Don’t Let Veggie Chips Fool You

5 min readMay 17, 2021

At first glance, any on-the-go food that appears to combine the health treasures of whole veggies and the attractive crunch of cheat snacks may look very promising. However, as with almost all processed foods, the label reveals where the corners are cut. I shall examine a few popular veggie chip products to demonstrate their disheartening similarity to standard potato chips and why they’re best avoided. Afterwards, I’ll post some more nutritious alternatives that won’t sacrifice that salty, crunchy quality.

Sensible Portions®

This is America’s most popular veggie-chip brand and provides several varieties including straws, wavy-style, and stacked-style (à la Pringles). Here are the ingredients for their “Garden Veggie Wavy Chips”:

POTATO FLOUR, POTATO STARCH, EXPELLER PRESSED CANOLA OIL AND/OR SUNFLOWER OIL AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL, SALT, CANE SUGAR, DEHYDRATED SPINACH, DEHYDRATED TOMATO, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BEETROOT POWDER (COLOR), TURMERIC (COLOR), SEA SALT.

For comparison, here are the ones from “Ruffles® Original Potato Chips”:

POTATOES, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER, CORN, AND/OR CANOLA OIL), AND SALT.

A 28-gram serving of any of these products will provide 15–16 grams of carbohydrates. Fat-wise, Sensible Portions® contains 7g total and 1g saturated, compared to Ruffles®’ 10g and 1.5g, respectively. In essence, these veggie chips are potato chips in disguise, relying on the vegetables solely for coloring, as the vitamin & mineral content is next to minimal. Calcium, iron, and potassium are only present in 4–6% of their recommended daily value.

Another issue is the brand’s reliance on potato starch. If deep-frying the chips wasn’t enough, the starch is likely used to improve the texture and make it crispier [1]. Your blood sugar pays the price, as concentrated starch can score 80 to 90 on the glycemic index. While whole potatoes may score similarly, they are rich in soluble fiber, which is known to slow and even prevent the absorption of excess glucose into the bloodstream [2].

Vegetable oils are another sneaky devil. Whether it’s soybean, canola, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, et cetera, these once lavished “heart-healthy” alternatives to saturated fats may be the real issue, as they’re more prone to inflammation-triggering oxidation due to their polyunsaturated structure and exposure to extreme heat during processing [3]. Their high omega-6 profiles aren’t worrisome on its own, but given these oils’ prevalence in the diets of developed countries, they will easily offset one’s omega-3-to-6 ratio, setting the stage for a flurry of health problems. Although “expeller-pressed” oils have the benefit of using no harsh chemicals during processing, they’re exposed to damaging temperatures all the same to achieve that tasteless, neutral quality.

Frankly, I’d recommend the “Simply RUFFLES® Sea Salted Reduced Fat Potato Chips” if you must have an easily obtained wavy chip. The vegetable benefit from Sensible Portions® is minimal and you will miss out on much-needed fiber, however little. Their straws fare no better and their stacked chips contain the following two diet bombs:

Monoglycerides: man-made emulsifiers from natural fat cells; containing trace amounts of trans-fat [4]
Maltodextrin: powder made by hydrolyzed starch (mainly from corn); glycemic index between 85 to 105.

TERRA®

Terra®’s original variety fares very similar to a straightforward potato chip: three simple ingredients (veggies, oil, and salt) and a little fiber. Its distinct blend of taro and sweet potato may appear healthier, but while it sports more fiber than its potato-only rivals, the vitamin/mineral count is nonexistent. Remember that prolonged exposure to oxygen and heat can destroy natural phytochemicals and vitamins from these once-nutritious crops.

Steer clear of their Mediterranean blend, as it relies on autolyzed yeast extract (an MSG-like ingredient), natural olive oil flavor (WHAT??), and maltodextrin (strangely found in the vinegar powder) to enhance the flavor.

The Better Chip®

Don’t let these discount-department-store favorites fool you either. Their popular Spinach & Kale variety is made from a corn base and again relies on cheap vegetable oils. At least there’s a greater presence of the green vegetables in question, as one serving provides 10% and 4% of the RDV for iron and calcium, respectively.

Rhythm Superfoods®

This brand is very close to great, but of their five vegetable varieties, only two (carrot and beet) don’t rely on vegetable oil, as they are air-dried rather than fried. This only counts for the “Naked” version… their sea-salt versions contain sunflower oil. Buy with caution.

Brad’s Plant Based®

These are the only vegetable chips I recommend, as every single ingredient is whole and natural. They opt for air-drying rather than deep-frying in cruddy oils. Same goes for their “Crunchy Kale”, which uses natural spices versus “natural flavors” for their flavored varieties. As a bonus, they’re all organic! Here’s what their most popular kale flavor contains:

Carrot, Kale, Flax Seed, Buckwheat Groats, Orange Juice, Onion, Apple, Lemon Juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Himalayan Sea Salt, Sesame Seed.

The only downside is the price, with each 3-ounce bag costing $4.99. But you’ll snack in peace knowing that one-third of your daily recommended fiber is covered and the only oil in use is possibly the heart-healthiest on the planet [5].

Conclusion

90% of the veggie chips on the market are a giant farce, promising a nutritive shortcut in exchange for the long-term good health of mass consumers. But with due diligence, one can learn to both moderate their consumption and find healthier yet tasty alternatives that will keep you full rather than trick your brain into thinking it’s not. Keep up the snacking, but remember that in the very end, whole vegetables from the produce section will provide the greatest benefit.