Replacing Tortilla Chips

samammay
samammay Posts: 468
in Health and Weight Loss
One of the things my wife and I do is have a snack every evening of Yellow Corn Tortilla chips and salsa. While it fits well into my calories for the day, its killing my macros at 57 carbs and only 6 protein. In a perfect world that would be flip flopped.

Can you recommend something that might work well with salsa that has some protein but not a ton of carbs? I have ~400 cals to play with here.

TIA
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Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Crunchy veggies, but that's not really protein. Perhaps make your own chips by pan dying or baking up some lower carb tortillas. String cheese or cheese cubes could work, too.
  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
    Kale chips? Not really high in protein, but lower in carbs.
  • Unknown
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  • kelseymaccombs
    kelseymaccombs Posts: 61 Member
    If you have some small boneless-skinless chicken breast tenders (bake them) and then cover in salsa. I know it's not the perfect easy "snack," but it's a healthy and delicious option with some good protein. Add some slices of avocado if you have room in your cals/macros!
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
    Dip veggies, add cheese. Low cal, protein added. It's a win. :flowerforyou:
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    I love to make my own breakfast burritos. I know it's not quite the same, but eggs are good protein and you still get the salsa on them.... and you can put whatever you want in them. I put lots of veggies in with the eggs.
  • BarefootSerenity
    BarefootSerenity Posts: 100
    http://zenbellyblog.com/2012/11/28/grain-free-rosemary-olive-oil-crackers/

    These are wonderful!
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    Dip veggies, add cheese. Low cal, protein added. It's a win. :flowerforyou:

    THIS
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I say just eat the chips and stay under calories. . Nothing replaces corn chips.....especially not kale.
    Truth.
  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
    La Tortilla Factory makes tortillas that are pretty low carb! (10g carb, 7g fiber for the small size) I like to cut them into chunks and crisp them up in a skillet on the stove.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    La Tortilla Factory makes tortillas that are pretty low carb! (10g carb, 7g fiber for the small size) I like to cut them into chunks and crisp them up in a skillet on the stove.
    I was going to suggest those as well. 10 g carb, 5 g protein. Throw in some chicken seasoned with cumin and you'll meet your macro lol.

    http://www.latortillafactory.com/products-3.aspx
  • CharliesInCharge
    CharliesInCharge Posts: 278 Member
    Dip veggies, add cheese. Low cal, protein added. It's a win. :flowerforyou:


    i thought you already had more than enough protein?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hit your protein macro earlier in the day, then enjoy your tortilla chips.
  • chelseybennett1
    chelseybennett1 Posts: 275 Member
    Pork rinds
  • HotDocToBe
    HotDocToBe Posts: 2
    Mama Lupe's Low Carb tortillas are only 7g of carbs, 4g fiber, 0g sugar, and 5 protein. They are 7" tortillas.

    35789389.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    One of the things my wife and I do is have a snack every evening of Yellow Corn Tortilla chips and salsa. While it fits well into my calories for the day, its killing my macros at 57 carbs and only 6 protein. In a perfect world that would be flip flopped.

    Can you recommend something that might work well with salsa that has some protein but not a ton of carbs? I have ~400 cals to play with here.

    TIA

    Ditch the salsa and go for queso fundido or refried beans, that'll get you some extra protein
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member


    Ditch the salsa and go for queso fundido or refried beans, that'll get you some extra protein

    AMEN :drinker:
  • crystal2point0
    crystal2point0 Posts: 52 Member
    I would say just stick with the corn chips but stay in your calories. Search around, read the back of each bag to find the ones with the lowest calories and then only eat the serving amount that stays under. Win win! stay under cals and still enjoy the taste of the foods you like. Moderation.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    I've never really looked at the carbs, but have you tried the Green Giant veggie 'tortilla' chips? If you look in the chip aisle, you'll see tons of new diff types of tortilla chips, including sweet potato, veggie, and they even have different flavors, like ranch.
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
    Here is the solution. Walmart in the deli has "JOSEPHS FLAX AND OAT BRAN LAVASH" wraps that for the entire sheet is 100 cals. I cut them up into bite size squares lightly spray them with olive oil and put a little seasoning on them and then toast them under the broiler on both sides until crunchy. I use these with guac or hummus and even take them to the theater for my "snack". I have replaced most bread products with this one item and MFP also has it in their inventory for you as well. You will love them. They also come in tortilla rounds as well. AND the best part is that I used them in a lasagna and NO ONE knew the difference but they consumed FARRRRRR fewer calories.
  • inotnew
    inotnew Posts: 218 Member
    this may not be popular, but Ditch the chips! There are a ton of different options. Once you get over not having them regularly, it will be a treat to have them once in a while. And you may find after a while that you don't like them so much any more. With salsa there is nothing better though.
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
    I say just eat the chips and stay under calories. . Nothing replaces corn chips.....especially not kale.

