I don't eat chips often, but when I do

Before Fitbloggin, I had never tried Popchips. Sure, I'd seen them around - in the vending machine at work, at our on-campus cafe, at Whole Foods - but I hadn't taken the time to give them a try. They were one of the generous sponsors for Fitbloggin and made lots and lots of bags of their chips available throughout the conference, so I gave them a try. And I'm hooked.

Now you guys know that I'm having to re-think my diet pretty much top to bottom, cutting out all fried foods and most white foods, including potatoes, so traditional potato chips are totally out the door. Too many empty calories, too much fat, and, frankly, I hate the greasy feeling my hands have afterwards. Not so with Popchips. At just 100 calories a bag for my very favorite Sea Salt & Vinegar flavor with only 3g of fat (0 g saturated or transfats!) and 16g of carbs (plus 1g of fiber - bonus), I can still fit Popchips into my life as an occasional snack without guilt. (And guilt releases stress hormones which elevate my blood sugar, so I'm on a guilt diet, too.) As you can see in the picture below, even a really good bag of traditional chips comes in at nearly double the calories and contains saturated fat - guilt city. Popchips aren't fried or baked, they're popped, so they contain a lot less fat with all of the flavor of traditional chips.

It's not often that the whole family agrees on anything, but all four of us are now fans of Popchips. TCB loves the Salt and Pepper flavor, Candace (our 19 year old college student) loves Sour Cream and Onion, and Brandon (our 21 year old with brand new apartment) and his roommate love all of them (let's be honest, if it's food, they're all over it) but, when pressed for a favorite, said, "Barbecue," while finishing off a bag of that flavor.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a case of Popchips to review and to share with my family for their thoughts. The opinions I've expressed above are my own and reflect my true feelings. (Heck, I've even bought a few bags from the vending machine at work when I'm unprepared for the 3:00 pm munchies!)