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our recipe for making homemade fried sweet potato chips
How To Make Sweet Potato Chips [Recipe]
Today, we’re answering one of our most frequently asked questions: how can I make your delicious, crispy chips at home? Well, we’re excited to share our kitchen recipe with our amazing customers! We’ve spent many hours perfecting this sweet potato chip recipe in our home kitchen, commercial kitchen, and manufacturing facility. Even so, our sweet potato chip recipe stays the same regardless of where you’re cooking. Cooking Supplies Here's a quick list of things you’ll need to make Jackson’s Sweet Potato chips: Sweet Potatoes Coconut or Avocado Oil Himalayan Sea Salt Mandoline Metal spatula, preferably a spider spatula Wide and shallow pan or pot Choosing Your Sweet Potato Chip Supplies Purchasing the Best Pan The most important tool is the pan or pot you use to cook the chips. We started with a Dutch oven, which worked well at first. However, it took a long time because we could only make small batches. Even so, we highly recommend using a Dutch oven if you have one! We ended up working with a metal fabricator in our little town of Crested Butte, Colorado to make custom pans for us. We found that the best pots or pans to use for the sweet potato chips are wide (12+ inches square, oval, or round) and shallow (6 inches deep). Selecting Your Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes from your local grocery store’s produce section should work well. We work with trusted and established farmers to grow varieties that fry better during certain seasons. We also ensure that they maintain their starch and sugar profiles over time. However, we were purchasing sweet potatoes from the grocery store when we started experimenting in our kitchen. These worked fine, but fresh potatoes are always better than those that are stored for long periods of time. In most US grocery stores, the potatoes you see have probably been recently harvested and/or stored for a small amount of time from May to December. Perfecting the Slicing Process We use a mandoline to slice the homemade sweet potatoes because you can adjust the width. In general, thinner is better for the cooking process. If you leave the slices out to dry shortly after slicing (no more than 5 minutes), your potatoes will fry in the oil faster. Peeling and Prepping your Potatoes Wash, peel, and slice the sweet potatoes as thin as you can while maintaining a uniform thickness from the front of the slice to the back. Peeling the skin ahead of time isn’t required, but it can simplify the mandoline slicing process. Bring the coconut or avocado oil to cooking temperature, ideally between 315-330 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an infrared thermometer from Amazon to help you keep track of the temperature. Ensure that the bottom of your pan has at least 3 inches of oil in it. Standardizing the number of potatoes you slice and place in the oil can be one of the most difficult parts of the process. Generally speaking, the more oil you have in the pan, the more slices it can “support.” Vice versa, the less oil you apply, the fewer slices it can handle. How to Fry Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips Properly frying your slices can take about 6-8 minutes. They should be cooked slowly with 3 cups of oil for every duo of medium-sized potatoes per batch. Medium-sized potatoes should be about the size of an adult’s fist. Putting that together, around 6 cups of oil should support 4 medium-sized potatoes. Given the choice, always add more oil instead of slices. In other words, fry smaller batches with generous amounts of oil. Once the oil has reached the target starting temperature, start throwing the sweet potato slices into the oil one at a time. This is critical because the slices will stick to each other and fry unevenly if applied incorrectly. While you are throwing them in the pot or pan, be sure to spread them out over the surface of the oil to prevent the slices from clumping. The temperature will decrease substantially once you put the sweet potato slices in the oil (225-245 degrees Fahrenheit). However, the temperature will slowly rise as you continue the baking process. This happens because the water content in the potato vaporizes while the carbohydrates and fiber begin to crystallize. Use a metal spatula to consistently stir the sweet potato slices to prevent them from adhering to each other once they’re in the oil. You’ll know that they’re close to completion when they stop bubbling. This is a sign that the slices’ water content has been vaporized. This typically happens within 6-8 minutes of placing them in the oil. However, this can depend on the amount of oil and sweet potato slices you placed in the pan. At this point, they should have a nice bright orange color with a slight brown tint. Finishing Your Batch Remove the sweet potatoes once they look slightly undercooked. This allows them to fry after they’ve been removed from the oil. It’s okay if they appear to be soft and pliable upon removal - this is an important part of the transition process. They’ll proceed to stop cooking before the fibers and carbohydrates start stabilizing. They’ll start to stiffen 2-3 minutes after removal before finally crisping into a sweet potato chip after 5 minutes. If the homemade sweet potato slices haven’t completely stiffened by this point, cook them for a little bit longer and apply the same time to the next batch. We use a metal colander to drain the oil from the kettle chips while holding them over the hot oil before flipping them onto a large salad bowl lined with paper towels to capture any excess oil. We try to season them one minute after exiting the oil to salt them while they are hot. This helps the oil adhere to the homemade slices properly. Enjoy Your Homemade Sweet Potato Chips! Once your hard work has paid off, it’s time to enjoy your freshly fried sweet potato chips! In our house, we use a 1-1 ratio: the cook gets a chip for every kettle chip they give away. We know that making delicious sweet potato chips is a lot of work. If you need to compare your creation to some chips you know will be tasty, we've got you covered! Buy today or find us in a store near you!
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Company
Jackson's Chips Donation
Jackson's Makes Friends With Muskego Food Pantry
Recently, our partners over at the Muskego Food Pantry swung by to pick up our recent donation. With our chips being manufactured in Muskego, WI, it feels super to help such an important partner in our community. It feels even better that we were able to fill their whole truck! Please remember to donate to your local food pantry if you are able to, especially as the temperate drops in the coming months! Look Here to Shop for Jackson's!
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Company
"Now at Costco Wholesale"
Jackson's Now At Costco!
