Guide to Chips, Pretzels, and Other Snack Foods

Did you know that potato chips, corn chips, and popcorn rank 11th among all foods in the amount of fat which they supply to US adults? The typical adult gets more fat from these foods than from ice cream, eggs, or nuts and seeds. This suggests that we're eating a lot of chips.

Let's look at the nutrition facts on a typical package of chips. If you're looking at regular potato, corn, or tortilla chips, you'll see that an ounce provides around 140 calories. Pretzels and lowfat chips have around 110 calories in a 1-ounce serving. Just what is a 1-ounce serving? Probably far fewer chips than many of us eat at one time. An ounce is about 6 large tortilla chips, 20 mini pretzels or potato chips, or 2-4 cups of popped popcorn. That 1-ounce serving can supply 10 or 11 grams of fat (as much as a couple of teaspoons of oil) and as much as 500 milligrams of sodium (almost as much as 1/4 teaspoon of salt). Fortunately, there are lower fat and lower sodium versions of many snack foods, and in many cases they are pretty tasty—once you get used to tasting potato or corn and not just grease and salt.

What are the positives about chips? Many are made with unsaturated fats like high monounsaturated sunflower oil, canola oil, safflower oil, or olive oil. They are often a good source of vitamin E. Popcorn provides fiber, although other snack foods, such as chips and pretzels, don't have much. A few chips, those made with dried carrots or sweet potatoes, have decent levels of vitamin A. Although potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, potato chips are not. Chips and popcorn are not especially good sources of other vitamins or of minerals such as iron and calcium.

What about ingredients? A few chips are still made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, a source of trans fatty acids. High intakes of these fatty acids have been linked to heart disease. No chips only carried by the natural foods store contain trans fatty acids; some in the grocery store list hydrogenated oil as a possible ingredient. We recommend purchasing chips which do not contain hydrogenated fats. Olestra, a fat substitute that can be used in potato and tortilla chips, impairs absorption of some vitamins and can lead to stomach cramps and loose stools. Based on these problems, we recommend avoiding snack foods containing Olestra.

Which snack foods have animal-derived ingredients is usually pretty obvious. Phrases like "White Cheddar," "Lite Buttery Flavor," "Honey Dijon," and "Sour Cream 'n' Onion" certainly indicate products which vegans would avoid. In other instances, shoppers will have to pay attention to the ingredient list. We found Barbecue Chips, Nacho Chips, and Chili and Lime Chips with whey, and Pinta Chips and some pretzels that contained honey.

Some chips do use organic ingredients. These include Garden of Eatin', Guiltless Gourmet, Robert's American Gourmet, Skinny Naturals, Bearitos, Newman's Own, and Whole Foods products. These chips can be found in natural foods stores or the natural foods sections of supermarkets. In general, snack foods from the natural foods aisle had less fat and less sodium than their counterparts in the supermarket.

If snack foods are an occasional treat, you may not be too concerned about the amount of fat and sodium in many brands. If, however, you find yourself munching on a regular basis, it seems prudent to choose products with less fat and less sodium. Our top choice snack foods all have no more than 4 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium in a serving and are vegan. They are: