Tasty low-fat chips?

I know what you're thinking but surely there must be SOMETHING out there that qualifies so I thought I'd ask for some reviews on "healthy" low-fat tortilla or potato chips. Not sure what qualifies as low-fat, but think 4 grams of fat or less would do it. Yes, I realize that there are other factors other than fat that would constitute "healthy" snacks, but, please, let's do baby steps first. There's no way that I want to eat something that tastes like Styrofoam, and I'm afraid that's what it would be if we REALLY went "healthy". If this goes well, and you all are interested, maybe we can venture forth into other areas like candy, ice cream etc.

Thanks,

Delamere

I've tried the fat free Pringles and I have to say they are pretty good. I've also tried the other Lays products where they are made with Olestra including Doritos, Lays Potato Chips, and Tostitos Tortilla chips and they all taste as good as their full fat counterparts. You need to limit the amount you eat so you don't get the runs from them and the only other downfall is that they cost more than the regular chips. The fat free Ruffles definitely have a really good taste also. I don't see the Doritos anymore which had 1 gram of fat per serving so I don't know if they make them anymore. I'm waiting for fat free Funyuns. Yummy!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Delamere

There's no way that I want to eat something that tastes like Styrofoam, and I'm afraid that's what it would be if we REALLY went "healthy". If this goes well, and you all are interested, maybe we can venture forth into other areas like candy, ice cream etc.

Thanks,

Delamere

Actually, the notion that "low fat" = "healthy" is somewhat outdated. There is an increasing consensus that what matters is the kind of fat we eat, not the total amount: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.html . To quote the nitty-gritty bit of this:

quote:

What is becoming clearer and clearer is that bad fats, meaning saturated and trans fats, increase the risk for certain diseases while good fats, meaning monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, lower the risk. The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.

Therefore, if you want good taste AND a reasonably healthy product, what you want is chips cooked in vegetable or nut oils and without ANY Trans-Fats (a small amount of saturated fat is unavoidable--even pure Canola oil has 1 gram out of 14 saturated). Now that the government requires trans-fat labeling, it is becoming increasingly easy to find snack food without any.

If your goal is losing weight rather than good health, you have a bigger problem. That's because ALL fat, healthy or not, has 9 cal/gram which is more than twice as much as any carbohydrate or protein (both have 4 cal/gram). If you wish to avoid fat for that reason, your best bet IMHO is probably the Olestra products mentioned above if you can tolerate them (the main side effect is diarrhea, cramps, gas and bloating). Olestra is a modified fat that the human digestive system cannot absorb and so it just passes through, but for some people that has a result similar to certain laxatives that work pretty much the same way.

Thanks BT and Stephiegirl,

Whew, I was beginning to think this was a really bad subject since no one was commenting.

I'd forgotten, Stephiegirl, about pretzels! Actually the ones that have 1 gram of fat really taste great---think they're the Rold Gold brand.

You know, I haven't tried the Olestra products mainly because of the side effects you both mentioned. I had heard that for quite some time, and in fact thought those products had been taken off the market.

You're so right BT about the right kind of fat, and yes I'd like to loose some weight, but boy do I hate the "diet foods" and having to restrict or eliminate foods I love so thought it'd be fun to see if there were healthier versions of them.

No, my reason for starting this topic was just to see if others thought about what is supposed to be healthy and still tastes as good as the original products. Maybe a better idea would have been listing the snacks that we all know and love, but have the GOOD fats. Wonder why "they" have to use the bad fats at all since there seems to be substitutes.

Thanks again for your input, and thanks BT for the link.

Delamere

I usually buy "Baked Lays" potato crisps (don't think they're allowed to call them "chips"). I'm scared to try those fat-free Olestra chips, too! The Baked Lays are okay for a low-fat chip-- I don't expect them to taste like a regular potato chip, so I accept them and enjoy them with a sandwich as I save some calories. I don't much care for the Lay's Baked Tostitos-- very dry tasting. "Guiltless Gourmet" makes some pretty good tortilla chips. They're still a bit dry, but their taste and texture is a little better than Baked Tostitos, IMHO. Here's some info from their site: http://www.guiltlessgourmet.com/product/index.php?product=101

I also like Cape Cod Potato Chips and they have a tasty 40% reduced fat version. Their website says: "40% Reduced Fat- The first reduced fat chip to be able to maintain the integrity of the classic chip, these chips are not fabricated potato crisps made from dehydrated potato flakes nor do they contain any bizarre fat substitute. By combining our traditional hand-cooked process with flash baking, we’ve produced a potato chip with the same intensity as our classics without altering or sacrificing the purity of the process or ingredients." http://www.capecodchips.com

Most of the reduced fat products are not tasty. It is better to eat less bad fat and enjoy it more.

Thanks Diner Lover and Mr. Chips for your replies. I'll check out that link to Cape Cod's chips--that does sound promising. There's also Chex that makes a party mix that advertises 60% less fat than the "other guys". Course that may still be too much, but better than nothing, I guess.

I agree Mr Chips eating the "better" fat is better :-), just wonder why on earth the snacks we all know and love have to be made of the "bad" fat to begin with.

Back when the chips with Olestra first came out, my bosses son was a salesman for Frito Lay and he brought some samples by. We had one salesman that was a little greedy, so he grabbed a large bag and headed out to his car to eat the entire bag. It wasn't long before he was calling in to let me know that he had developed a stomach virus and would have to be at home the rest of the day. Served him right.

My family and I enjoy Lay's Olestra products. We eat in moderation and have never had any gastric distress. I prefer the potato chips over conventional. They are not only lower in fat but they are not as greasy.