For sheer crispy, crunchy deliciousness, the potato chip is tough to beat. It’s no wonder, then, that Americans spend more than $7 billion a year on the salty snack. Not coincidentally, it’s also one of the top dietary contributors to weight gain, according to a recent Harvard study.

Potato Chips are the number one of unhealthy foods because they…

…provide empty calories.These kinds of foods are high in calories but have little or no nutritional value. Donuts are a good example of empty calorie foods. If you eat one standard donut, you will get about 200 calories – mostly from fat and sugar. There are little or no vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in donuts.

…don’t have enough fiber. Low fiber means it will be much harder for your body to get the residue out the food of your system after you’ve digested it. A good example of a food low in fiber would be white bread. Two slices of white bread will give you only about 1 gram of fiber. Not nearly enough for a healthy gut.

…take nutrients from your body and leave you more nutritionally deficient than before you ate them. A good example would be soda pop drinks that are high in caffeine, sugar, and phosphorus. These drinks do not provide your body with any nutrition. They are full of caffeine, sugar, and phosphorus which cause your body to lose calcium from your bones.

Here are 5 Alternatives

Homemade Apple Chips Recipe
Recipe adapted from the Food Network’s Alexandra Guarnaschelli
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 to 3 lemons, juiced
2 small, crisp apples, such as Granny Smith, Royal Gala or Winesap, washed and dried

In a small pot, combine the water and sugar and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Set aside to cool. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut each apple, placing the core end of the apple in front of the blade, into thin rounds. Remove the seeds as you cut and sprinkle slices with lemon juice. Submerge slices in the syrup and allow them to “rest” for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Remove apples from the syrup and lightly dry them on a paper towel. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 60 mins.

Homemade Tera Taro Chips Recipe
Recipe adapted from TuristaChef at PopSugar
1 large taro, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp salt (try roasted sea salt, if you have it)
1 tbsp Spanish olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash, peel and slice taro root into quarter-inch-thick slices, using a mandoline. Brush olive oil on each side of taro slices. Place slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 mins. on each side or until golden crisp. Watch carefully to avoid burning!

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips Recipe
Recipe contributed to Food.com by “WaterMelon.” Spice mix recipe from Simple Comfort Food
1 large sweet potato, unpeeled, washed, and dried
For spice blend:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika

Heat oven to 200°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper. Slice potato crosswise, as thin as possible. Coat slices with spice blend, then arrange on the prepared sheets, and keep them from touching as much as possible. Cook for 50 mins. Slices will dehydrate and shrink.

Turn chips over, and rotate baking sheets if needed for even cooking. Cook 30 to 40 more mins., until slices are crisped and fluted around the edges and the centers are still orange, not brown. Chips will be soft when removed from oven and will crisp as they cool.

Cool chips on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, up to three days.

Homemade Kale Chips Recipe
Recipe from KalynsKitchen.com
1 small bunch of kale, about 6 oz.
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar, optional (Spanish sherry vinegar is especially good)
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard, then tear the kale leaves into same-size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry pieces, then put them in a large Ziploc bag or bowl. Add half of the olive oil, seal bag and squeeze, distributing the oil evenly on the kale pieces. Add rest of olive oil and squeeze the bag further, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly “massaged.” Sprinkle vinegar over the leaves, then reseal and shake bag to distribute vinegar throughout.

Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until they are mostly crisp, about 35 mins. Check every 10 mins. or so and turn pieces over as needed. When chips are done to your liking, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and eat immediately.

Homemade Plantain Chips Recipe
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
2 green plantains, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Thinly slice the peeled fruit using a mandoline. In a bowl, toss plantain slices with olive oil, spices and salt. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 17 mins., turning slices over after about 8 mins. Watch closely after turning, since the chips can burn quickly. Remove from oven and serve.