Are Pita Chips and Pita Bread Vegan?

Like other types of food items, people often ask whether pita is generally considered vegan. This question is common for a good reason: if going vegan means giving up this delicious delicacy, switching to a 100% plant-based diet would be far more difficult.

Since pita chips are generally made from pita bread let us first know about pita bread.

What is pita bread?

Pita is a Greek term that means flat. Pita bread is a leavened round flatbread that is usually made from wheat but can also be made from various grains and whole-grain wheat for a better diet.

The Pita bread is pale white in color, soft to touch, and are fluffy. Once the Pita-bread is baked, you’ll find that the interior is made up of two layers that separate into inner pockets. These pockets are created by baking the Pita bread at high temperatures.

While baking the dough quickly separates from the middle, creating large air bubbles inside. Once the bread is baked and cooled, it flattens out but retains the inside pockets.

Now the Pita bread is usually cut in half, resulting in two crescent-shaped bread pockets. They are used in many ways as the basis of many recipes around the world.¹

Ingredients used in making pita bread

The usual ingredients used to make pita bread are as follows:

• Water
• yeast
• powdered sugar
• all-purpose flour (or a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
• kosher salt
• extra virgin olive oil ²

Another popular recipe contains the ingredient list of pita bread are as follows:

• active dry yeast
• sugar
• whole wheat flour (1/4 cup)
• unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• kosher salt
• olive oil ³

Is pita bread vegan?

By looking at the ingredient list we can conclude that Yes Pita bread is vegan as it is made from the usual bread ingredients plus a few tweaks. However, there are a small number of commercially made pita bread products that contain animal products such as milk, eggs, and honey. You should therefore be careful with these.

Possible non-vegan ingredients found in pita bread

Monoglycerides

These are used as emulsifying agents. There are possibilities that they can be derived from animals. So if you come across this in a food label, better avoid it and go for the next brand of pita bread which doesn’t contain this additive. ⁴

Xanthan Gum

Thickening agents are often used in pita bread and usually come in the form of cellulose gum; guar gum, and/or xanthan gum. Only the xanthan gum is problematic for some vegans. Like monoglycerides, they can be sourced from animals.

Xanthan gum is a food thickener made from bacteria that infect numerous plants. It is part of a wide variety of foods and is mainly used to change the texture of food. ⁵

How to prepare vegan pita bread at home?

• Put warm water, sugar, and yeast along with 1 cup of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir everything together until it turns smooth and let it rest for at least15 minutes. The mixture should bubble and foam.
• Add olive oil and salt along with 1 1/2 cups of flour and use a dough hook to mix at low speed until the dough turns smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. If it sticks, add another 1/4 cup of flour at a time (we’ll add an extra half cup for a total of 2 cups).
• Knead over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Take the dough out of the bowl, place it on a floured work surface and form a ball with it.
• Lightly oil a large bowl and put the dough in it, brush with oil and cover the bowl with a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until the size doubles.
• Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a floured work surface, roll the dough into a large ball, and cut into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. I’m guessing roughly here, but if you want everything to be consistent, use food scales. Weigh each piece of dough to make sure they are the same.
• Shape each piece of dough into a small ball, peel the dough from the sides, and tuck the ends under the bottom. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the floured work surface and cover them with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Once it’s rested, roll the balls of dough into flat and round pitas, about 1/4-inch thick. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can simply use your hands to flatten the dough to the best of your ability. Let it steep for 10-30 minutes. In my experience, the longer the better! The longer the dough sits, the more likely it is that a pocket will form in the pita when it is cooked.
• Brush a cast-iron pan with a little olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the pita bread dough to the pan and cook until the bread starts to blow and the base is browned for about 2-3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Although the pita bread ideally puffs up and fills with hot air to create the perfect “pockets”, this is not necessary or is always expected. Wrap the cooked bread in a clean towel plate while you continue to cook the rest of the pita to keep them warm.
• Better if served immediately; Generally the pita will last in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5-7 days. ⁶

Pita bread nutrition facts ⁷

Is pita bread healthy?

Well, most of the types of pita bread are considered healthy. Whole wheat pita bread is one of the healthiest pitas out there. The fact that pita bread only contains around 2 grams of unhealthy fat per 100 grams makes it a healthy option.

The pita bread is rich too in fiber, which is necessary for the digestive system to function properly. In addition to much of the fiber, pita bread also contains minerals and vitamins such as thiamine and riboflavin.

Also, whole-grain pita regulates the level of sugar in the blood and improves the condition of your heart, and protects against diabetes.

Pita bread with soy protein lowers cholesterol and lowers the risk of a heart attack.

Pita bread also helps with weight loss as it leaves you feeling full for a long time, which means you end up eating less. ⁸

Is pita bread gluten free?

Pita bread is traditionally made from wheat flour, which is common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Gluten is made up of two proteins, glutenin, and gliadin, both of which are commonly found in wheat flour. The wheat flour used to bake bread contains between 12% and 14% of Gluten, therefore pita bread is not gluten-free.

If you like the taste of pita bread but you follow a gluten-free diet, you can make gluten-free pita bread at home using gluten-free flour. Healthline’s Amy Goodson has compiled a list of the 14 best gluten-free flours. Of the best flours for making gluten-free pita bread, you can use buckwheat flour, with a rich, earthy taste; Amaranth flour seasoned with walnut and popcorn; Teff flour and brown rice flour, always a good substitute for wheat.

