Potato Chips | LIVESTRONG.COM

Healthy Food Choices: Potato Chips

Last Update: October 16, 2008

Video By: LIVESTRONG.COM

The potato chip is a staple of American convenience eating, and after many years with a bad reputation there are some healthier options for potato chip fans becoming available. Try these tips for buying potato chips in this healthy shopping video.

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Comments: 4
Transcript of this video

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Chips can be healthy
Look for 0g trans fat & low sodium
Avoid "fat free" chips with Olestra

About this Author

Michelle Cooper has been a registered dietician for more than 10 years. She currently works for the state of North Carolina for the New Hanover County School District in the Child Nutrition Department as the supervising registered dietician on staff. She specializes in child nutrition, child fitness and overall child health. She enjoys her job because it allows her to be a pivotal piece of child development.

by smazzle on January 26, 2009 at 4:20 PM

What about chips that incorporate healthier grains, such as quinoa or flaxseed? Those types of chips aren't just empty calories - you get some nutritional value out of them. I personally LOVE FoodShouldTasteGood chips. Yum! http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com And no, I don't work for them, i just love the danged things.

by nicoleskay on February 26, 2009 at 2:13 PM

whats wrong with fat free chips with olestra?

by JoeNH on March 25, 2009 at 2:49 PM

For me the concerns about olestra are real. Eating even a modest helping of food with the fat substitute causes me days of discomfort and terrible diarrhea. Unfortunately, I think the industry has its opinion agents watching sites and responding that there is no problem at all. In the long run the makers of this product are hurting themselves, particularly in this economic and political environment. If they would simply agree to disclose the presence of olestra, without any warning, the many people like me could buy their products again. It just seems that they only want to sell versions WITH Olestra, so, right now, I just buy no crispy snacks of any kind, so disaster befalls me only if I'm out to dinner or lunch somewhere and I'm careless or forgetful. I can assure you, however, that the symptoms are real, unmistakable, and miserable to endure. Joe

by JoeNH on March 25, 2009 at 2:58 PM

For me, olestra is a genuine problem. Eating even a modest amount causes days of stomach upset and diarrhea. The sympoms are real, unmistakable, and miserable. Unfortuantely, I think industry has their opinion bloggers watching for comments like mine. My solution is to buy no crispy prepared foods, so the problem only happens when I'm at a restaurant or party and I'm careless. So, I think the maker of this substance is just hurting themselves in the long run, particularly is this economic and political environment. If they would simply disclose its presence, without any warning, at least people like me could avoid it. I guess they just don't to make versions without olestra. As President of a small company, it's sad to see because it just reinforces negative attitudes about "corporate America."

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MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we are going to talk about potato chips. When it comes to potato chips, they are not all created equal. And yes, you can have potato chips and have a healthy diet at the same time. What you want to look for are potato chips such as these that have a label that reads no transfat or 30% less fat. Traditionally, potato chips are fried potatoes. They actually have sodium added to them and other preservatives. When you get the modified kind that is lower in sodium and lower in fat, this can be part of a healthy diet as long as you do not go overboard. You need to pay attention to the label and read what its serving size is and make sure that you are not exceeding that. Some of the good versions are things like Baked Lay's or Baked Ruffles. I would not recommend getting the fat free that are made with olestra. There are some pretty nasty side effects associated with those. But the reduced fat or the baked versions are just fine. So remember, number one, do not exceed the serving size, because you are going to be getting more calories than you need. Number two, do not opt for the traditional potato chips. Get the ones that have the label that have smart choices, no transfat, lower fat. Or number three, find something that is baked or with a lower-fat version of the traditional product, and then you can incorporate chips as part of a healthy diet.