Are Baked Potato Chips Healthy? Registered Dietitian Tells All

Whenever a salt craving hits, we immediately reach for a bag of potato chips. There’s nothing quite like the chips’ salty flavor and crispy texture, but we’ll be the first to admit it’s not the healthiest option. So what about baked potato chips? Are they healthier than fried ones? To satisfy our snack curiosity, we asked the nutrition pros. Read on for the answer that wowed us, plus easy (and healthy!) ways to get your salty, crunchy fix.

Are store-bought baked potato chips healthy?

Seeing the word “baked” on any store-bought food item, especially potato chips, gives a lot of us reason to sigh in relief because we associate the word with “healthy.” However, registered dietitian Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, reveals that baked potato chips aren’t as nutritious as we think: “This healthy snack is a good replacement for fried versions, but they are still highly processed and made with questionable ingredients.”

What are the ingredients in baked chips?

A popular chip brand like Lay’s offers baked potato crisps that are advertised as containing 65% less fat than traditional fried versions. But this “healthier” option is also made with additional ingredients including corn oil, soy lecithin and sugar — making them a heavily processed food. (Read our stories on how research has linked consuming processed foods with memory loss and even an acceleration of the aging process.)

“The fact that they are low in fat also makes it easy to consume them in large quantities at one sitting,” Best adds. “A rapid increase in glucose will occur, and this increases the body’s fat-storing rate.”

To sum it up, store-bought baked potato chips contain added ingredients that diminish their nutritional value and could lead to weight gain. Your best bet is to make baked potato chips from scratch in order to avoid additives and enjoy a guilt-free snack.

How do I make my own baked potato chips?

Good news! Whipping up a batch of baked potato chips is easy and produces a tasty snack that rivals the store-bought kind — plus it saves you a ton of money. Below, First for Women Food Editor Charles Grayauskie shares his recipe for Homemade Baked Potato Chips that he notes, “works great with sweet potatoes too.”

Ingredients:

1 to 2 large russet or sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
Sea salt and/or your favorite dried herbs or spices
Cooking spray

Directions:

Active: 10 mins
Total time: 25 to 28 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 snack-sized servings

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Slice potatoes as thinly as possible using mandolin or sharp knife. Pat slices dry to remove excess moisture.

Lightly coat slices with cooking spray, then sprinkle with sea salt and dried herbs or spices (if using). Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet; coat with cooking spray.

Arrange potato slices in single layer and bake until crisp, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Note: Don’t have a wire rack? Charles says you can bake the potato slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, flipping them halfway through the cooking process for an evenly crispy exterior.

And voilà! You now have your own baked potato chips to snack, share and/or serve alongside a sandwich. If you want to take your snacking experience up a notch, Charles suggests going the chips and dip route. “My favorite is serving chips with spicy ketchup,” he says. “I simply mix a little hot sauce into ketchup to taste — it’s so easy yet so delicious!”

Along with spicy ketchup, these three creamy dip recipes are perfect to serve with homemade baked potato chips!

Creamy Chive Dip

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ cup chopped chives
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Active: 25 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Yield: 8 servings

In medium bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper. Chill 2 hours.

Transfer dip to serving bowl. Serve with baked potato chips.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Ingredients:

1 (2-lb.) eggplant, trimmed, halved lengthwise
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup tahini
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Active: 20 mins
Total time: 1 hr.
Yield: 8 servings

Heat oven to 375°F. Coat rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place eggplant halves, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Scoop out eggplant flesh; transfer to food processor. Add garlic, tahini, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth.

Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with paprika. If desired, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with mint sprig.