Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. And sometimes it’s food, too.
I really like the idea of a healthier potato chip. I understand it’s not really a thing — absent-mindedly ripping through a bag in between meals is always gonna be at least a slight detriment if you’re trying to lose weight — but the idea of packing crushable empty calories with *something* useful at least brings some cold comfort.
That led me to Quest’s protein snacks a while back, which are made with whey and milk proteins and, thus, are all tinged with a certain dairy taste that persists no matter the chip. This wasn’t bad, it’s just something that worked far better in some flavors than others.
Wilde offers something different. Their protein chips come from a poultry base, offering chicken breast, bone broth and eggs as sources. That’s an interesting twist, even if I’m a little wary of casually snacking on flattened-out chicken between meals.
But hey, it does sound pretty good, and I’m very much into the idea that my sudden mid-day craving for garbage could be beneficial. Let’s see how they taste.
Nashville Hot: A-
The chips themselves are thicker than most and moreso than Quest’s protein offerings. That Tato Skins (different brand, but the nostalgia remains) texture and starch backing remains, but it’s secondary to the flavor dusted on each chip.
The flavor is tangy but not especially hot. You get the chicken breast protein right up front and throughout each bite, but mostly as it lingers dryly through the finish. It leaves a slightly stale taste behind, but the building spice makes that less of a concern as you roll through the bag.
I like these chips more as I go, even if the dryness does start to wear on me about 75 percent of the way through. The flavor is prevalent on each chip but not overpowering. The heat is there, but not enough to force you to guzzle milk. Not bad.
Buffalo style: B-
It’s a little dry and could use a little blue cheese or ranch dusting to clean things up. The flavor is kind of basic and doesn’t hit the tangy-lush taste of a good buffalo wing, instead bordering a little too heavily on vinegar-y. It wears thin after a while and your experience ranges wildly based on how much flavor dusting you get on each crisp. I’m good by the time I get to the end of the bag, which is not something I’d usually say about chips. But hey, that’s healthier, right?
Sea Salt and Vinegar: B
But the flavor itself is apparent once you pop them. The salt and vinegar is right up front, tangy and savory and a little addictive. Unfortunately, that gives way to that undeniable chicken breast undercurrent that finishes each bit dry instead of greasy.
The end result is a promising start and an end that begins to wear on you after a while. It’s not enough to get me to stop eating them before the bag is done, but it solves the problem of me crushing six serving sizes worth of snacks in a single sitting. Again, maybe that’s a good thing.
Himalayan Pink Salt: C+
Fortunately, that’s not the case. The flavor up front is that memorable Tato Skin taste before dry chicken takes over. The salt isn’t overpowering and, more than anything, it just sort of tastes unflavored. While a good kettle chip can make the salt a selling point, it doesn’t really stand out in any meaningful way with Wilde’s Himalayan offering.
It’s fine as a snack. The chips are light and crispy and filling after a whole bag. It’s just not better than anything else on the protein chip spectrum.
Barbeque: B
The result is one of the better BBQ related chip dustings I’ve ever had and an uneven experience. If you’re pounding these crisps you might not notice, but taking some time between each bite gives you time to reflect on how different the experience is between potato and chicken. That is … a weird sentence to write, but here we are. Anyway, it’s not bad.
Chicken & Waffles: B
The answer? Pretty potent. The sweetness here is undeniable and there isn’t quite enough salty, fried chicken breading-inspired flavor to balance it off. By the time the chicken aftertaste slumps in you’re left with a mostly-sweet crisp that’s a little weird overall, but still enjoyable.
That said, the syrup flavor is legit. If you’re looking for something in an “after dinner chip” style, well, this fits that oddly specific niche.
