When baked isn't better: tortilla chips taste tested

by Nicole Weston, Posted Sep 12th 2006 @ 10:01AM

Baked chips, when compared to regular fried chips, lack a certain something. They don't have the flavor or texture of regular chips and this is especially true in the case of tortilla chips. Eating Well set out to taste test some healthier chips and noticed, when reading the labels, that not all fried chips are equally "bad" for you - and many had more fiber and less sodium than their flavorless baked counterparts, with only a few more grams of fat. Out of 20 different chips tested, they picked out their top choices.

RW Garcia Stone Ground (140 cal., 4g fat/.5g saturated, 4g fiber per 1-oz serving) - This brand got the "smart choice" award from the reviewers, who described them as being "authentic" and having a "great corn flavor." As an added bonus, each serving only had 40mg of sodium, the lowest in the test group.
Santitas White Corn (130 cal., 6g fat/1g saturated, 1g fiber per 1-oz serving) - Salty, corny and crunchy, these chips actually had less sodium than most of the chips in the taste test. They weren't high in the fiber department, though.

Snyder's Restaurant Style (130 cal., 5g fat/0g saturated, 4g fiber per 1-oz serving) - A bit on the oily side, these chips were super crunchy and had a very natural, rustic look that appealed to tasters
Tostitos Natural Yellow Corn (140 cal., 6g fat/.5g saturated, 1g fiber per 1-oz serving) - Made from organic yellow corn, these were a favorite with tasters, though their nutritional profile puts them up fairly high as far as fat content goes.

If you can't find these in your local supermarket, just read the labels and choose chips that are lower in fat, which just might serve you (and your salsas) better than the ones that have no fat at all. You could always conduct your own taste test at home. With a good jar of salsa and some guacamole, you shouldn't have any trouble finding volunteers to help out.

Filed Under: Magazines, Raves & Reviews, Light Food
Tags: chip, chips, corn, corn chips, eating well, light food, rave, review, snack, snacks, taste, taste test, tortilla, tortilla chips, TortillaChips

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-12-2006 @10:55AM Rhea said... I've tried a lot of these baked chips and some are awful! Thanks for subjecting yourself to them and offering these reviews.
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9-12-2006 @11:28AM Nicole said... I love Santitas. They're dirt cheap too -- bonus!
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9-12-2006 @12:01PM Rose said... These chips, by Xochitl, are my absolute favorite. I prefer the unsalted ones, but the salted ones aren't overdone. They are fried, not baked, but they're very light-tasting.
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