Introduction
A manufactured snack that is crunchy, salty, and frequently compared to potato chips is called veggie straws. They are promoted as a healthier alternative to potato chips, a tasty snack, and a way to eat more vegetables.
Despite the fact that there are several brand choices, Sensible Portions’ Garden Veggie Straws, Sea Salt was the first and the original. They are a kosher-certified, gluten-free product that makes the claim that it contains no components from GMOs and doesn’t contain any artificial tastes or preservatives.
On the website of a well-known veggie straw company, their straws are described as “a better-for-you snack made from garden-grown potatoes and ripe vegetables. It has 130 calories, 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 220mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrates, 0g fiber, less than 1g protein, and 6% of the daily value for calcium, 4% for iron, and 4% for potassium per 1 oz piece, about 38 straws.
According to its claims, each serving of 38 vegetable straws includes 30% less fat than the leading potato chip, or 7g of fat in comparison to the leading potato chip’s 10g of fat per 28g serving.
How are they produced?
These chips are created from the following according to the ingredient list on the product package:
- Potato starch, potato flour, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil, spinach powder, tomato paste, salt, cane sugar, corn starch, potassium chloride, turmeric (color), beetroot powder (color), sea salt.
- The first three ingredients of this snack are a mixture of vegetable oils, potato starch, and potato flour.
- To create an airy, crispy, and tasty result, the chips are deep-fried.
Are Veggie Straws Good for You?
In comparison to the standard potato chip, which has about 150 calories per ounce, veggie straws contain fewer calories per ounce. It might create a pleasing snack due to the crunchy texture and the variety of shapes available in the chips or straws.
These vegetable straws aren’t precisely the same as eating actual vegetables because they’re manufactured from processed potato starch and flour, tomato paste, and spinach powder. Most of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that are present in fresh, frozen, and even canned vegetables are lost once the vegetables are dried or processed into flour, powder, or paste.
In comparison to choosing the healthy alternative of vegetables, processing results in a product that is higher in fat and lower in nutrients. The fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables that you would normally consume as a side dish or in a salad for lunch should not be replaced with these vegetable straws.
Although the calories in these vegetable chips may be slightly lower than in potato chips, the sodium content is higher. In comparison to potato chips, which typically have 180 mg per ounce, one ounce of veggie straws has 220 mg.
The high sodium content of veggie straws raises questions about how often one should consume them. Overconsumption of sodium is associated with hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease. Vegetable straws could be regarded as a dishonestly unhealthy food, one that advertises itself as nourishing but in reality offers little in the way of nutrition and may be high in sugar, fat, or sodium.
Despite the product’s lack of actual health advantages, marketing decisions made on the front of the packaging, including the inclusion of the word “veggie,” may encourage consumers to have a favorable attitude toward the product and be more ready to buy it.
Despite its popularity, this snack is not all that different from other chips, which are frequently criticized for having poor nutritional value. The overall quality of your nutrition and other lifestyle choices, however, significantly influence your chance of contracting noncommunicable diseases like heart disease.
Do veggie straws contain vegetables in reality?
Potatoes dominate veggie straws, with trace amounts of tomato powder and spinach. In comparison to what would be in a conventional potato chip, it doesn’t seem like enough spinach or tomato powder was utilized to give extra nutrients. Veggie straws don’t have any fiber and are probably not going to help with digestion.
The ingredient lists for veggie straws do not include any substances that contain gluten. Before consuming a product, always check with the manufacturer for information on allergens and contamination risk.
Milk is present in some flavors of veggie straws. Despite not having any other top allergies listed on the ingredient list, they are nonetheless made at a facility that handles other allergens. Before consuming a product, always get the ingredient and allergen information from the food producer.
Not an alternative to vegetables
Enjoy these starchy veggie straws as a snack and pair them with a nutritious dish, such as hummus or guacamole, to add healthy fat and more nutrients. You are not getting enough vegetables if you eat these veggie straws.
Even though Veggie Straws contain spinach, they have about the same amount of iron per serving as regular potato chips, indicating that the spinach added to these chips is probably insignificant. Your daily recommended amounts of vegetables can be obtained from fresh, frozen, canned, or even 100% vegetable juice.
It’s important to keep an eye on the nutritional content of your diet and consume enjoyable products, like veggie straws, in moderation.
Some snack you can have:
- Air-fried veggies
- Raw veggies with a dip
- Baked chips
- Smoothies
- Roasted chickpeas
- Vegetable salads
Conclusion
Veggie straws can be a wonderful choice if you’re in the mood for something crispy to snack on. You have healthier alternatives when you want to indulge a little, even though they aren’t as nutrient-dense as crunchy vegetables.
Balance and observing portion amounts are key. Consider the length of the ingredient list, the amount of sodium, the serving size, and the number of calories when choosing a snack. Never forget that maintaining your health and well-being requires consuming a good diet at all times especially if you have a weakened immune system and are prone to disease.