Potato chips are the demise of many people, especially those trying to lose weight! Those lovely crunchy, salty snacks available in so many tempting flavours and varieties are so hard to stop eating once you start. They’re also potentially nutritionally misleading for our children. Many packets make all sorts of wonderful sounding nutritional claims proclaiming themselves as a healthier alternative…but are they true?

It’s a combination of two things which make potato chips so yummy – fat and salt. Both of these ingredients have their down side. Most potato chips are fried in one way or another so are high in total fat. Levels of saturated fat (the ‘bad’ type fat which clogs arteries and increases the risk of heart disease) can creep up, and as a result of all the media attention saturated fat has received in recent years, many manufacturers have developed potato chips with lower levels. You will often see claims on the front of packaging.

Children should avoid high salt intakes due to their relatively immature digestive systems and organs. For adults, if you have concerns with your blood pressure or have been told to reduce your salt (or sodium) intake potato chips are generally not a good option.

To determine the quantities of total fat, saturated fat and salt present in the different brands of potato chips on offer, look at the NIP (Nutrition Information Panel) on the back of the packet. Remember that salt is declared as ‘sodium’. To compare brands, look at values in the ‘per 100g’ column. If you’re looking at the ‘per serving’ column on a particular product, make a mental note to check what the manufacturer states is a serving size – it may not be what you think! You may also want to check out the ingredients listing as some brands do use an awful lot of interesting flavourings and colourings.

As customers demand more health conscious products be aware things are not always as they may seem. Pay careful attention to potentially misleading words on the packet, for example ‘natural’, ‘slims’, ‘health plus’ and ‘vegetable’ as they’re generally all high in total fat.  Don’t assume these names are referring to the nutritional value – it may be the colour or flavor. Just keep checking the fat and sodium values on the back of the packet to be sure!

Here are a few things to remember:

• ‘Healthier’ potato chips tend to be those prepared with canola, olive and sunflower oil as they’re lower in saturated fat. They’re not fat free, but are ‘healthier’ by using a different type of fat.
• As alternatives try rice wheels, rice crackers, rice sticks, pita crisps, corn chips, bagel crisps or pretzels as these generally have lower levels of total and saturated fat. 
• Try thinly slicing bagels or cut pita pockets into bite sized pieces and bake in the oven until golden. Use as an alternative to potato chips and serve with dips and spreads.

After reading this, don’t dismiss potatoes as the baddie. It’s only the super thin slicing, frying and addition of salty flavourings which turn this important staple vegetable into a potato chip treat. Don’t forget that potatoes are a fantastic source of carbohydrates and provide many micronutrients including the B vitamins and vitamin C.

Furthermore if you eat potatoes with their skins on you will be boosting your fibre intake and nutrient intake as most of the nutrients are found close to the skin. As most of the nutrients are found in higher concentrations in the skin rather than the flesh the smaller the potato the more nutritious it will be – so where possible looker for smaller spuds.

Endorsed by our New World Nutritionist  ||   Proudly Partnering with Parents Centre

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