AlternaChips: As Seen on Vital Juice

If you aren't subscribed to Vital Juice Daily yet, sign up today. I love their e-newsletter. It's brief, fun, and gives great information about healthy living.

Last week they had an e-newsletter that talked about "alternachips". These are healthy alternatives to the usual potato chip that all sound delicious. Have you tried any of these yet?

Here is what Vital Juice had to say:

Move over, Spud. The latest healthy chips are gluten-free, not fried and pack unexpected body benefits.

Beanitos come in four flavors and are made with black beans or pinto beans. Gobble up 10 chips and get 5 g of stay-full fiber and 600 mg of omega-3 fatty acids--about the amount in one ounce of salmon. Find them at a Whole Foods near you or order here.

Rhythm Kale Chips are raw, vegan and insanely crunchy. (There's a 16-oz. bunch of kale in each bag!) One serving is a mere 100 calories and comes in Zesty Nacho, Kool Ranch or Bombay Curry. Buy here.

Mediterranean Snack Food Co.'s Baked Lentil Chips use lentils, adzuki and garbanzo beans as a base and provide 4 g of protein and 3 g of fiber and fat per serving. We couldn't get enough of the cucumber dill flavor. Find them at a store near you.

Vital Juice Daily: Giving Up Gluten

Every day I get a cool little email newsletter called Vital Juice Daily. This e-newsletter usually has fun facts, tips, and links for healthy information. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I saw the title "Giving Up Gluten" with a picture of Shauna James Ahern's book Gluten Free Girl. (See my earlier post with my praise for Shauna and her cooking class/book signing.) Some Celiacs are annoyed by the recent trendiness of gluten-free eating and media coverage, but I welcome it with open arms.

When I was diagnosed as a toddler in 1981, my parents had a very difficult time finding out anything about Celiac Disease. They sent away for my food by mail order and struggled to get answers about their sick daughter. In this Internet-age, recently diagnosed Celiacs have a plethora of information which is only a click-away. The key is knowing what to look for. Newsletters like the Vital Juice Daily: Giving Up Gluten might introduce the words "Celiac Disease" into a sufferers vocabulary and then lead them to ask their doctors for a test. So what if it is trendy?! Let's tell everyone we know what Celiac Disease is, how we can help each other heal by eliminating gluten from our diets, and that living gluten-free can still mean enjoying life and food.

Thank you Vital Juice Daily.