Update: Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips are currently in Costco locations nationwide! Attention snackers in the Northeast! A 16oz club size bag of Sweet Potato Chips made in Avocado Oil with Sea Salt is now available at your local Costco. Check out our store locator to find all the retailers near you. How many locations are in the Northeast? Here's the full list: 200 Federal Road Brookfield CT 6804 284 Flanders Rd East Lyme CT 6333 75 Freshwater Blvd Enfield CT 6082 1718 Boston Post Rd Milford CT 6460 405 Hartford Road New Britain CT 6053 779 Connecticut Ave Norwalk CT 6854 1220 Tamarack Ave South Windsor CT 6074 3600 East Main St Waterbury CT 6705 2441 N.E. Market St Washington DC 20018 900 Center Blvd Newark DE 19702 120 Stockwell Dr Avon MA 2322 11 Newbury St Danvers MA 1923 400 Commercial Circle Dedham MA 2026 2 Mystic View Rd Everett MA 2149 71 Second Ave Waltham MA 2451 119 Dagget Dr West Springfield MA 1089 9919 Pulaski Hwy Baltimore MD 21220 10270 Run Mill Circle Baltimore MD 21117 10925 Baltimore Ave Beltsville MD 20705 16006 Crain Hwy SE Brandywine MD 20613 6675 Marie Curie Dr Elkridge MD 21075 10 Monocacy Blvd Frederick MD 21704 880 Russell Ave Gaithersburg MD 20879 575 Ordnance Rd Glen Burnie MD 21060 7077 Arundel Mills Circle Hanover MD 21076 2400 Five Lees Ave Lanham MD 20706 11160 Veirs Mill Road Wheaton MD 20902 311 Daniel Webster Hwy Nashua NH 3060 21 Goldsborough Drive Bayonne NJ 7002 465 Route 70 Brick NJ 8723 325 Promenade Blvd Bridgewater NJ 8807 650 Garden Park Blvd Cherry Hill NJ 8002 20 Bridewell Place Clifton NJ 7014 156 State Rte 10 West East Hanover NJ 7936 2210 Route 27 North Edison NJ 8817 24 Walter E Froan Blvd N. Flemington NJ 8822 2835 Rte 35 Hazlet NJ 7730 4100 Quakerbridge Road Lawrence Township NJ 8648 18 US 9 North Morganville NJ 7751 100 Centeron Rd Mount Laurel NJ 8054 100 Grand Avenue North Brunswick NJ 8902 1290 US-22 North Plainfield NJ 7060 2361 Hwy 66 Ocean NJ 7712 245 Stafford Park Blvd Stafford Township NJ 8050 2 Teterboro Landing Drive Teterboro NJ 7608 1055 Hudson St Union NJ 7083 149 State Route 23 Wayne NJ 7470 315 State Route 15 North Wharton NJ 07885-1222 976 Third Ave Brooklyn NY 11232 120 Twnship Blvd Camillus NY 13031 10 Garret Place Commack NY 11725 125 Beacon Dr Holbrook NY 11741 605 Rockaway Turnpike Lawrence NY 11559 32-50 Vernon Blvd Long Island City NY 11106 625 Broadhollow Rd Melville NY 11747 50 Overlook Blvd Nanuet NY 10954 3000 Middle Country Rd Nesconset NY 11767 1 Industrial Lane New Rochelle NY 10805 517 E. 117th St New York NY 10035 3705 Hampton Road Oceanside NY 11572 1 Westchester Ave Port Chester NY 10573 61-35 Junction Blvd Rego Park NY 11374-2772 1768 Old Country Road Riverhead NY 11901 335 Westfall Road Rochester NY 14620 2975 Richmond Ave Staten Island NY 10314 1250 Old Country Rd Westbury NY 11590 20 Stew Leonard Dr Yonkers NY 10710 791 North Krocks Road Allentown PA 18106 1050 Cranberry Square Dr Cranberry TWP PA 16066 700 Evergreen Drive Glen Mills PA 19342 5125 Jonestown RdSte 221 Harrisburg PA 17112 201 Allendale Road King of Prussia PA 19406 1875 Hempstead Rd Lancaster PA 17607 740 Upper State Rd North Wales PA 19454 202 Costco Dr Pittsburgh PA 15205 14 W Lightcap Road Pottstown PA 19464 100 Veterans Way Warminster PA 18974 501 West Waterfront Dr West Homestead PA 15120 7940 Richmond Highway Alexandria VA 22306 1200 South Fern St Arlington VA 22202 14390 Chantilly Crossing Chantilly VA 20151 3171 District Avenue Charlottesville VA 22902 4725 West Ox Rd Fairfax VA 22030 3102 Plank Rd #600 Fredericksburg VA 22407 9650 West Broad St Glen Allen VA 23060 1830 Reservoir Rd Harrisonburg VA 22801 1300 Edwards Ferry Rd Leesburg VA 20176 10701 Sudley Manor Dr Manassas VA 20109 12121 Jefferson Ave Newport News VA 23602 850 Glenrock Rd Norfolk VA 23502 1401 Mall Drive Richmond VA 23235 7373 Boston Blvd Springfield VA 22153 21398 Price/Cascades Plaza Sterling VA 20164 251 Front Royal Pike Winchester VA 22602 2700 Potomac Mills CircleSte 200 Woodbridge VA 22192 218 Lower Mountain View Rd Colchester VT 5446 For other locations and retailers visit the store locator Not located in the northeast? Find us here!
