The present invention is directed towards a method for making a healthy
snack food having an appearance and taste similar to conventional fried
snack products without the use of an oil-frying process. The method of
the present invention includes the steps of providing food slices from a
starch-based food or dough. The food slices can be blanched and a small
amount of oil can be added to enhance final organoleptical properties.
The food slices are then rapidly dehydrated to a much lower moisture
content in a primary drying step. The dehydrated food slices can then be
heated to impart fried flavor notes. A food snack, such as a corn or
potato-based snack, produced by this method is a low-fat, ready-to-eat
snack having the conventional texture and taste associated with fried
snack products.