Quest Protein Chips
Nutrition

What If Doritos Cool Ranch Chips Were Packed with Protein?

Then they would just be Quest Protein Chips.

Welcome to Take My Money, a column where we geek out about our favorite products.

I don’t have a sweet tooth. I like a crunch. Pretzels (of any kind), chips (also of any kind), and anything that satisfyingly snaps in my mouth are welcome. Call it a ‘crunch-tooth.’ The problem: most of these crunchy snacks are full of carbs and sugar, and all the other junk that kills any gains I may have made in the gym.

That is, until one very late night when I stumbled into a convenience store (yes, tequila can make you wobble) and slowly made my noodle legs and glassy eyes over to my favorite spot in any 7/11—the crunch aisle. I stared, until an unknown bag of chips that hadn’t yet crossed my crunch-dar caught my eye. There, on the top shelf, was a light blue bag of Quest Nutrition Protein Chips. And they were Ranch.

And in this buzzed state, I had no choice but to buy. So I bought two-one Ranch and one Nacho Cheese.

eating quest protein chips in gym

My quest (pun intended) for the right protein snack began at a young age. I was young, definitely a bit dumb, but had the foresight to know I need protein to fuel any athletic endeavor I put my mind to. And as a rower, training two or three times a day for almost a decade, it felt like I could never get enough protein to keep me fueled—or full.

And while Quest has a fantastic protein bar (with very little sugar compared to virtually all others on the market), as well as other great nutritional snacks, I wish I’d found these protein chips sooner. Like years sooner.

What Are Quest Protein Chips, and Why Do I Love Them?

Let’s get to what matters most with these triangle-shaped, flavor packed faux-tortilla chips—protein. We’re talking 19g of protein in one bag. Most protein powders will yield you about 25g of protein per scoop, but think of what you’re getting here. You can only drink so many protein shakes before you feel like you’re going to puke. But maybe that’s just me.

Quest Protein Chips has a protein mix of milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate—which is exactly what you need. The whey isolate is fast digesting to give you that immediate protein fix while milk protein isolate works slower, continually keeping you full for hours on end. While this won’t work as a meal, it’ll keep you just about as full as any other protein snack.

And while protein is a focal point for me when it comes to these chips, it’s hard to ignore the rest of the nutrition label. I’ll break this down as simply as I can: 140 calories, 4.5g of fat, 5g carbs (with 4g net carbs), and 1g of sugar. You’ll be hard pressed to find a ratio like that with any other protein snack.

But that’s what I love about these. I get my protein fix but I’m not ruining what I work for in the gym. I don’t sacrifice anything just to enjoy a snack. The best part—I don’t feel sick to my stomach like with other protein-packed products.

walking with Quest protein chips

The Perfect Snack- Anytime of Day

I’ve found these to be great anytime of day whether I am typing away at a product review (like this here), sitting around with an empty stomach, or on-the-go and in need of something quick but filling. And honestly, these will fuel a workout and don’t sit heavy in your stomach like some other nutritional stuff (*cough cough bars and shakes).

Price = Affordable = Happy Customer

The one complaint I always had around nutritional products and supplements is that they’re too dang expensive. Everyone talks about how you should eat healthy, but is it worth going broke in the process? These protein chips are exactly in my price range (and will be for you too), sitting comfortably at $20 for eight bags. That’s about $2.50 a bag. It ain’t the cheapest thing on the shelf, but for the quality and benefits, it sure beats plenty of other snacks that aren’t as healthy as these guys.

The Bottom Line

I found Quest Protein Chips as a result of a night out with friends and Casamigos. But they weren’t just a snack to curb my buzz. They ended up being something I eat on a regular basis to stay full and get enough protein any time of day. Give yourself a break from thick protein shakes and carb-packed bars and mix these into your diet. If you’re like me and enjoy a crunch, your quest is now over.

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