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Recipe
Sweet Potato Chips Breaded Chicken Nuggets Recipe
Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Frosty Dupe Recipe
If you're living your life gluten-free and really miss out on chicken nuggets, then do we have the recipe for you! Our good friend Nicola Burbank gave us an amazing recipe that allows you to enjoy a fast food chicken nugget AND frosty that you can make at home! Make sure you get your favorite bag of Jackson's Chips for this one. Nicola used our Avocado Oil Sea Salt chips, but try using our Avocado Oil BBQ or Spicy Jalapeño chips for some extra flavor! Do you have a favorite recipe that uses Jackson's sweet potato chips as an ingredient? We'd love to try it! Email us info@jacksonschips.com Below is the full recipe and a How-To video! Wendy's Chicken Nugget Dupe Ingredients: 1 bag Jackson chips sea salt (or any flavor of your choosing) 1/2 cup gluten free baking flour (I used Bob's Redmill 1 to 1) 1/2 tbls chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp sea salt 2 cups almond milk 1 egg 1 lbs Chicken breast Directions: Cut chicken into nugget sized pieces and place in a medium bowl and add almond milk. Let refrigerate for 1 hour. While chicken and milk sit make breadcrumb. Place Jackson chips in a food processor or blender and blend till a breadcrumb consistency. In a large ziplock bag add breadcrumb from your chips, flour and seasoning and mix well. Once chicken is ready scramble 1 egg and fold into milk mixture. Using a fork or tongs take chicken out of milk/egg mixture and add to the ziplock bag with breading seal bag once all chicken is added and shake to combine chicken and breading. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper add chicken and bake for 12-15 minutes each side or until crisp and chicken is cooked. Wendy's Frosty Protein Packed Dupe Ingredients: 1/4 cup almond + coconut creamer 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate ice cream 1 scoop chocolate protein powder Directions: In a blender add all ingredients and blend well till a frosty like consistency. Pair with Jackson Chip's Chicken Nuggets! And of course, don't forget to shop Jackson's Chips on our website at the link below! BUY CHIPS HERE
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Everyday SuperHero
Everyday Superhero Mahi
#EverdaySuperhero - Mahi
Meet our newest #EverdaySuperhero Mahi!⁠⁠As a Monte Vista Women's Varsity basketball player, Mahi does a lot for the game on and off the court! She has her own podcast, @she.can.ball, where she is on a mission to empower the next generation of female basketball players. ⁠⁠She also shares her Jackson's Chips with her teammates!⁠⁠Thank you for being so super Mahi! Everyone, go check out her podcast! /pages/superhero Check out this Everyday Superhero!
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Everyday SuperHero
happy national coloring book day - free printable pdf e-book
Happy National Coloring Book Day
Celebrate National Coloring Book Day with us and download Jackson's new coloring pages Coloring isn't just for kiddos! There are actually lots of great benefits for adults to spend some free time coloring. Here are some benefits of coloring... Relaxes your brain and improves brain function Induces meditative state Improves sleep Improves focus Reduces Anxiety So, grab those colored pencils and have some fun! Whether you color inside or outside the lines, we'd love to see your work! Tag us on social #SnackSuper or send a pic to info@jacksonschips.com Download Now!
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Educational
Are sweet potato chips good- the benefits and nutritional facts to know
Sweet Potatoes - The Breakdown
Lunch time comes around and suddenly it hits you: the salty snack craving for CHIPS! You try to hold out and not give in, but it’s too late. Your feet are already moving to the pantry and it’s time to dig in. But here’s the big question: do you have traditional potato chips in your pantry, or do you have Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips? If you have traditional potato chips, then it’s going to be hard to dig out nutrition from them as well as satisfy that gnawing need to crunch. From real oils to delicious sweet potatoes and carefully curated flavors, Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips are definitely the superior snack designed with you in mind. How Sweet Potato Chips are Made Now, we can’t speak to how other sweet potato chips are made, but here at Jackson’s we focus on using real oils, sea salt, and real sweet potatoes. These three ingredients are wonderful separate, but together, they create a heroic snack that helps keep you full, energized, and ready to face the day. Clean Oils When we mention clean oils, what exactly are we talking about? Well, here’s the deal: most oils are processed and cleaned using chemicals, gumming agents, and a lot of heat to purify the oil. Vegetable oil, canola oil and more are consistently processed to the point that a great deal of their nutrition is lost. We use avocado oil to kettle-fry our sweet potato chips. The oil that we use is obtained at their most nutrient dense state: it is our mission to provide a better-for-you and heroic snack! You can rest assured that whenever you eat Jackson’s potato chips, you are getting clean oils and non-GMO sweet potatoes. Real non-GMO Sweet Potatoes Rather than searching for mass produced sweet potatoes that have lost some of their nutrition and growing abilities, we get our sweet potatoes fresh from the farmer. Our sweet potatoes are non-GMO potatoes that have higher nutrition density, a sweeter taste, and a bright, beautiful orange color that is not because of dyes added to the potato. With any food, keep in mind that flavors are going to be more intense because the plants themselves have not been bred to give a high yield. A higher yield leads to less nutrition in each potato since the plant has to send nutrients to multiple tubers. A Note on Other Brands While we aren’t going to put other brands on blast, there is a word to the wise to share: read the ingredients list. Other brands are going to have additional seasonings, copious amounts of salt, and more cheap stuff than you can shake your fist at. Potato chips are meant to be an indulgent snack, and that is totally understandable! If you want to still indulge while also watching what you are eating without sacrificing flavor, then it’s a good idea to pick up a Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips Variety Pack. You won’t regret it! Jackson’s Chips There are baked chips, air fried chips, fried chips and kettle cooked. There are probably more but each of these methods yields an entirely different flavor. Another addition to that is you can also do high heat cooking or low heat cooking depending upon your goal. With Jackson’s our goal is to get the