Vegan pita bread brands

Here’s a list I’ve put together to help you choose vegan pita bread the next time you go to the store:

• Aldi (only available from Aldi)
• Arnold
• Daves Killer Bread
• Engine 2 (only available from Whole Foods)
• Ezekiel
• La Tortilla Factory
• Manna Organics
• Mission Corn Tortillas
• Nature’s Own
• Rudis Organic
• Thomas Bagel
• Trader Joe’s (only available at Trader Joe’s)
• Whole Foods 365 (only available at Whole Foods)

While this is a list you can generally trust, always check the ingredients list when using pita bread from these brands in the grocery store (as some brands do) change the ingredients in their food).

Pita chips

Along with popcorn, potato chips, cookies, and crackers, pita chips are among the most popular snacks in the world. Not only do they make for a satisfying crunch, but they come in a variety of flavors and combinations. and pair perfectly with dips such as hummus and spinach artichoke.

Pita chips, also known as pita bread crisps or pita crackers, are an increasingly popular snack made from ingredients very similar to pita bread. They are mostly seasoned with salt, although flavors of garlic, chili, cheese, and sour cream are also common. ⁹

Ingredients used in making pita chips

The basic ingredients used in making pita chips are:

• Olive Oil
• Pita bread
• Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
• Black Pepper ¹⁰

Are pita chips vegan?

By looking at the basic ingredient list you can make out that for the most part, pita chips are vegan-friendly.

Possible non-vegan ingredients found in pita chips

Despite being vegan-friendly, there are some potential dangers as with pita bread. Some brands specifically market their pita chips as a vegan snack, which helps. If this isn’t the case with the brand you are looking at, then you need to check the list of ingredients for yourself.

The main ingredients that may make pita chips unsuitable are the use of whey protein and the use of milk as a flavor. Salted pita chips are more vegan-friendly than pita chips with other flavors. Pita chips often use powdered sour cream made from milk, while cheese-flavored pita chips almost always use a cheese flavored from real cheese only.

A small number of pita chips brands also use eggs, either in the chips themselves or as part of the condiments, so you should be mindful about this. It’s also common to eat pita chips with dips. So you need to buy one that is vegan-friendly too. This can be tricky with the creamier dips in stores that often use milk and egg as ingredients. Some dips also contain xanthan gum. So you should choose properly.

How to prepare vegan pita chips at home?

• Preheat oven to 175 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
• Use a knife to cut a loaf of whole pita bread into 8 equal triangles. Place the pita bread triangles in a large bowl and pour the seasoned olive oil over the pita bread.
• Carefully brush each triangle with seasoned olive oil with your hands and place the seasoned pita bread on a prepared baking sheet.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the pita chips for 8-10 minutes until they become light brown. ¹¹

Are pita chips healthy?

Pita chips are high in calories, carbohydrates, and sodium, but contain various nutrients such as folic acid, thiamine, and vitamin E.

Store-bought varieties are highly processed and often contain many additives and additional ingredients. They are also considered refined carbohydrates, which means they can cause blood sugar spikes and drops, and make you hungry.

However, pita chips are lower in calories than potato chips, contain important B vitamins, are incredibly versatile, and are easy to make at home.

So if you are pretty much concerned about your health then avoid store-bought pita chips and make your own at home, or swap them out for raw or baked vegetables. ¹²

Vegan pita chips available

So finally we can conclude that there is absolutely no reason for a vegan to go without pita bread and pita chips. Vegan-friendly pita bread and chips are widely available and they can also be easily made at home without using animal products and without replacing the basic ingredients.

So this was all on this topic. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it.

References

1. Pita Bread, Accessed from https://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-pita-bread-1375i. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
2. Easy Homemade Pita Bread Recipe, Accessed from https://www.themediterraneandish.com/homemade-pita-bread-recipe/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
3. Homemade Pita Bread, Accessed from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016071-homemade-pita-bread. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
4. What are monoglycerides?, Accessed from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321912#:~:text=Monoglycerides%20are%20a%20type%20of,monoglycerides%20and%20diglycerides%20during%20digestion. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
5. All you need to know about xanthan gum, Accessed from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320272#_noHeaderPrefixedContent. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
6. Homemade Pita Bread, Accessed from https://sweetsimplevegan.com/2018/05/homemade-pita-bread/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
7. Pita bread, Accessed from https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/pita-bread,4298/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
8. Is Pita Bread Healthy for Weight Loss?, Accessed from https://www.livetheorganicdream.com/is-pita-bread-healthy/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
9. Pita Chips Pros & Cons, Accessed from https://draxe.com/nutrition/pita-chips/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
10. Pita Chips, Accessed from http://thegreekvegan.com/pita-chips/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
11. Quick Easy Homemade Baked Pita Chips, Accessed from https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/homemade-baked-pita-chips/. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
12. Nature’s Promise Pita Chips Sea Salt, Accessed from https://smartlabel.peapod.com/upc/00688267167171#ingredients. Retrieved 27th April 2021.
13. Organics, Organic Caramelized Onion Pita Crackers, Accessed from https://smartlabel.labelinsight.com/product/4337853/ingredients. Retrieved 27th April 2021.