Basically, potato chips are potatoes that have been dehydrated and deep fried in oil and salted. The original recipe for the potato chip came from George Krum, who made it at a Saratoga Springs restaurant.

The Nutritional Value of Potato Chips

Almost all commercial potato chips have a high fat and salt content. For instance, an 8-ounce bag of potato chips has 1,242 calories, 1,192 mg of sodium (salt) and 85.1 g of fat. Every ounce of potato chips contains about 2 g of protein. The fat content of this bag is 31% more than the recommended intake everyday. The sodium content of this bag is 50% more than what is recommended everyday. Potato chips also contain potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6 and thiamin. The exact values however differ per type of chip.

What Potato Chips Can Do to the Body

The salt content of potato chips can lead to an increase in the body’s blood pressure. It can also cause the body to retain excess water.

What Happens to the Nutrients Found in Potatoes

When converted to potato chips, most of the nutrients that are naturally found in potatoes (like vitamin C) are destroyed. This is because most nutrients are destroyed by heat and potato chips are not potato chips if they are not fried or cooked.

Regular or Low-fat Potato Chips

Low-fat potato chips have a lower fat content as compared to regular ones. Usually, low-fat chips have 20 to 60 percent less fat than regular potato chips. In terms of the cooking process, regular potato chips are sliced thinly and deep-fried at a temperature of up to 375˚ F, while low-fat potato chips are either kettle-cooked or baked. Baked potatoes have a lower fat content than those that have been deep fried or kettle-cooked. The oil that is used in frying also differs between regular and low-fat potato chips. Regular chips are fried using either corn oil or sunflower oil while some low-fat chips are cooked using Olestra oil, which has a low fat content. In terms of calorie content, low-fat potato chips have fewer calories as compared with the regular ones.

Enjoying Potato Chips without the Guilt

When eating potato chips, check the label to determine how many pieces or grams constitute one serving. Eating potato chips is not a bad thing as long as it is not in excess. Usually, people tend to overeat potato chips, especially if they are holding a big bag of it. A serving of potato chips usually contains 152 calories, with fat contributing 90 calories, carbohydrates contributing 54 calories and protein 8 calories.