cleanest nutrition to you in the most effective way possible. This could be through using an air fryer and lightly coating the sweet potatoes with either avocado oil or coconut oil. However, that’s just not Jackson’s style. Instead, the chips are kettle cooked on low heat so that the oil maintains it’s nutrient value. The lower heat cooks the potatoes through and finishes them with a more uniform crunch (no soggy chips here!) without leaving them full of oil. Instead, the benefits of both the potato and oil are kept at their optimum level. It’s honestly insane that potato chips can taste this good and be good for you! Just the Nutrition Facts Not only are sweet potatoes lower in the glycemic index – this is a chart that tells you how quickly the sugars from foods are going to go into your blood stream – but they are also high in fiber and other nutrients. The fiber is key in lowering the glycemic index: fiber slows down how quickly your body breaks down nutrients and sugars so that your body absorbs them slowly. This avoids the high peaks and valleys of a blood sugar spike. Micronutrients Vitamins and minerals galore! Sweet potatoes and potatoes are often pitted against one another when the truth is that both of them are pretty similar. What sets sweet potatoes apart is their very high concentration of Vitamin A. In one serving of sweet potatoes, there’s enough vitamin A for most of your day! They also contain other critical vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and iron. Macronutrients If you still aren’t sold on how amazing Jackson’s sweet potato chips are, then let’s take a look at the nutrition facts from the Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips with Sea Salt. This is all in a one ounce serving too! You’ll be surprised just how much that is especially when you start snacking. All of your core nutrients are here with Jackson’s sweet potato chips and then you also have the addition of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Are Sweet Potato Chips a Better-for-You Snack? Sweet potato chips are a great alternative with natural sugars and the potential to decrease hypertension. The only downside with any cooked potato snack is the potential presence of acrylamide. Acrylamide is a potential carcinogenic substance that is formed when the building blocks of proteins, amino acids, react with the sugars in the potatoes. One thing to keep in mind is that studies you may read on this are done with animals and with very high amounts of acrylamide which are extremely difficult to reach with a bag of chips. Keep in mind that you must read the nutrition facts though: not every sweet potato chip is as heroic as Jackson’s. Happy snacking!
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Educational
Blog posts Refined vs. unrefined coconut oil: Nutrition, Taste, Smoke Point, MCT and more
What is the difference between Refined and Unrefined Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is extremely versatile in the ways that we can use it. From hair conditioner, to lotion and it’s many uses in cooking, coconut oil has become a part of everyday life. There is a big difference between refined and unrefined coconut oil that gives the coconut oil different smoke points, different flavors, and even different uses! Unrefined coconut oil, aka Virgin coconut oil, hasn’t been touched by other chemicals and tastes strongly of coconut. If you have tried Jackson’s coconut oil chips, then you have tasted that sweet and healthy unrefined oil that we use to slow fry our chips at low temperatures. Refined coconut oil doesn’t have as strong of a coconut taste (if any) and it is very useful for frying. Not only are there different tastes and uses, even the way that each type of coconut oil is processed is very different. In this blog we’re going to go over the different types of coconut oil, their uses, and what they can do for you. How It’s Made, Coconut Oil Edition There are so many ways that coconut oil, and oils in general, can be processed. There’s wet, dry, bleaching, extraction, cold, hot, etc. It’s insane! Let’s begin, shall we? Hot vs. Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil The only way to tell the difference between these two is by the label. Most visual factors stay the same such as the color, and when the oil is liquid or solid. The major difference is found in the ways that nutrients are kept intact, smoke point, shelf life, and flavor. Cold-pressed coconut oil doesn’t use any heat to bring out the oils in the coconut. The meat and milk are generally shoved through a very powerful press that pushes everything out of the meat. It is believed that this type of processing keeps the nutrients in the oil. On the other hand, expeller-pressed or hot-pressed coconut oil is almost like pressure cooking the coconut meat. In this process, steam and heat are used to get the oil out of the coconut. In many cases, heat can change the way chemical bonds form which can change how our body interacts with the nutrients. Has this been proven? Not necessarily, but there is some evidence to the difference between the oils. Wet vs. Dry Processing Coconut Oil Dry processing coconut oil is often done through pressing dried coconut meat which is called copra. This type of drying is done through heat to help the water evaporate. On the flip-side, wet processing coconut oil is when the fleshy fruit is pressed through a machine, without heat, to get both oil and milk from the coconut. Once the oil and milk are out, they are separated in a few different ways: fermentation, enzymes, or centrifuges. Refined Coconut Oil Each of the methods above are used for unrefined coconut oil. Once one of those methods is complete, the coconut oil is then packaged and sold. It isn’t the same case with refined coconut oil. Instead, once the oil is expressed from the coconut meat, it goes through several more steps. Refining coconut oil means that the oil goes through the dry process, and then goes through additional clays, it’s deodorized through the expeller process, and other chemicals could be added in the process. Below are three of the main ways that coconut oil is refined: Degumming – The oil is mixed with a degumming agent that removes thickening elements of the oil. This then changes the quality and texture of the oil which makes it a little bit smoother. Neutralizing – Sodium hydroxide, also called lye, is added to the coconut oil to make soap with the free fatty acids that just float around. Deodorizing – This step usually occurs in the beginning of the process through the expeller-pressed process. When the oil is heated to a certain temperature, the heat burns off the smell of coconut and can even remove the flavor as well. Refined Coconut Oil vs. Virgin Coconut Oil In the grand scheme of things, what does this mean? What does the processing differences, the tastes, all of this, what