Bananas for Trader Joe’s

March 7, 2006

I don’t like banana chips and frankly, I believe I am not alone. I’m pretty sure I have chipped a tooth on these hard little buggers that are consistently the rejects of my trail mix. Not only that, banana chips are typically fried in the saturated fat of coconut oil and can pack a whopping 230 calories in a one ounce serving.

So I am shocked, SHOCKED to have bought these at Trader Joe’s last week. Let me tell you, someone there knows about product placement. They were stacked up on the shelf next to the checkout counter with a delightful chalk drawing of playing monkeys and attractive $1.69 price tag for a 6 ounce bag.

Chip Nirvana

What can I say? These thin Thai banana babies are amazing! Just a little bit sweet, like the package promises, they are a blissful 40 calories for a one ounce (2/3 cup serving) with only 1 gram of fat. Compare that to the average potato chips, which have roughly 140 calories a serving and 6-7 grams of fat. You can scarf down the whole bag and feel just a tinge of guilt. Except for the sweetness, these crisps could very well fool someone into thinking they were indeed potato chips with their satisying starchiness.