Americans love potatoes – the state of Idaho alone produces more than 12 billion pounds of them per year.
Highly versatile in mashed, fried and baked forms, potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals. Andy Weir’s astronaut main character famously survived off of potatoes alone on Mars in the 2011 fiction novel “The Martian.” They’re starchy vegetables, which means they have carbohydrates that our body breaks down to use as energy and help us feel full, even if they do have more calories and less fiber than other vegetables.
So if potatoes are good for us, what makes potato chips unhealthy? And are there any healthy potato chips?
The Verdict? Choosing baked varieties may save you calories and fat, but you’ll still be chomping on more sodium and acrylamides. As an occasional treat, baked chips can be part of a healthy diet but if it’s making more than a guest appearance, you may want to reconsider.
While the nutritionist says fried potato chips do have more calories and fat, she also determined that the differences between those chips and baked chips weren’t that significant.
“It turns out that regular chips provide more potassium (12% vs. 7% of your Daily Value in a typical serving) and vitamin C (24% vs. 0%) than baked chips, two beneficial nutrients,” McPherson wrote.
But McPherson’s analysis shows that fried potato chips may not be much worse for you after all.
“Baked chips aren’t necessarily healthier for you than regular chips,” she concluded. “But both can be a part of a healthy eating routine. Choose your favorite and fully enjoy each crunchy bite.”
A Missouri-registered dietitian has examined the differences between baked and fried chips — and her findings are likely to shock you.
Are Sun Chips healthy?
Sun Chips are sometimes given a health halo because they’re made with whole grains as opposed to potatoes. Starches digest faster than grains, so Sun Chips, which are made with corn, wheat, rice flour and oat flour, may not give you as much of a blood sugar spike.
But Sun Chips are still fried in canola oil, the same as Lay’s potato chips, which use a vegetable oil combination of “Canola, Corn, Soybean, and/or Sunflower oil.”
CHIPS – BAKED OR REGULAR | WHICH IS BETTER? | ROCHELLE T PARKS
FAQ
Are baked chips really healthier?
Do baked chips taste better?
Is it better to fry or bake chips?