Pita chips are a versatile, healthier snack made from pita bread. They can be flavored with herbs and served with dips, and are often a better option than other types of chips due to their lower cholesterol, saturated fat, and calorie content. Homemade or minimally processed options are recommended for optimal health benefits.
Pita chips are cracker-like snacks made from dry bread. They are often eaten with a variety of dips or are topped with hummus as an appetizer. Homemade potato chips are relatively easy to make, although commercial varieties also exist. Some chips come pre-packaged like crackers, while others are marketed more like chips might be—that is, seasoned, salted, and individually wrapped. Pita chips, like the bread they come from, are a very versatile food.
Most pita chips start out as pita bread. Pita bread is a type of baked flatbread, usually round in shape, that is popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Making chips from pita bread is usually as simple as cutting the bread into wedges or squares, then toasting, baking or lightly frying it.
The flavor of the chips is usually dictated first by the flavor of the baked bread underneath. Whole Wheat Pitas, for example, will make whole wheat pita chips; the same goes for garlic pita breads or roasted pepper pita breads. It is also possible to add flavors to buns as they toast.
Cooks often sprinkle pitas with oil and herbs before cutting them into slices to infuse flavor. The heat from toasting or frying will cause the herbal essences to sink into the bread. This creates a more robust flavored chip, without much effort.
Pita chips are often served with dips, which is another way of adding a unique flavor. One of the more traditional accompaniments to potato chips is hummus, a Middle Eastern spread made with chickpeas and spices. Almost any dip or spread can be added to pita bread, however, from bean dips to vegetable toppings.
Commercially prepared pita chips are often sold alongside other snack foods, such as potato chips and corn chips. While pita varieties may include some of the same spices and flavorings as other nearby potato chips, they’re almost always a healthier option. Many health food experts recommend replacing pita-style potato chips with other higher-calorie potato chips in order to manage weight and maintain better health.
More often than not, a pita chip is lower in cholesterol than other varieties of chips, and many are free of saturated fat. They are also often less caloric. Depending on the brand and flavor, they may also contain less sodium.
Just because potato chips contain fewer harmful ingredients and lower percentages of unwanted additives doesn’t necessarily make them healthy. They may be a better choice than other types of chips, but that doesn’t automatically make them a good choice. Many of the health benefits of homemade potato chips are lost with extensive processing. A diet that recommends pita chips probably means unprocessed or minimally processed pita chips.
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