Product Review: Way Better Simply Sunny Multi-Grain Chips
Does a tortilla chip on the cutting-edge of snack-food innovation look any different than a normal chip?
No, not really. It's pretty unassuming — rectangular, grayish-brown and speckled with various grains and seeds. It's delicious, with an almost cracker-like bite, a complex mingling of decidedly healthy-tasting grains, and the perfect amount of salt. It just begs to be dipped in guacamole or salsa — or devoured plain, without a second thought.
Their chips aren't flashy, but Way Better Snacks has caught on early to a trend that seems soon to explode on the snack-food market: the use of sprouted grains.
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Sprouting grains involves using whole-wheat kernels that are allowed to sprout, then grinding up the sprouts and baking them into bread. Whole-wheat breads simply grind the wheat kernel into flour, while white breads use only the wheat endosperm.
This process is already being seen in healthy bread brands, such as Food For Life's Ezekiel Sprouted Grain and Seed Breads. Sprouted-grain breads are touted as healthier than other breads thanks to the benefits gained through the sprouting process: sprouting activates food enzymes, increases vitamin content, and make it easier for your body to absorb certain minerals and nutrients.
Not to mention, sprouted wheat contains more protein (making it great for vegetarians), fewer starches, four times the niacin and nearly twice the vitamin B6 and folate as unsprouted wheat. And it's lower on the glycemic index, making it better for those with blood sugar issues.
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With all these health benefits, why would anyone bother to still buy whole-grain bread? Well, it turns out the sprouted-grain claims only hold in comparison to white breads — sprouted-grain breads are usually nutritionally comparable to whole-wheat breads.
Still, for those who love an extra-nutty, wheat-y taste, sprouted grains are great. And they're a relative rarity when it comes to snack foods like chips and crackers, which makes Way Better's chips health superheroes. With 420mg of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and protein to keep you full, they're a huge improvement over typical tortilla chips. And, while we loved the simple deliciousness of the plain Multi-Grain flavor, there's even a roster of other tasty flavors to choose from, like So Sweet Chili and Sweeet Potato (two of our other favorites).
Sprouted grains are a great way for snack-food brands to increase the health quotient of their products, but Way Better seems to be one of the very first brands to have caught on and put the sprouts to such good use. Other companies like Shiloh Farms have added to their non-sprouted products with snacks like Sprouted Whole Wheat Pretzels with Chia, while raw-foodists have incorporated the grains into their diet for a while, with brands like Go Raw.
If you're looking to hop on the sprouted-grain bandwagon, these tasty chips are a great place to start.