Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian has started to take over in cinema with its popcorn brand Khloud. They’re basically just popcorn, except they’re coated in whey protein powder to provide a snack with more protein per serving than most other brands on the market. Following the success of its initial flavors, it began to branch out with new flavors such as Dill Pickle and Birthday Cake. Now that Khloud has found a home at retailers like Sprouts and Whole Foods, she’s launching with a brand new product: protein-rich chips.
What makes Khloud Chips from Khloé Kardashian different?
There are two main things that set Khloud chips apart from popcorn. First, let’s state the obvious. They’re chips, not popcorn. Second, they are not coated with the whey protein powder mixture that the popcorn is coated in. Considering how mixed early reviews on whey protein have been, with some finding it too chalky, that’s probably a good thing.
I tried the Buffalo flavor because it was the only one currently in stock when I did my weekly shopping. The ingredients are avocado oil, corn, pea protein and seasonings, which they say contain sugar and spices, like paprika. The ingredients then include sea salt, tomato powder, onion powder, garlic powder, citric acid, yeast extract, gum arabic, vinegar solids, paprika color extracts, natural flavor and calcium carbonate. Overall, I appreciate knowing what all of these ingredients are, and each of them seems to serve a clear purpose.
Are they vegan or gluten free?
The website doesn’t label them as vegan or vegetarian, but it does say they are gluten-free and contain no seed oils. They promote them as whole grain and made with real ingredients. It also states that they were non-GMO and kosher and contain 7 grams of protein per serving. And this is where we get to the heart of the matter: nutritional data.
Each serving is a fairly standard 1 oz/30 grams, which in this case equates to 13 chips. The bag says there are 4.5 servings per container, which means that with 7 grams of protein per serving, you get 31.5 grams per bag (assuming you eat the whole bag or share it with a friend). That’s a bit more protein than you’d get from a standard scoop of protein powder, which typically contains around 20 to 25 grams of protein, depending on the brand you use.
But before you go all out to meet your protein goals, let’s consider the nutritional facts. A scoop of protein powder typically contains around 150 calories. A serving of chips contains 170 calories, which means the entire bag contains 765 calories. Obviously, that’s a lot more calories than a standard protein shake, but eating an entire bag of chips is also a lot more satisfying than just drinking a single shake.
What’s in a serving?
That being said, this isn’t the only macro to consider. It contains 11 grams of fat per serving, which means 49.5 – say 50 grams per sachet. Each serving contains 10 grams of carbs, so let’s just shift the decimal and we get 45 grams per packet. This isn’t really a good option if you want to go keto and keep your carb counts low.
Another sneaky thing to watch out for is sodium. As an avid runner, I’m not someone who tends to track my sodium too closely, but it does have 230 mg per serving. If you eat the whole bag, that’s 1,035 mg. In other words, that’s a lot of salt for a snack. And I know the serving size on the bag says 4.5 servings, but let’s be real for a second.
Before looking at the back of the bag, I measured out what I would consider a standard serving of chips for myself. I found two bowls, plus some leftovers, so let’s just say two and a quarter. If I add a few extra chips to each bowl, that makes two servings, not the 4.5 on the bag. This is one of those situations where, if you’re really paying attention to your macros, you’ll really need to measure them in small snack bags.
As for me, I threw them all into a big bowl and then snacked on them when I was feeling naughty. One bag lasted me three days. Do with this information as you wish.
But what do they taste like?
I touched on nutrition first, because I guess if you’re looking for a brand that advertises itself as being high in protein, you care about nutritional value. If you didn’t, I guess you’d just go to the store and grab whatever flavor of Doritos you like (someone needs to try that honey hot pizza for me and report back).
Anyway, these chips…taste like chips. They are thinner than a standard tortilla chip and thinner than a Dorito. I verified this last point with someone who eats way more Doritos than me. That being said, they have a nice crunch when you bite into them, but they’re not so sharp that you feel like you could cut the roof of your mouth.
As for the taste…are we sure it’s Buffalo? Because they tasted like chili and lime to me, and I have a husband who is obsessed with Trader Joe’s chili and lime tortilla chips. The taste is surprisingly close. I really think it’s the vinegar solids that are a little strong, but if you’re a big fan of anything chili and/or lime, you really can’t go wrong.
The other two flavors are Nacho and Sweet Heat, which I can’t wait to try if and when I can get my hands on them. I’m the type of person who will try anything once, but at $6.99 per bag, it’s a bit more expensive than Doritos or other chips.
If you’re looking for a sneaky way to add more protein to your diet without actually changing your snacking habits, then this might be a good option for you! But if you’re looking to fill the bowl with snacks at a party, I’d opt for your standard bag of Doritos, unless you’re looking for a safe, gluten-free option. Doritos are made without gluten-containing ingredients, but they are not certified gluten-free due to the risk of cross-contamination during manufacturing.
Maybe you’re better off sticking to plain chips…or Khloé’s Khloud popcorn!