does it relate to? Well, let's break it down. The choice between refined and virgin coconut oil ultimately connects to your culinary goals and dietary preferences. It's a decision that can significantly influence the outcome of your dishes and your overall cooking experience. Above all, it relates to what you want. Do you want more nutrition and a tasty coconut flavor? Then you want to work with virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil retains the natural essence of coconuts and offers a more robust nutritional profile. It's perfect for those who relish the delightful tropical notes it imparts to their recipes and wish to enjoy the potential health benefits associated with its unaltered state. What stays the same and what changes: Nutrition, Flavor, Smoke Point, MCT This is the easier aspect of telling the difference between refined and unrefined coconut oil! Three major things are going to change: nutrition, flavor, and smoke point. What stays the same is the core of what coconut oil is: regular fatty acids and fatty acids called MCT. While the nutrition does tend to stay similar, you will lose more micronutrients in refined oils just because of the process of running the oil through clays and other substances. The biggest draw to refined coconut oil is that it is practically tasteless, and the smoke point of refined coconut oil rises to between 400- 450° F as compared to unrefined oil with a smoke point of 350° F. What stays the same is something called MCT: MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. Triglycerides are fatty acids that your body uses for long-term energy. Longer chains are harder for your body to break down and shorter chains are broken down too quickly. Medium chains are just right for the body to break down into energy! What is MCT? MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides, are fatty acids found in coconut oil. They are quickly broken down and absorbed by the body, providing a quick burst of energy. Some studies suggest that MCTs may also have other health benefits, such as aiding weight management and improving cognitive function. Cooking and Baking with Refined vs Unrefined Coconut Oil If you are making a dish that would go well with the sweet flavor of coconut, then definitely go for unrefined coconut oil. However, most dishes are going to have other flavors that need to come through: therefore most people reach for refined coconut oil. It’s important to remember that refined coconut oil, while flavorless, only lasts a few months. If you use the oil past that point, it could be rancid or growing mold. Check for an off smell or a yellow tint to the oil and throw it out immediately for your own safety. When cooking with coconut oil, unrefined coconut oil is going to be better for sauteing and baking as long as you aren’t going above 350 F. If you are going to be frying or cooking at higher temperatures, then stick with refined coconut oil: the fatty chains aren’t going to break down at those higher temperatures and you’ll still get a great meal with some extra nutrition from the coconut oil. For more information, see our article Can You Use Coconut Oil Instead of Vegetable Oil?. Conclusion The last thing to mention about coconut oil, is that it is great for hair and skin. Virgin coconut oil that has been cold pressed is the best to use as a moisturizer for your hair and body. With how versatile the oil is, you may want to pick some up today! If you want to taste the difference between refined and unrefined coconut oil, pick up a bag of Jackson’s coconut oil chips and a refined coconut oil from the store. What you will taste with the chips is a sweet coconut flavor because we use unrefined coconut oil at low temperatures so that you get the health benefits of both the sweet potatoes and the coconut oil. Try the refined oil with some veggies and you’ll really taste the difference. Personally? I prefer unrefined coconut oil. Yum! Try our Coconut Oil Chips HERE.
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Educational
Eat the Rainbow - Healthy Colorful Fruits and Vegetables
Eat Yourself Healthy by Eating the Rainbow
Roy G. Biv. If you have had an art class, the name Roy was very familiar when learning about the order of colors in the rainbow. Rainbows in the sky are caused by the reflection of sunlight on tiny particles of water in the air. However, the rainbow on your plate? That takes a bit more work but believe me, it tastes amazing! Having variety on your plate is a great way to get vitamins and minerals that your body desperately needs. Ready to start eating the rainbow? Keep reading for tips, tricks, and lists that will help you get started today! What is Eating the Rainbow? The bare bones definition is eating foods that are colorful and try not to have a monotone plate of food. This means eating leafy greens, fresh fruits, cruciferous vegetables and colorful tubers such as sweet potatoes. The reason that more and more health professionals are recommending the rainbow is because eating the rainbow can decrease heart disease, decrease the effects of chronic diseases, as well as boost your body, clear out toxins, and support a balanced body. Think of it this way, if you eat foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, your body is nourished and ready to face the day. Foods like purple cabbage, limes and oranges, eggplants and kale, are all going to be included in the rainbow and are going to be less processed than other foods. Why does eating the rainbow decrease health issues you might ask? The nitty gritty science behind it is that fruits and vegetables that have stronger colors generally have more phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are chemicals that plants have that give them their distinct colors. While there are over 25,000 different kinds of phytonutrients, the most common ones that you have probably heard of are beta carotene, carotenoids and possibly even resveratrol which is found in red wines. Dig Into the Rainbow The following breakdown is going to group fruits and veggies by color, highlight the primary nutrients that your body needs, as well as give you a list to start you off on the right foot. Red Phytonutrients and Vitamins: contain lycopene and anthocyanins Fruits and Veggies to Try: Apples Beets Cherries Cranberries Grapes Kidney beans Pomegranate Raspberries Red onions Red peppers Strawberries Tomatoes Watermelon Brief Benefits: Foods rich in lycopene have been shown to decrease the chances of cancer and potentially reverse the progression of cancer. They also can help increase your circulation and decrease inflammation as well. It can be taken as a supplement however, it is still unknown whether or not synthetic lycopene is as bioavailable as lycopene obtained from cooked or fresh red foods. Orange and Yellow Phytonutrients and Vitamins: beta cryptothanxin, beta