If you're looking for an alternative to potato chips -- the No. 1 snack in the country -- opt for veggie chips. Veggie chips are healthy in comparison to regular chips, but are neither low in fat nor calories. Some of the vegetables used to make veggie chips include sweet potatoes, carrots, yams, beets and taro root.
Calories and Sodium
You will ingest some fat, calories and sodium if you choose to snack on veggie chips instead of potato chips. An ounce of vegetable chips contains about 130 calories. A serving of vegetable chips includes 4 g of fat and 24 g of carbohydrates. An ounce of potato chips contains about 152 calories and 10 g of fat. On average, veggie chips contain less sodium than potato chips -- about 85 mg as opposed to 125 mg.
Fat and Vitamins
While some potato chips boast healthy oils, some are cooked in shortening and lard. Veggie chips are more likely to be cooked in unsaturated fats, such as canola oil, and contain no cholesterol and trans-fats. Veggie chips also contain varying levels of vitamin A . Carrot chips, for instance, contain 10 percent of your daily need for vitamin A. A purple sweet potato chip contains 6 percent vitamin A. Okra and squash chips each contain 4 percent vitamin A, and orange sweet potato chips meet 2 percent of your daily need for vitamin A.
Check Labels
While veggie chips provide a healthy alternative to potato chips, don't be fooled by package claims that boast the contents contain "low fat" or "low calories." Read the nutrition labels to determine the number of calories in a serving of veggie chips. Also check the label to find out if the veggie chips are baked or fried. While baked veggie chips likely contain fewer calories, they contain acrylamides, a substance that causes cancer in animals
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No kind of veggie chip -- baked or fried -- provides the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables. Consume six or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily to obtain adequate nutrition. Don't expect veggie chips to fulfill this daily requirement. On the other hand, if you must snack on something, veggie chips promise a relatively healthy alternative to potato chips. You can also snack on cut up fresh vegetables. If you're watching calories, serve them with salsa or low-fat dressing rather than sour cream dips or creamy salad dressings.
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