Sorghum-soy chips promise high protein, low GI crunch without the carbon

Key takeaways:

• Sorghum-soy chips pack up to three times more protein than standard potato crisps, plus essential minerals.
• Sorghum’s drought tolerance and soy’s nitrogen-fixing power make these chips lighter on water, fertiliser and emissions.
• Consumer panels found the chips crisp and nutty, showing climate-smart snacks can still deliver on taste.

Snacking isn’t going anywhere. But how we make snacks and what we make them from is under the microscope like never before.

Shoppers want the same satisfying crunch, yet they’re also chasing higher protein, scanning for cleaner labels and asking awkward questions about carbon footprints. At the same time, climate change is playing havoc with yields of wheat, corn and potatoes – the very crops the sector has relied on for decades.

It’s a tricky equation. Which is why a group of researchers from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the University of York decided to try something different: swap in sorghum and soy. They weren’t aiming for a niche health bar or a worthy cereal; they wanted to see if you could make a chip – the ultimate indulgent snack – that stands up nutritionally and environmentally and still feels like a treat.

Why sorghum and soy?

Sorghum is hardly a supermarket star, but farmers know its strengths. It will grow where other grains wither, shrugging off heat and drought. It uses far less water than thirsty crops like rice or corn, and its roots don’t just stabilise the soil, they also lock in carbon. In parts of Africa and South Asia, it’s been a dietary staple for centuries. In Western markets, though, it rarely makes it past animal feed or boutique flours.

Soy has a different story. It’s everywhere, from soy lattes to protein powders. But what often gets lost in consumer debates about soy is how it works on the farm. As a legume, it ‘fixes’ nitrogen into the soil. That cuts fertiliser use, trims emissions and keeps rotations healthy. Combine that with its high protein content and you have a useful partner for sorghum.

So, the researcher thought they’d put the two together and see if they could deliver a chip that’s gluten-free, protein-rich and built on climate-resilient crops.

A nutritional upgrade

The results were encouraging. Compared to standard potato chips, the sorghum-soy versions carried two to three times the protein. In a market where protein is still one of the most sought-after claims, that alone is noteworthy.

Minerals were another plus. Depending on the blend, 100g of chips could carry around 200mg calcium, 13mg iron and 250mg magnesium. A single 50g bag covered almost 40% of an adult male’s daily iron requirement. That’s not a throwaway statistic – iron deficiency remains common globally.

And here’s the kicker: it’s all natural. No fortification, no additives. The nutrition came straight from the grains. For shoppers increasingly wary of ‘added this’ or ‘fortified with that’, that matters. Sorghum also happens to be gluten-free, which broadens the appeal to both diagnosed celiacs and the bigger lifestyle gluten-avoiding segment.

A steadier blood sugar hit

There’s another layer here: glycemic index. Most fried snacks hit the bloodstream fast, spiking blood sugar levels. The sorghum-soy baked chips behaved differently.

Thanks to sorghum’s wholegrain structure and soy’s protein, they produced a slower, more measured glucose release. The result is a low GI snack that doesn’t leave you crashing an hour later.

The fried versions, predictably, picked up more fat but delivered a stronger crunch. The baked chips had less oil, a lower GI and still enough bite to satisfy. For brands chasing the diabetic-friendly or low-GI niche – a space that’s expanding quickly – that’s a strong selling point.

Taste test verdict

Health claims are one thing. But if the eating experience isn’t there, a product won’t survive long in the aisle. People actually liked these chips.

Sensory panels rated them well for crunch, flavor and overall enjoyment. Blends with a balanced ratio of sorghum to soy stood out, with tasters describing them as crisp, nutty and easy to keep eating. Fried came across as more indulgent (no surprise there), baked as lighter and healthier – giving brands room to play in both segments.

And that’s crucial. Consumers might try a snack once because it’s better for you. But they only buy again if it hits the flavor mark. Here, the sorghum-soy chips managed to do both.

Turning research into retail reality

So what does this mean for the people actually making snacks?

It’s still early days. The study was lab-based but provides a proof of concept: you can reformulate a classic snack with climate-smart crops and still deliver on taste. That’s a powerful story for retailers and regulators alike.

Of course, there are challenges. Sorghum supply chains in many countries are geared toward livestock, not food. Soy needs careful sourcing to avoid deforestation issues. And consumers don’t yet have strong associations with sorghum – unlike quinoa or chickpeas, it hasn’t had its ‘supergrain’ marketing moment.

Even so, the opportunity is obvious. Better-for-you snacks are growing fast. Sustainability is moving from optional extra to baseline expectation. Sorghum-soy chips sit at the intersection of both trends, without losing the indulgence factor.

This research lands at just the right time. Snack brands are under pressure to prove they’re innovating not just with new flavours but with more sustainable ingredients. Packaging pledges help, but the real shift comes when the recipe itself changes.

Sorghum and soy won’t topple the potato overnight. But they could diversify the aisle, hedge risk for farmers and manufacturers, and give consumers something genuinely new to chew on.

And here’s the part worth underlining: the chips weren’t just tolerated in taste tests. They were enjoyed. Crisp, nutty, moreish – exactly the kind of feedback brands need if they’re going to justify reformulating.

Because in the end, the snack aisle isn’t just about science or sustainability. It’s about what people reach for when they want something satisfying. And if sorghum and soy can hold their own there, they just might be the future of crunch.

Studies:

Fatima Z, Beenish I, Beenish I, Itrat N, et al. Nutritional profiling and sensory characterization of gluten-free, high-protein, low glycemic index, of sorghum-soy baked and fried chips. Front. Nutr. Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets. Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1671158

Jiang H, Hettiararchchy NS, Horax R. Physical properties and estimated glycemic index of protein-enriched sorghum based chips. J Food Sci Technol. 2018 Mar;55(3):891-898. doi: 10.1007/s13197-017-2993-x

Pereira LM, Hawkes C. Leveraging the Potential of Sorghum as a Healthy Food and Resilient Crop in the South African Food System. Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 20 May 2022. Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets. Volume 6 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.786151