Which are the Best Chemical Free Chips in India? Top 10 Healthier Snack Alternatives

Introduction

If you can’t stop munching on Lay’s, Mad Angles, Kurkure, and similar snacks, then in this article, I am going to share with you five healthier alternatives that are not just as satisfyingly crunchy but also economical and easily available. For this article, I bought, checked, and rejected many so-called healthy options so that you get to snack on the genuine crunchy snacks in the Indian market. best chemical free chips

So, without any further delay, let’s get started. Hello friends! Welcome to My Herbal Hope.

Which are the Best Chips in India?

Have you ever wondered why you can’t eat just one “Chip”? The answer lies in one word, bioengineered. These chips are precisely made in such a way that you can get addicted to them. On top of it, the chip companies add artificial flavors and enhancers. When samples of various popular chips were tested in a laboratory, they were found to contain acrylamide, a known cancer-causing substance produced when something is fried in bad oil. Let’s find best chemical free chips.

Research also found that the crunchier sound a chip makes, the more we like it and want to eat more. That’s where chip companies put additives to bring out that perfect sound. No wonder, binge eating disorder is a real problem in today’s era of ultra-processed food. But don’t worry. There are smarter crunchy options available. Let’s find best chemical free chips.

Top 10 Healthier Snack Alternatives List

Which are the Best Chemical Free Chips in India?

Healthier Chips: Category 5:

1.Healthy Master, Ragi Chips

Made with 85% ragi flour, 10% sabudana, sunflower oil, salt, and spices, these are clearly a decent choice. Compare it with Lay’s, the very first difference lies in the fact that these are baked while Lay’s are deep fried. Though both use refined oils, Lay’s have 35 grams of fat while these have 8.6 grams of fat. Even the quantity of sodium is almost half. Plus, it has no artificial flavors unlike BRB chips, which have now started adding it. “Healthy Master” does have other variants of chips like jowar, oats, quinoa, and palak, but only ragi chips stand out.

2. To Be Honest (TBH), Beetroot Crisps

Another wise option that is not deep-fried but vacuum-fried, which is why the oil used is less. Made using just three ingredients: beetroot, rice bran oil, and Himalayan pink salt, they are worth trying. Again, “TBH” has other variants as well but all others have artificial flavors and additives.

3. Looms and Weaves, Banana Chips

Another healthier option. But they too are fried. The difference is in the oil used. Where ‘Haldiram’ banana chips fried in palm oil will give you trans fats and a load of other problems, “Looms and Weaves” banana chips are fried in wood-pressed coconut oil that will give you the goodness of healthy fats. Had they added rock salt in place of regular salt, it would have been perfect. Anyway, they are crunchy and delicious. Flavors of Calicut, jackfruit chips, and tapioca chips are also healthy and made with just four ingredients.

4. Super Munchies, Jackfruit Chips

Even though they use refined oil, since they are vacuum-cooked, the quantity of fats is very low. Their mango chips are also good while other variants are best rejected. Overall, if you see, all the chips mentioned in this category are not 100% perfect but health-wise, they are still far better than Lay’s and other junk.

Almost Chips: Category 4

1. Khakra

Roasted, not deep-fried, they are chip-like crunchies made with 1/4th the amount of oil. Khakra with achaar is the traditional ‘achaari masti’. We truly need to thank Gujaratis for such an economical product with a damn good taste. Among many substandard options, “Jabsons” millet khakra and wheat khakra are two better ones, also easily available offline.

2. Lijjat Papad

Made using dal flours with sesame oil and spiced accurately, these can be readily roasted and enjoyed as a quick munchie. I have already shared with you a healthy masala papad recipe. It really takes this crispy snack to the next level.

3. Pure and Sure” Palak Chakli

Another Maharashtrian, rice, and chana-based snack deep-fried in cold-pressed sunflower oil. Compare it with “Haldiram Murukku” whose label boasts “rice-based sticks” but when you turn the pack, it has 87% maida while rice is only 6%. This is also fried in palm oil. All in all, these three traditional snacks are “almost chips” that are hard to ignore.

Puffs: Category 3

1. Nourish Organics, Chickpea Baked Popeas Protein Puffs

A healthy version of Natkhat. They can become your chai-time snack, but definitely not Kurkure. Where Kurkure is deep-fried in palm oil, these are baked in organic sunflower oil. These are made using organic chickpeas, brown rice, and maize, while Kurkure has the most inorganic stuff in there. While these are seasoned with a variety of spices, Kurkure has been seasoned with acidity regulators and maltodextrin. Even taste-wise, they have done well.

2. Slurrp Farm Khatta Meetha Puffs

Out of many puff varieties, the ‘khatta meetha version’ is the one I recommend. Made using millet, sweetened with desi khaand without any food additives, it’s an appetizing option to munch on.

3. Green Habit” Millet Puffs

They have jowar, ragi, and bajra kurmura which are 100% puffed millet snacks. Top these up with chopped onion, cucumber, rock salt, black pepper, and chaat masala and they are a treat for your tastebuds.