    He doesn't want the chips. The whole point of the post is that he doesn't want the chips. He wants something with more protein. Your post is not helpful in the least.

    OP- Maybe cook some plain chicken in the crock pot? A bag of chicken breasts in the crock pot once a week, then you guys could pile some salsa on a chicken breast for a snack. Way more filling than the chips, and def good on the protein!

    Unless you wanna keep the crunchiness of the chips- then pry go with a few of the other suggestions on here, you've got some good ones!
  • kimmymayhall
    kimmymayhall Posts: 419 Member
    Sometimes I'll mix salsa with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt when I want to add protein ti my chips and salsa. It's usually not spicy enough so I add lots of hot sauce too.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I like to mix smashed beans and salsa for a quick and easy bean dip. It will add protein, but also more carbs. Shredded chicken is good mixed in with the beans and salsa. Never tried just the chicken and salsa, though. Not sure if I'd like that texture.

    ETA: You could also cut and toast Flat Out brand wraps in the oven for chips. 9 g of protein, 16 g carbs, 9 g fiber per 100 calorie wrap.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
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  • hollyyoung71
    hollyyoung71 Posts: 70 Member
    Beanitos... made with Beans instead of corn.. so good and great amount of protein and fiber.
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
    Kale chips are very brittle and could not stand up to dipping, in my experience. They taste good, but they are just a whole different thing. The raw veggies sound good, but not sure they are going to fit the "snack food feel." But maybe you're better than me. :)

    I haven't yet tried the roasted cauliflower that has been going around - I'll probably do that tonight if I don't work too late. I wonder if that would be good? Minimal protein in it as written, but you could add a little cheese at the end of the roasting time if you wanted..? I'm going to add nutritional yeast to mine, I think...B-12, baby!

    What about adding the protein source to the salsa? Maybe some flax seed meal? I love the nutty texture of that, too, but there's only not quite 2g protein for a tablespoon. Maybe mix in a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt - roughly 11 or 12 g of protein there and it would be really similar to sour cream.

    Baked slices of zucchini? We made these and really liked them. They are not like grab 'n' go chips, but a tray can be oven-ready in 5 minutes or so. Even if you bread them with Panko for the extra crunch, it's only 15 carbs per 1/4 cup of breading. Season them how you like, slice them thin and let them get crispy. .

    Heck, you could even blow through a couple of cups of pork rinds if you wanted to for 350 calories, almost 40 g protein and no carbs at all. I don't know if you'd be super thrilled with the 20 g of fat, though. :) On the same page, oven-baked cheese crisps are a really popular "low-carb" thing, but pretty high in fat and sodium, so they would add up fast too (the actual amount would vary depending on the cheese you used).

    We roasted chickpeas in the oven, too. They were super crisp and salty and snack-ish. I actually didn't even add oil. My daughter and I even seasoned ours differently from one another (I like things spicy) and they were both really good. The only thing is, they end up tiny! lol Not very dippable and if I was going to do it again, I'd make more at a time. Did I mention they end up tiny?

    I wonder how the homemade chips from the low-carb tortillas would do on a pizza stone? They sound good.

    I haven't tried it, but people microwave pepperoni slices between paper towels until they crisp. Turkey pepperoni is only 70 calories for 17 slices and I really like it for general purposes.

    Here are some homemade crackers:
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheddar-Crackers/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=cheese crackers&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Home Page

    And homemade Cheez Its, just because they are sort of lovely. I have no idea how many carbs, but the recipe can be made with whole-grain flour:
    http://www.cookingalamel.com/2012/04/homemade-cheez-its.html

    I hope you find something you like. Of course, I wouldn't give up entirely on your tortilla chips unless you really want to. :)
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
    Here is the solution. Walmart in the deli has "JOSEPHS FLAX AND OAT BRAN LAVASH" wraps that for the entire sheet is 100 cals. I cut them up into bite size squares lightly spray them with olive oil and put a little seasoning on them and then toast them under the broiler on both sides until crunchy. I use these with guac or hummus and even take them to the theater for my "snack". I have replaced most bread products with this one item and MFP also has it in their inventory for you as well. You will love them. They also come in tortilla rounds as well. AND the best part is that I used them in a lasagna and NO ONE knew the difference but they consumed FARRRRRR fewer calories.

    Num. I would totally try this. But then, I'll try anything once. :wink:
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I used to microwave spicy capicolla ham until it's crisp and shrinks up into almost a little bowl, then add a bit of Laughing Cow cheese. Could dip in salsa for extra spicy kick. Not sure what the calories would be on that, though.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I love yellow tortilla chips also. I know what you mean about killing your macros. If I know I'm going to have a pretty calorie dense protein unsuperfood I will make a point to have either sole or other fish. It's really high in protein and super low calorie wise. I think I eat about 250g for 50g protein in about 230 calories. You could easily add more as needed lol. Some things you just can't get better options for, I would say nachos is one of them.

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