carotene, hesperidin, lutein, zeaxanthin, curcuminoids, Vitamin A, C, and K. Fruits and Veggies to Try: Apricot Bananas Cantaloupe Carrots Corn Golden Beets Grapefruit Lemons Mangoes Orange peppers Oranges Papayas Peaches Pears Pineapples Pumpkin Sweet potatoes Winter squash Yellow Peppers Yellow summer squash Brief Benefits: Generally speaking, most of the items on this list have compounds that contribute to better immune function, better eye health, increased circulation (which is handy of you have cold hands and feet). Many of these fruits and veggies like sweet potatoes contain beta carotene which the body transforms to Vitamin A, yet another vitamin that is important to cell health and vision. Two of the biggest eye protectors found in orange and yellow foods are lutein and zeaxanthin: these two compounds build up in your retinas and repair damages from blue lights as well as sun damage or macular diseases. Green Phytonutrients and Vitamins: sulforaphane, isocyanate, indoles, lutein, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, Vitamin K, folate, calcium. Fruits and Veggies to Try: Arugula Asparagus Avocado Broccoli Brussels sprouts Collard Greens Edamame Green apples Green beans Green cabbage Green grapes Herbs Kale Kiwi fruit Mustard Greens Peas Romaine lettuce Spinach Swiss chard Turnip Greens Zucchini Brief Benefits: Many dark leafy greens contain sulforaphane, isocyanate and indoles that inhibit cancer causing compounds. They also can help limit cancer growth, boost your immune system and slow the rate of cognitive decline. One thing that isn’t listed in the properties for leafy greens or greens in general is the high amounts of fiber. The fiber allows your body to better absorb the nutrients that you are eating! Blue, Indigo, and Violet Phytonutrients and Vitamins: anthocyanins, resveratrol, polyphenols Fruits and Veggies to Try: Blackberries Blueberries Eggplant Figs Plums Prunes Purple cauliflower Purple potatoes and sweet potatoes Raisins Red (purple) grapes Red (purple) onions Red (purple)cabbage Brief Benefits: Anthocyanins have been studied for quite some time and have been linked to a decrease in heart disease, repair oxidative stress, decrease inflammation and much more. So these can help if you are beginning an anti-inflammatory diet. These compounds are also great for cognitive health and with their antioxidant properties, they hunt down cell damaging free radicals in your body. White and Brown Phytonutrients and Vitamins: allicin, quercetin, kaempferol, sulforaphane Fruits and Veggies to Try: Cauliflower Daikon Garlic Jicama Leeks Mushrooms Parsnips Shallots Turnips White and yellow onion Brief Benefits: Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower contain high amounts of cancer fighting sulforaphane just like broccoli does. Plants in the allium family contain allicin and quercetin which help boost your immune system, aid in dealing with allergies, keep your bones strong, and help your heart stay strong. Tips and Tricks to Eating the Rainbow Here are some general tips and tricks on how to eat the rainbow and things to keep in mind as you explore new foods. Don't Focus Too Much on One Color (or Nutrients) As you begin to explore new foods that might be absolutely foreign to you, it is a good idea to remember that you don’t want to focus on a single color. The goal of eating the rainbow is variety in what you are eating and not pigeon-holing yourself to one color or one type of nutrient. The human body requires a great deal of micro and macronutrients. It’s important to remember that some of those nutrients are only accessible through specific foods or taking them in a multivitamin. Generally speaking, it is better to eat your nutrients rather than always going for a supplement (unless you truly need on as determined by a licensed physician). This is why it is so important to include several colors on your plate as you learn to eat the rainbow. Try New Vegetables and Fruits The lists in this post are far from extensive: there are fruits and vegetables all around the world that some people have access to, and others don’t. Trying new foods from your local Chinese market or from a local Indian market is going to open your eyes to some things that you might not have seen before. While the foods in these lists are probably the most accessible kinds, it’s good to try new things when you can. If you tend to shop in season for your region, you’ll find better produce prices and you might be able to try something new and exotic like dragon fruit or even Buddha’s hand. There’s an endless variety of foods out there to try, so definitely see what you can find! Avoid Processed Food This is a general rule of thumb in many cases: the more processed a food is, the higher the chance that the food will cause an inflammatory response in your body or have some sort of toxin that’s just not all that good for you despite FDA approval. There are many ways to look at eating the rainbow. Are you trying to expand your options and eat healthier? Or are you mainly wanting to grow your tastebuds? Depending on your individual case, you may want to keep heavier meats, higher fats, and processed foods in your diet. If you are trying to maintain or increase your health, then it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of processed and preserved foods, high fat foods, red meat, and fattier meats too. Try switching your oil from canola oil to coconut oil or avocado oil, and always try new spice combinations for flavoring rather than a premixed package that might have compounds that your body doesn’t need. Try Different Recipes to Expand Your Taste Sometimes when you try new foods, you aren’t going to like the way the food tastes. For example, I despise arugula and most spring greens mixes because they are too bitter. However, if I cook some of those greens, or add arugula to a romaine-based salad, then the bitterness isn’t so bad. Another example is beets: I can’t stand beet juice! However, if I roast or pickle my beets, I can’t get enough of them! The heart of the matter is this: just because a fruit or vegetable tastes gross or as an odd texture, doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to like it in some other form. Give yourself and these new foods a chance by trying out several different recipes! Conclusion - Eat the Rainbow Whether or not you already eat a balanced diet or even if you have favorite fruits and veggies, the biggest thing to take away is that you must have variety in your diet. Don’t worry about letting go of your favorites: instead incorporate them into recipes and new ways of cooking. Who knows, you might find your new favorite fruit or vegetable or tuber combination. Click here to learn about Sweet Potatoes!
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"Available at Hy-Vee"
Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips Now Available at Hy-Vee!
