How to Find the Best Healthy Tortilla Chips

How to Find the Best Healthy Tortilla Chips
How to Find the Best Healthy Tortilla Chips

By Lisa D'Agrosa, Associate Nutrition Editor, EatingWell Magazine

Most tortilla chips contain just corn, oil and salt and less than 150 calories per serving-not bad stats for a food that normally gets relegated to the "junk food" aisle. We searched out the healthiest options (that still taste great). Here's what we found:

Bye-Bye, Baked: The taste and texture of baked chips often leaves much to be desired and there's no real nutritional benefit. Baked have about the same calories as fried chips, but more carbs and sodium.

Ditch the Bag: As tempting as it is, don't eat straight from the bag. Research shows we eat up to 80% more from a large container or bowl. Instead, measure out a single serving to enjoy.

Sing the Blues: Blue corn tortilla chips get their color from anthocyanins, brain-boosting flavanoids, and contain slightly more protein than white or yellow corn chips.

Brands We Love: Tostitos Simply Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips, Bearitos Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (made with organic blue corn), Green Mountain Gringo White Corn Tortilla Strips

See: How to Make Hot Artichoke Dip

Numbers to Look For:
Serving Size: About 1 ounce (About 6-15 chips; check your bag. Are you really only going to eat 6 chips?)
Saturated Fat Per Serving: ≤ 1g
Sodium Per Serving: ≤ 100mg

Ingredients to Avoid: cottonseed and palm oil (they're higher in saturated fat than other oils), sugar

Don't Miss: 4 Secrets to the Best Guacamole

Lisa D'Agrosa
Lisa D'Agrosa

By Lisa D'Agrosa

Lisa D'Agrosa is EatingWell's associate nutrition editor. She earned her master's degree in nutrition communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and attended the dietetic internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital to become a registered dietitian.


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