4. Haim Brown Rice Cake

Another option that fits into this category. Made using puffed brown rice, quinoa, chia seeds, rock salt, and black pepper, when topped with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, they are not just super crispy but a high-protein snack as well.

Nutritious Snacks: Category 2

Being nutrient-dense, just a handful of nuts is good enough to satisfy those munchy cravings.

1. Jabsons Khari Sing

Truly the best in the market. Where the popular “Haldiram” has compromised their salted peanuts by roasting them in palm oil, these are not only roasted without oil but are also seasoned with Himalayan pink salt.

2. Lagom Gourmet, Dry Roasted Unsalted Cashews

They have just one ingredient.

3. Forest Found, Goan Whole Cashews and Cheddar Cheese Cashews

Two good options if you enjoy roasted pistachios. Rather than “TATA SAMPANN” which comes with regular salt, prefer “Happilo” pink salted roasted pistachios.

4. Fox Nuts (Makhana)

If you want to cut that extra fat and age slowly, add fox nuts to your snack list. Easily available offline, if you simply dry roast them, they get crunchy. Season them with your favorite spices. I personally like them with pudina flavor. “Nutriorganics” rock salt and black pepper makhana being roasted in olive oil are a health threat. On the other hand, “Mr. Makhana” offers artificial flavor enhancers and maltodextrin in the name of health. The story is no different for “Farmley” makhana.

4. Seeds

“True Elements” 5-in-1 mix seeds are a careful blend of roasted pumpkin, sunflower, flax, watermelon, and chia seeds with rosemary extract. Being rich in antioxidants, seeds not only reduce inflammation which is the root cause of many diseases but they are also filling. Take not more than 25 grams of seeds in one serving.

5. Bhuna Chana

Super rich in protein, this is one snack you can grab and go from any grocery store. Bhuna chana tastes good just like that. However, if you want, you can make its spicy version by sauteing the spices in mustard oil and then mixing bhuna chana into it. Or you can enjoy bhuna chana chaat by adding finely chopped vegetables into it.

7. Chana Jor Garam

Another authentic Indian snack. Ditch Haldiram and try “Matravata” which has all top-class ingredients. It’s time we get over Haldiram or else Haldiram will make sure that we get over soon.

Bonus Options: Category 1

1. Popcorn

A go-to movie time snack. “Act 2” popcorn has more fillers than kernels of popcorn. Make them at home in 5 minutes using only desi ghee, turmeric, and rock salt.

2. Cucumber with a Dip

Simply cut the cucumber into long thin slices, and enjoy them with a dip. “Boombay” dips are one healthy option.

3. Mixture

In a bowl, mix millet puffs with roasted peanuts, cashews, seeds, and bhuna chana. Mix well and it’s ready. Once made, you can even store it in a container and delve into it when needed.

Outstanding and Healthier Options

1. Nourish Organics

One crunchy snack that stands out in terms of taste. They truly deserve the tagline ‘taste bhi health bhi’.

2. BRB, Best Organic Chemical-free Chip

Better than “Lay’s”. Yes, they are not ideal in terms of ingredients. But considering that they are not deep-fried but popped, they are far healthier than Lay’s. More importantly, taste-wise it’s an easy switch.

3. Jackson Khakhra

An offline king, easily found in every big or small store.

4. Pure & Sure, Palak Chakli

Value-for-money product considering the quality of ingredients used at 80 rupees for 200gm, its price is the same as Lay’s. And you might also find it offline.

How to Choose the Right Crunchy Snacks?

In a nutshell, when it comes to crunchy snacks, we should prefer roasted, popped, and vacuum-cooked rather than deep-fried. Check the label; if the pack doesn’t explicitly mention the former three methods, be sure that it’s deep-fried. Now, see what oil has been used to fry it. If it has been deep-fried in edible oil or even worse palm oil, avoid it. A deep-fried snack is acceptable only if it is deep-fried in cold-pressed or wood-pressed oils. Note that ‘nature identical flavors’ is another name for ‘artificial flavors’.

Avoid Chips Having These Ingredients

Any snack which has one or more of these ingredients is best skipped: palm oil, flavor enhancers, milk solids, maltodextrin, dextrose, disodium guanylate – 627, artificial flavor, sodium dioxide, nature identical flavors, acidity regulators, color, anticaking agent, E631 disodium inosinate, E635.

Conclusion

There are many products in the Indian market which at first glance seem to be healthy, but when you check their ingredients, their true story is revealed. Of course, none of these options can replace fresh home-cooked foods, but still, these, in my opinion, are among the best in this product category. I want to confirm that I am not with or against any brand. I am just like you, a consumer, who is looking to buy genuine and value-for-money products. hope you find your best chemical free chips.

The unsponsored links to the good snacks have been linked in the description box. You can check them out. All those big giants care about is money.

Which are the Best Chemical Free Chips in India?