Baked potato chips hit the market as a healthier alternative to the fried variety. They do tend to be much lower in fat content because the baking process sidesteps the unhealthy process of deep-frying the chips in oil. But to make every calorie you eat count toward optimal nutrition, choose another snack. Potato chips are still potato chips, no matter how they are processed.
Fat
Baked chips generally contain less than 3 g of fat per 1 oz. serving. If you're on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, you can eat up to 66 g of fat per day, so purchasing a small bag of baked chips at the lunch counter won't put you in danger of going over this amount. If you're watching your fat intake, baked chips probably won't hurt you.
Carbohydrates
Potatoes are loaded with carbs and baked chips can contain up to 21 g in a 1 oz. serving. Carbs convert to glucose to give your body energy. Between 150 and 200 g of carbohydrates per day can keep your body functioning healthily. If you consume more than that, however, the excess will turn to fat. If you eat a small bag of baked chips and you want to maintain your carbohydrate intake in healthy ranges through the rest of the day, you'd have to monitor what you eat so as not to go over. As long as you don't, a single bag of baked ships should not derail a healthy diet.
Sodium
Baked chips can be very high in sodium: 138 mg in a single oz. serving of Kettle Chips to approximately 324 g in a 1.78 oz. serving of Lays. Eating too much sodium on a regular basis can lead to high blood pressure.
Fiber
Fiber is necessary to a healthy diet because it goes directly through your digestive system, keeping things moving along smoothly. But a small bag of baked chips won't supply much, approximately 3 g per 1 oz. serving. There are healthier sources of fiber, such as lentils and beans, especially considering that you can consume as many as 200 calories of minimal nutritional value in that 1 oz. serving of baked chips.
Vitamins and Minerals
The skin of one potato can supply almost half your RDA of vitamins C and B-6 on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet. But not all potato chips include the skin. A small bag of Lays baked chips still contains some vitamin C, however, approximately 5.7 percent of your RDA for a 2,000 calorie diet. A small bag of Kettle chips will supply 13 percent of your vitamin C RDA and 5 percent of your daily iron, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Acrylamides
Acrylamides are chemicals suspected of causing cancer, formed when carbohydrates -- such as those in potatoes -- cook at extremely high temperatures. Baked chips are very high in acrylamides.
References
- SeaAloe: Baked Potato Chips; Jan. 10, 2009
- HealthMad: Are Baked Potato Chips Healthy?; Kristie Leong, M.D.; June 6, 2010
- Calorie Gallery: Baked! Lays Original Naturally Baked Potato Chips
- MyFitnessPal: Calories in Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips Lightly Salted
- Straight Health: How Much Fat Should I Eat Each Day?
- Carbohydrate Guide; How Many Carbohydrates Should You Eat Per Day?; Aug. 23, 2010
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