Ruffles is a brand of ridged potato chip made by the Frito-Lay Co. Frito-Lay acquired the right to market the chips in 1958, and advertise them as being good for dips because of their sturdy design. The flavor of the chips comes from potatoes fried in sunflower or corn oil and sprinkled with salt.
Types
Ruffles come in several different varieties. In addition to the original flavor, Frito-Lay makes Authentic Barbecue, Cheddar and Sour Cream and Sour Cream and Onion. Baked versions of Ruffles come in Sour Cream and Onion and Cheddar and Sour Cream. Reduced-fat, Ruffles Light and Natural Reduced Fat Sea Salted versions also are available.
Calories and Macronutrients
Most of the flavors of Ruffles contain 160 calories per 1-oz. serving. The reduced-fat versions contain 140 calories per 1-oz. serving, and Ruffles Light contains 70 calories per serving. The original versions of Ruffles has 10 g to 11 g of fat per serving, while the reduced fat versions have 7 g and the Light version contains 0 g of fat. Ruffles contain 14 g of carbohydrates per serving, while the reduced fat and light versions have 17 g per serving. All of the chips contain 2 g of protein. Baked Ruffles contain 120 calories, 3 g of fat, 2 g of protein and 21 g of carbohydrates per 1-oz serving.
Additional Nutrition Information
Most of the varieties of Ruffles provide 10 percent of the daily recommended allowance for vitamin C, but the baked versions contain just 2 percent to 6 percent per serving. The chips offer some B vitamins like thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6. Original Ruffles contain no iron, but the baked versions provide 2 percent of the RDA. All the Ruffles contain 1 g to 2 g of fiber. None of the Ruffles chips contains cholesterol. Sodium levels range from 160 mg for the Natural Sea Salted variety to 230 mg for the Sour Cream and Cheddar flavored.
Olestra
The Light version of Ruffles is made with Olestra, a synthetic fat that is not absorbed by the digestive tract. The Center for Science in the Public Interest advises avoiding Olestra, because it can cause loose stools, cramping, gas and other severe digestive side effects. It may also reduce your ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Considerations
All Ruffles are gluten-free. All flavors, apart from the Sour Cream and Onion or Cheddar and Sour Cream versions, are lactose free. Ruffles contain 0 g of trans fats; Frito-Lay removed all trans fats from its products in 2003, according to its website. However, the ingredient list for Cheddar and Sour Cream and Sour Cream and Onion Ruffles lists partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which indicates the presence of some trans fats. The Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to list trans fats amounts above .5 g only.
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