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Pita chips are known for their crunch and are most often enjoyed with dips. They generally have fewer grams of fat than traditional chips and sometimes come with a gram or two of fiber. While this doesn’t automatically make pita chips nutritious, it does give them an edge over other salty snacks. However, there are a few considerations to consider when selecting healthy pita chips.
There are some key differences among potato chips, corn chips, and pita chips. One is that pita chips are generally baked instead of fried. While they are still prepared with oil, being baked allows them to provide fewer grams of fat and calories. Additionally, pita chips are made from pita bread. This means they contain gluten, while potato and corn chips are gluten-free. This may not make a significant difference for most people, but those with wheat and gluten sensitivities may consider avoiding pita chips. Read on to learn more about how we chose our top pita chip contenders.
How We Chose the Healthiest Pita Chips
Chips are often a source of empty calories, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be part of a balanced diet. When choosing pita chips, here are three factors to take into account.
- Fiber: This essential nutrient is key in differentiating pita chip brands. Options that provide 1 gram of fiber made our best list, with shoutouts to brands that provide multiple grams.
- Sodium: Chips are a savory food, but some options provide far less sodium than others. We looked for options containing 300 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
- Protein: Although pita chips aren’t known for their protein content, options with more than 2 grams of this filling nutrient had an edge when evaluating the healthiest choices.
Best Pita Chips
Best: Simple Mills Veggie Pita Crackers
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 140
Fat: 6 g (Saturated fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 270 mg
Carbs: 21 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 2 g
In addition to providing more fiber than other options on our list, one of the unique features of the Simple Mills Pita Chips is they are made with a veggie blend. Sweet potato, parsnip, and celery root are the top ingredients in these chips. You’ll also find sunflower and flax seeds in the ingredient list, which allows this option to provide more healthy fats than others on our list.
Best: Stacy’s Pita Thins
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 4 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 190 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 3 g
Although these thin pita chips don’t quite have a whole gram of fiber per serving, they have other redeeming qualities. With 3 grams of protein, no added sugar, and the lowest sodium content on our list, Stacy’s Pita Thins are a decent pita chip option, although they aren’t the best of the best.
Best: Zesty Z
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 210 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 3 g
One of the main reasons Zesty Z pita chips made our healthiest list is their impressive fiber content. These chips are made from wheat flour, which gives them a whopping 6 grams of fiber per serving. They also contain 3 grams of protein and have one of the lowest sodium counts on our list.
Best: Cedar’s Original Pita Chips
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 300 mg
Carbs: 15 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 3 g
Cedar’s Original Pita Chips are another great option that provides only 100 calories per serving. Although they have less fiber, they still provide 1 gram of fiber and only 15 grams of carbohydrates. With no added sugar and a simple ingredient list, this option is one of the better pita chips available.
Best: Brewer’s Baked Pita Chips
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 120
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 3 g
With a similar ingredient profile to our first two options, Brewer’s pita chips are slightly higher in calories and provide 1 gram of added sugar. However, they are under the sodium limit and meet our fiber and protein requirements, allowing them to make our best list.
Best: Aplenty Sea Salt Pita Chips
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 140
Fat: 6 g (Saturated fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 190 mg
Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 3 g
This Amazon pita chip brand is another option to consider. With only 19 grams of carbs, these chips are one of the lower-carb options on our best list, making them healthy pita chips.
Worst Pita Chips
Worst: Ritz Original Toasted Chips
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 4.5 g (Saturated fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 21 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 2 g
This Ritz option is an alternative to traditional pita chips, although its nutrition missed our marks. With zero fiber, 3 grams of added sugar, and 2 grams of protein, this chip is better skipped. You’ll get a little iron and calcium in this option, but that doesn’t compensate for the recipe’s lack of fiber and added sugar.
Worst: Town House Pita Crackers
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 70
Fat: 2.5 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 140 mg
Carbs: 11 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 1 g
Although these pita crackers made our worst list, they have some redeeming qualities. This option has the fewest calories, grams of fat, and carbs on our entire list. Unfortunately, it has the lowest protein content and less than 1 gram of fiber. There are healthier options available; however, these aren’t the worst of the worst.
Worst: Pretzelized Pretzel Pita Chips
Nutrition (Per serving):
Calories: 130
Fat: 4.5 g (Saturated fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 430 mg
Carbs: 20 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 3 g
This option is a pretzel-based twist on traditional pita chips. Unfortunately, pretzels aren’t known for their fiber content, which is shown in this nutrient panel. This option also provides the highest amount of sodium on our list. It contains 3 grams of protein, which isn’t enough to keep it off our worst list.
Melissa Rifkin, MS, RDN, CDN