After decades of tinkering and experimentation, there still isn’t an alternative that provides that perfect (yet still nutritious) flavor profile. Because of this combination of cooking factors, nutrients that normally deteriorate during long drying cycles remain in the food. At the same time, MVD retains the starch required for a chip’s trademark texture. If you could swap out potatoes for beets and still get the same flavor profile, then you wouldn’t only replace traditional chips—you could improve them. Chen’s collaborator, food scientist Diane Makovic, explained that the chips people love rely on starch due to how it gelatinizes under heat.