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Nutritional Value of Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips

Sep 13, 2011 | By Brian Willett
Nutritional Value of Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips
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If you find that plain potato chips don't have enough flavor to satisfy your snacking desires, sour cream and onion potato chips are another option. This snack does have a distinct flavor, but it's not an ideal food for all diets. Sour cream and onion potato chips are high in fat and calories and provide few nutritional benefits.

Calories

Sour cream and onion potato chips are relatively high in calories, as a 28 gram serving of the chips contains 160 calories. This is 8 percent of the daily suggested intake of 2,000 calories and is much more than an equal-sized portion of many other foods provide. A 28 gram banana, for example, would contain just 25 calories. However, a 28 gram serving of regular potato chips would provide 160 calories, just as the sour cream and onion potato chips do.

Fat

Sour cream and onion potato chips are calorie-dense because they are high in fat. Each 28 gram serving of the chips contains 10 grams of total fat, with 1 gram of saturated fat. While having a low saturated fat content is desirable -- that type of fat can encourage high cholesterol levels -- fatty foods can make weight management difficult. Research from the May 2001 edition of "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders" indicates that fatty foods tend to be less filling and higher in calories than foods lower in fat, and they can promote a higher overall calorie intake. Sour cream and onion potato chips have the same amount of fat as regular potato chips.

Carbohydrates

As with other foods made from potatoes, sour cream and onion potato chips are rich in carbohydrates. A 28 gram serving of the chips contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, a nutrient that is your body's primary source of energy. This amount is 1 gram more than a 28 gram serving of regular potato chips contain.

Fiber

Although these chips are rich in carbohydrates, sour cream and onion potato chips are not a rich source of dietary fiber. This type of carbohydrate is essential for your health, as it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, promotes satiety and enhances the health of your digestive tract. Regular potato chips provide 1 gram of dietary fiber.

Protein

Sour cream and onion potato chips are not high in protein. A 28 gram serving of this snack contains only 2 grams of protein, which is one quarter of what a cup of milk contains. Protein aids in the maintenance and production of your body's cells and tissues. Regular potato chips also contain 2 grams of protein.

Sodium

Sour cream and onion potato chips are somewhat high in sodium, with 320 milligrams in each 28 gram serving. That amounts to 14 percent of the daily suggested intake. You do need some sodium to live, but a consistently high sodium intake may increase your risk of heart disease. Sour cream and onion potato chips contain twice the amount of sodium that regular potato chips do; this extra sodium provides the difference in flavor.

Vitamins and Minerals

Sour cream and onion potato chips are not very rich in vitamins and minerals, but they do contain some. A 28 gram serving contains 16 percent of the daily suggested intake of potassium, 10 percent of the daily suggested intake of vitamin C and 2 percent of the daily suggested intake of iron.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Sep 13, 2011

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