Let's celebrate! Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips are now available in Hy-Vee! If you're searching for a snack that combines taste, crunch, and nutrition, Jackson's are the perfect choice. Crafted from 100% non-GMO sweet potatoes and kettle cooked in to perfection, these chips offer a delightful balance of sweet and salty, with an irresistibly crispy texture. Available at Hy-Vee, a trusted retailer known for its wide selection and excellent value, Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips are easy to find and hard to resist. Look for These Bold Jackson’s Flavors at Hy-Vee Next time you’re at Hy-Vee, check for one of these 3 delicious flavors of Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips: Sea Salt, Carolina BBQ, and Farmhouse Ranch Where Can I buy Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips at Hy-Vee? Whether you enjoy traditional in-store shopping or the convenience of online shopping, getting your hands on a bag of Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips is easier than ever! Use our store locator to quickly find the nearest Hy-Vee and stock up on your favorite flavors. If you prefer shopping from home, visit our online store to place your order and have your chips delivered straight to your door. With both options available, you can enjoy the delicious and nutritious taste of Jackson’s chips no matter where you are or how you like to shop. The Perfect Duo: Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips and Hy-Vee Hy-Vee, established in 1930, is renowned for its vast selection of high-quality, fresh, and affordable groceries. At Jackson’s, we share this commitment to quality, offering nutritious alternatives like our sweet potato chips, made from sweet potatoes with just a touch of sea salt. Our chips are gluten-free, grain-free, non-GMO, and perfect for vegan, paleo, or Whole30 diets. Find Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips at your local Hy-Vee or order online for a delicious, healthy snack delivered straight to your door.
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Educational
Anti-inflammatory Diet Meal Plan featuring salmon blueberries broccoli ginger and avocado
Get Started with Anti-inflammatory Dieting: A Beginner’s Guide
Anti-inflammatory diets focus on foods that have nutrients that decrease your body’s response to protect your organs and joints. While this physical response is important, many processed foods increase inflammation to uncomfortable or even painful levels. This increase is because the human body reacts to specific types of foods that trigger the inflammatory reaction when damage to the body hasn’t happened. Just like how your body gets red and swollen when you twist your ankle or get a cut, when you eat the wrong foods your body becomes internally red and swollen. With highly processed foods around every corner, it’s hard to know where to start if you want to decrease inflammation. Some foods appear to be okay, but contain added sugars or even hidden trans fats. This guide to beginning an anti-inflammatory diet contains information to understand why certain foods need to be added or removed, things to avoid, what to eat, and even a collection of delicious recipes! Part I: The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Because of the need to decrease inflammation (which is linked to heart health and joint related disease), there are several diets that focus on high nutrition foods that remove or decrease sugars and fatty meats. One such diet is the Mediterranean diet which focuses on healthy good fats and high nutrient foods: these foods are generally anti-inflammatory. While an anti-inflammatory diet can sound intimidating, the goal is to eat colorful meals that are packed with anthocyanins, turmeric, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol and more. Instead of eating fats that your body doesn’t readily use, a Mediterranean style anti-inflammatory diet focuses on fats from fish, nuts and nutrient dense oils like avocado oil and olive oil. With this guide to an anti-inflammatory diet for beginners, you’ll find many suggestions for unprocessed foods, a decrease or lack of sugar (except what is found in food already), and foods that can control the effects of inflammatory disease such as arthritis. This type of diet is also handy for maintaining a healthy weight and decrease internal inflammation as well! What is an anti-inflammatory diet? An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on good fats, nutrient-dense foods, complex carbohydrates, legumes and fruits and vegetables. Like stated above, this diet is very close to a Mediterranean diet due to the focus on a lack of processed foods, and healthier meats such as fish and chicken. Red meats are rare, and dark leafy greens are added into the diet. A variety of fruits and vegetables are also included as they too provide the body with what is needed to maintain balance and decrease inflammation. What separates an anti-inflammatory diet from others is the focus on decreasing processed foods, sugar, and refined flours. Unlike the Mediterranean diet, which does allow some pasta, anti-inflammatory diets focus on whole grains and minimally processed bean pastas. What is the goal of an anti-inflammatory diet? First and foremost, to decrease inflammation. Not the inflammation that happens due to cuts or infections, instead this diet focuses on chronic inflammation. The difference is that chronic inflammation is linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more. This is why an anti-inflammatory diet focuses on decreasing saturated fats and red meats. Eating this way has shown to relieve the discomfort related to those diseases as well as arthritis. Keep in mind that with this beginner’s guide to an anti-inflammatory diet, each diet is different. Our bodies react differently to different foods, allergens, and more. Part of this diet is to be aware of what it is that your body needs. If certain foods cause you to feel bloated and result in your joints aching or feeling stiff, that food more than likely causes an inflammatory reaction in your body. As you read this guide, remember to experiment and have fun adding the rainbow to your diet! Part II: Beginner’s Guide to an Anti-inflammatory Diet This guide will include meal ideas, what to avoid, and what to add into your diet while you are making the shift. The beginning will be different and a little difficult at times if you are used to eating processed foods or sugar regularly. Be patient with yourself and you’ll reach your goal of eating an anti-inflammatory diet. An Anti-Inflammatory Food List The following list contains foods that