Reduced-Fat Potato Chips
Although we are not a health food magazine, but at times we like to avoid excess fat. Just 1 ounce of potato chips (about 20 chips) contains 10 grams of fat. With reduced-fat chips crowding the snack aisle, we wondered if an acceptable stand-in for fried potato chips existed. We purchased eight national brands and called in 22 test cooks and editors for a blind taste test. Guess what? We liked best the ones that reduced the fat the least.
Ordinary potato chips are deep-fried in oil. Manufacturers reduce the fat in one of three ways: One method bakes, oils, and salts slices of potato; they contain 3 grams of fat per serving. Another process takes sliced potatoes, quickly fries them, and then removes some of the oil they picked up during frying by steaming and baking. This second style results in 6 to 7 grams of fat per serving. Finally, some reduced-fat chips are made by combining sugar, binders, and leaveners with dehydrated potatoes to form a dough, which is cut into “chips” and baked. These chips have between 1½ and 3 grams of fat per serving.
The chips made using the hybrid fry-then-bake method were the big winners. Two brands fooled us into thinking we were munching on “regular” chips. Another popular brand wasn't far behind. For a modest fat reduction, these three brands make fine choices. As for the processed chips? Run screaming.
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RECIPE
Reduced-Fat Potato Salad -
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Reduced-Fat Lemon Squares -
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Reduced-Fat Strawberry Shortcakes
| Product Tested | Total Fat per 1-ounce Serving | Sodium per 1-ounce Serving | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended | ||||
|
Winner Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat Potato Chips"Dangerously good" with "real potato flavor" that's "not too salty." With an ingredient list containing only potatoes, canola oil , and salt, some couldn't tell these apart from full-fat chips. They earned high praises for "excellent crunch and texture," and "just the right balance of salt." These chips have the least sodium of any of our lineup. |
6 grams | 110 mg | $3.49 for 8.5 ounces |
|
Lay's Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat Extra Crunchy Potato ChipsWith “clean,” “great potato flavor,” these chips finished only a hair behind the Cape Cod chips overall. The prevailing opinion? “Look real, taste real.” Most—but not all—tasters appreciated the “super-crunchy,” “almost hard” texture. “I’m trying to figure out how these are healthy,” said one satisfied taster. “These are OMG good!” exclaimed another. |
6 grams | 160 mg | $3.29 for 8.5 ounces |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
|
Ruffles Reduced Fat"Just tastes like a leaner version of the original," said one surprised taster about these "rich, salty, and crisp" chips with a "light, airy texture." These chips, which contain only potatoes, oil, and salt, "don't taste low-fat." Why third place? Some tasters felt the texture was too light, comparing it to "styrofoam." Moreover, while some thought the salt made them taste more like full-fat chips, others said they could taste nothing but the salt. This chip was tied for second place for most sodium per serving. |
7 grams | 180 mg | $3.99 for 9 ounces |
|
Kettle Brand Lightly Salted Baked Potato ChipsThese chips are made from oil, salt, and thick slices of skin-on potatoes baked until quite brown, a trait that divided tasters into two camps: “nutty” and “earthy” versus “burnt” and “ashtray aftertaste.” “I like the roasted flavor,” said one taster, “but it’s odd for a chip.” Said another, “Tastes the way a burning hair dryer smells.” |
3 grams | 135 mg | $3.69 for 4 ounces |
| Not Recommended | ||||
|
Baked! Ruffles Original Potato Crisps“Very hard, very sweet, very bad,” one taster said. Others disliked their “way too salty” flavor—they have the most sodium per serving of any chip in our lineup and contain both sugar and dextrose. They are, however, the highest-rated chips of the baked-only variety. “I’m almost convinced this was once a potato,” said one taster, damning with faint praise. |
3 grams | 200 mg | $3.79 for 9 ounces |
|
Baked! Lay's Original Potato CrispsThese “artificial-looking and -tasting” chips scored last for flavor. Tasters compared them to “salty paper,” “packing peanuts,” and “cardboard.” They were also judged “too sweet” with “zero potato flavor.” Said one taster, “No amount of onion dip could help these.” |
2 grams | 180 mg | $3.79 for 9 ounces |
|
Utz Baked Original Potato CrispsTasters compared the flavor to instant mashed potatoes and the texture to “dried potato puree” or “something that’s been run over by a steamroller.” No wonder this brand tanked in our ratings. As one taster concluded, “Not sure what these taste like, but it definitely isn’t good.” |
1.5 grams | 150 mg | $3.49 for 8.5 ounces |
|
Herr's Original Baked Potato CrispsWith “zero potato flavor” and notes of “powdered milk,” “fake butter,” and “greasy doughnuts,” these “sugary” chips won few fans. In the words of one grimacing colleague, “most unpleasant” of all. |
2 grams | 180 mg | $0.99 for 1.85 ounces |
