it is with deep sadness that we write to tell you that we lost a dear member of the popchips family this week when chris anderson passed away from cancer on june 7, 2011. he was 48 and is survived by his two adorable children, briana and lucas.

chris was #1. our very first employee. our vp of sales. our inspiration. our mentor. our confidant. our dear friend. we’ll never forget his incredible dedication, his zest for life, love for cars, his laughter, and (of course) his award-winning smile.

chris embodied so much about the values that drive us. about creating a company we can all be proud of. about integrity, and uncompromised morals. and about commitment. and it wasn’t that chris just worked hard (which he did!) – we all marveled at his passion and the way he connected with people. the company wouldn’t be where it is today without chris.

chris’ two children, briana and lucas, were his pride and joy. nothing made him happier than sharing stories and pictures. and we are really pleased to be setting up a college fund for briana and lucas, which the company, our employees, our board and several of our vendors are contributing to. we know that would make chris smile.

join us in celebrating an amazing man and his wonderful memories.

-keith and pat

enjoy a memorial day feast with zero grams of regret? brandi koskie, managing editor of dietsinreview.com, says it can be done. she gave Yahoo! Shine the full scoop on how to host a healthier cookout that’s big on taste, not on calories, by following these simple steps…

• meat market. choose a lean cut of meat: 90% or higher ground beef (organic if possible), chicken breasts, or lean ground turkey (white meat only). even consider a vegetarian option, such as a large portobello mushroom cap.
• go green. and red, yellow and orange. top off your grilled goods with fresh veggies for a serious nutritional punch; not to mention, a punch of color.
• beautiful buns. whole grain, good. high fructose corn syrup, bad. any questions?
• sauce smartly. mayo, bbq sauce, and the like just add empty calories. look for a bbq sauce without added sugar, try a few slices of avocado instead of mayo, and get more flavor out of a brown mustard rather than yellow.
• super sides. replace sinful sides with healthier alternatives, such as popchips, which serve up all the flavor & less than half the fat of traditional fried potato chips.

hungry for more? brandi dishes more lean memorial day tips & recipes here.

gluten-free snackers of the world, rejoice. did you know that along with being free of cholesterol and saturated fats, all popchips flavors are also gluten-free? and we have the papers to prove it. all you ever wanted to know about the gluten-free certification is here. look for the gluten-free symbol on the back of bags in stores soon.