reduce inflammation that you can start adding into your diet. Keep in mind that there might be foods that cause an inflammatory response specific to your body because genetics play a large role in how our bodies react to foods. Fruits and Veggies Avocado Beets Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cauliflower Cherries Citrus Fruits Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, collards, Swiss chard, etc.) Pomegranate Sweet Potato Proteins, Fats and Grains Eggs Greek yogurt and kefir Fish, especially salmon and tuna Legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, black-eyed peas, red kidney beans etc.) Whole grains (quinoa, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, amaranth, and buckwheat, etc.) Coconut Oil Avocado Oil Herbs and Spices Garlic Turmeric Ginger Basil Oregano Thyme Cinnamon Inflammatory Foods to Avoid Alcohol in excessive quantities Baked goods Candy Cereals Cheese Chicken nuggets Crackers Cookies Dehydrated soups Gluten Hot dogs ice cream Jarred tomato sauces Juices Microwaveable dinners Processed and cured meats Processed meats Salad dressings Saturated fats Sauces Soda Soybean oil Sugary cereals Trans fats (found in fried foods and some baked goods) Vegetable oil White Bread These items include added sugars, saturated fats that can clog up your arteries, and preservatives that are known to cause inflammation. Avoiding these foods will help decrease the inflammation in the body. For example, alcohols are converted into sugars in the body. When the body has too much sugar, this triggers an inflammatory response. Recall the next day after having a night out with friends? The body can feel swollen and achy compared to the day before. While many of the items affect most people, there are some items that may not cause an inflammatory response (such as cheeses and dairy). Keep in mind that some items may not be inflammatory for you, however, most preservatives do affect the vast majority of the human population. Anti-Inflammatory Recipes If you want to begin working in foods that are good for inflammation, it helps to have an anti-inflammatory meal plan, diet plan, and of course, delicious recipes you’ll begin to crave! For a meal plan or diet plan, it is important to include variety in your day. Try to have different types of berries every morning, a different protein with each meal, and work with varying combinations of herbs and oils. Adding in new spices and changing up your combinations helps bring out new and interesting combinations. Who knows, you may find a new favorite recipe. Meal Prep Prepping items ahead of time makes the transition to working with an anti-inflammatory diet much easier than prepping right before eating. With the vegetables and fruits, peel and cut them as you would like so that way you can have fresh veggies with every meal. Make sure all fruits and vegetables are cleaned before you eat them and prepare any herbs that you need to. If you want to prepare meals and freeze them, don’t thoroughly cook the vegetables and store the prepared food in glass containers (or bags) for easy defrosting and reheating in the oven. Breakfast Turn to natural ingredients in homemade smoothies, such as berries, honey, and Greek or non-dairy yogurt. Some egg dishes, particularly those made with organic eggs, can help lower inflammation as well. Want toast? Try something gluten- and wheat-free, like rice breads. Oat porridge with berries Buckwheat and chia seed porridge Buckwheat berry pancakes Scrambled eggs with turmeric Smoked salmon, avocado, and poached eggs on toast Mediterranean Board Lunch and Dinner Mediterranean Grain Bowls With Lentils and Chickpeas Greek Style Roasted White Beans With Summer Vegetables Snacks Fresh nuts and veggies will play a large role in prepping and reaching for some healthy snacks. Have cut up carrots, or cucumbers, pre-peeled fruit, and fresh nuts on hand for a quick pick me up. You can also make a quick avocado dip or even a Stuffed Mushroom, yum! Sides and Soups With soups and salads, stick to the darker greens and make sure that the soups aren’t too heavy in veggies from the nightshade family (they can cause inflammation), and with soups, low sodium or plant based bases are delicious on their own. Creamy Greek Salad Pasta Recipe Vibrant Orange and Arugula Salad Mediterranean White Beans With Artichoke and Tomato Desserts Look for healthy alternatives such as chopped fruit and melted dark chocolate (strawberries and chocolate are a great go to) or work in vanilla and honey to things like yogurt and ricotta cheese. Try adding some dark chocolate to freshly popped popcorn made with olive or avocado oil: this can help stop the snack craving as well as satisfy the sweet craving. If you need a little extra sweet, sprinkle some turbinado or unprocessed sugar for an extra kick of savory sweetness. Definitely check out this list of ten recipes for anti-inflammatory desserts: they look scrumptious! Anti Inflammatory Diet Beginners Guide Recap If you are wanting to go on an anti-inflammatory diet plan, starting small and working in recipes will help you start out. Cooking veggies either by stir-frying or baking will keep the nutrients intact and bring out the savory flavors. Adding berries to your morning cereal packs a punch of antioxidants into your morning. Mix and match and have fun with your anti-inflammatory diet! Liked this blog? Check out: A Vegan Anti-inflammatory Diet: What You Need to Know
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Recipe
Sweet Nachos and Banana Treats Recipe
Sweet Potato Chip Nachos FTW
Our good friend Krysten is a MASTER at creating tasty treats using just a couple real ingredients! Sound familiar? Here are two of her favorite sweet treats using Jackson's Chips! SWEET NACHOS Just 3 ingredients in these Sweet Potato Chips made with coconut oil and sea salt. Totally vegan, gluten free, paleo, peanut free and super yum!All you need is a big handful of your favorite Jackson's sweet potato chips, a few banana slices, some melted chocolate to drizzle and some marshmallows if you want to be a lil extra… maybe a dash of sea salt and shredded coconut, too! BANANA SNACKS DO THIS ASAP! Totally vegan, gluten free, paleo, peanut free and super yum! And only 5 ingredients to make this yummy snack!🍌 Slice bananas🥜 Add creamy PB✨ Sprinkle chia seeds🍠 Crumble Sweet Potato Chips🍫 Drizzle with melted chocolatePop them in the fridge for about 20 minutes until chocolate hardens and badda boom!" Gotta favorite recipe using Jackson's? We'd love to hear it! info@jacksonschips.com Want to see another delicious recipe? Check out this one for Taco Dip HERE.
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