Chips, Fries & Popcorn
Calling out all chips – blue corn chips, veggie chips, multi-grain chips, and baked potato chips! Much like ice cream or other indulgent snacks, they seem to always be there in a time of need. The cravings for sweet and salty snacks is common for most, but can easily be replaced with healthier alternatives that provide that sweet or salty fix we’re craving (see below!)
The trouble is that most chips contain trans fats that can increase cholesterol levels, leading to an increase in coronary heart disease. If you’re thinking blue corn chips, multigrain chips, veggie chips or otherwise are healthier for you, we hate to burst your bubble, but they’re not. Calorie, fat and sodium counts are still going to be at elevated levels and lacking the true nutrition your body needs to stay properly fueled.
Fries, along with other fried foods, are oftentimes cooked in harmful oils and trans fats. When foods are baked or fried at high temperatures, a carcinogen called acrylamide is produced, which has been shown to increase cancer risk in mice. However, more studies need to be done on how this carcinogen affects humans.1 Our suggestion? It’s probably best to steer clear of greasy fried foods.
Sadly, microwaved popcorn is also another ostensibly healthy snack that actually isn’t so healthy. There are three main culprits that cause this: 1) carcinogens (there’s that word again), otherwise thought of as cancer-causing free radicals; 2) perfluorochemicals (PFCs) which help make the bags more greaseproof and also have been linked to thyroid disease, ADHD, and other illnesses, and lastly; 3) diacetyl, another cancer-causing chemical (found in the artificial fats).
Phew. That’s a lot of health negatives, not to mention the excessive amounts of sodium! Pop your own kernels to negate a lot of these issues.