What Is the Nutritional Value of Potato Chips?

Potato chips have received a bad nutritional rap for years. Are they really that bad? Some versions on the market claim to be healthier than ever. Potato chip companies have been satisfying America with its favorite snack for more than a century. Americans love their chips and would love for them to be a healthy treat.

History of the Potato Chip

Potato chips came to be by way of an angry chef. In 1853, at the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga, New York, George Crum was preparing meals for his elite patronage. French fries were very popular at the time, having been discovered by Thomas Jefferson while in France. Crum served the fries thick, as was the French custom. One patron kept sending them back saying they were too thick. Crum decided to slice a potato so thin it could not be pierced with a fork. He then stir-fried the slices until they were golden brown and crunchy. The patron loved them, and the American potato chip was born. The demanding patron was rumored to be none other than Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The Growth of the Potato Chip Industry

The Saratoga Potato Chip Co. emerged from that fateful culinary night. Processing the chips was slow as potatoes were hand-peeled and sliced. In 1920, a mechanical potato peeler was developed, and the industry was on its way. Herman Lay, a southern-traveling salesman, sold his potato chips across Tennessee and Georgia to grocers from his car trunk. He built his business into the Lay's Potato Chips. Many years later, the company merged with the Fritos Co. and became Frito Lay, headquartered in Texas.

The Nutrition Lowdown

Potato chips are prepared the same way across all brands. A serving of potato chips is 1 oz, which equates to around 15 chips. Each serving contains 150 calories, 15 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of protein. There are 330 mg of potassium in each serving and small percentages of vitamin E, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron, thiamin, vitamin B6 and magnesium round out its nutritional makeup. Most brands have stopped using trans fats and are using healthier oils in the preparation. The report is not too bad if chips are consumed in moderation. The other ingredient is sodium, at 180 g per ounce. Lay's once advertised that "You can't eat just one," and consuming more than the 15 chips serving can be detrimental to the overall daily diet.

Trendy Chip Companies Claim a Share of the Market

Walk down any health food section of your local grocer and you will see the "healthy chip" market has exploded. Is there a difference? Take a bag of healthy chips to the regular chip aisle and compare. Chances are the nutritional values will be the same or very similar. Purchasing baked chips saves about 20 calories per serving. Because the baked chips are larger, you only get about seven chips per serving. The trendy brands cost more without any real nutritional enhancement. The Kettle Chips brand claims to be a "green potato chip" company. It uses local organic potato growers and every batch is hand-cooked with no trans fats or MSG. The nutritional facts remain about the same.

Home Chips

Anyone can make home chips, and you might become hooked on them. Use two to four of any variety of potatoes--leave on the skins for a more nutritional snack. Slice very thin--a food processor could help with this--then pan fry in a healthy oil such as olive or canola. Stir fry until the potato slices are a very golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with freshly grated sea salt.

Potato Chips Are Here to Stay

Whether you fry a batch of your own or buy the latest healthy version off the shelf, potato chips are here to stay. Potato chips are so American, and no sandwich is complete without them. Besides, they are vegan and vegetarian. Improvements are sure to continue in healthy oils and processes. Moderation is the key. You perhaps "Can't eat just one," but you can try to stop at 15.