m an unabashed fan of the potato chip, but am always looking for a healthy crispy alternative.

Six Flavors Of Turbana Plantain Chips

Turbana offers six flavors of Plantain Chips. I have tried the Lightly Salted, Sweet and Lime flavored as those were the flavors available at my grocery store. The salt content varies depending on the flavor chosen, but is low; Turbana states the chips have 30% less fat than a potato chip and four ingredients: plantains, vegetable oil, salt and natural flavors.

1. Lightly Salted
2. Sweet
3. Lime
4. Chili
5. Garlic
6. Chili Lime

Further searching on the internet revealed snack size packs available online as well as all six flavors.  I love the idea of snack size servings for easy access anywhere and any time of the day.

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