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Veggie chips offer a seemingly healthy snack option—they're made with nutrient-dense vegetables, after all!—but not all brands live up to their promises of healthfulness. Some veggie chips indeed offer additional dietary fiber and vitamins depending on the vegetables used, but these snacks aren't necessarily lower in calories, sodium, or fat compared to traditional potato chips.
While there are healthy veggie chip brands out there focused on high-quality ingredients and balanced nutrition facts, others miss the mark. To help navigate the grocery aisles, we consulted with dietitians to identify the top choices and steer clear of the less ideal options.
How we chose the healthiest veggie chips:
When it comes to the healthiest veggie chips at the store, here were the biggest factors we considered.
- Calories: Total calories as well as empty calories one of our biggest deciding factors as to whether or not the products were healthy. Empty calories in particular come from added oils and added sugars. Look for veggie chips low in fat or air-fried for the best bang for your buck.
- Saturated fat: We tried to avoid chips high in saturated fats like coconut oil, butter, or lard, as too much saturated fat in the diet isn't best for our health.
- Sodium: Salt makes our food taste better, and it's a preservative. However, excess sodium can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke.
While indulging in your favorite chips occasionally likely won't have any significantly negative impact on your health, making healthier choices consistently is beneficial. Here's our roundup of the healthiest veggie chips available, plus a few to avoid, as recommended by dietitians.
The Best Veggie Chips on Grocery Shelves
Best: Confetti Veggie Chips
150 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 165 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (5 g fiber, 12 g sugar), 2 g protein
These veggie chips pack a whopping 5 grams of fiber and just 165 milligrams of sodium per serving. The delicious flavors like summer truffle or green curry offer some extra pep to a traditional veggie chip without compromising the nutrition label. You won't get much protein with these, so it's a good idea to pair them for more stain power. Consider teaming these up with some Greek yogurt or a handful of nuts on the side.
Best: Popadelics Mushroom Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 180 calories, 9 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 330 mg sodium, 21 g carbs (6 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 3 g protein
These mushroom chips pack an impressive amount of fiber per bag. Mushrooms offer a bit more protein than other types of veggies, so you'll also get 3 grams of protein to boot. In addition to the 6 grams of fiber, this veggie chip is one of the best on the market.
Best: Jackson Sweet Potato Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 150 calories, 9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 150 mg sodium, 16 g carbs (2 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 1 g protein
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and B vitamins. In chip form, they are delightfully crispy with a little salt. However, Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips don't overdo the salt with 150 milligrams of sodium per serving. You'll also get 2 g of fiber which is a nice plus compared to traditional potato chips.
Best: Terra's Mediterranean Blend
Nutrition (Per serving): 210 calories, 13 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 23 g carbs (4 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 1 g protein
Showcasing an impressive 4 g of fiber per serving, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better veggie chip at the store. Christine Byrne, MPH, RD, an intuitive eating dietitian and the owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition in Raleigh, NC loves Terra's Mediterranean blend of vegetable chips because they're a perfect blend of crunchy, salty, and sweet. "They have a texture that's similar to potato chips because they're made from a blend of different root vegetables. Each serving contains an impressive 4 grams of fiber, and they taste great alongside a sandwich or as a quick on-the-go snack," she comments.
Best: Roots Idaho's Kettle-Cooked Purple Sea Salt Potato Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 130 calories, 8 g fat ( 1 g saturated fat), 120 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (2 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 2 g protein
Potato chips are not just pretty to look at and eat, but Roots makes them nutritionally balanced too. With 120 g of sodium and 2 grams of fiber, these veggie chips offer a healthy alternative to traditional potato chips.
Best: Siete's Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 140 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 190 mg sodium, 17 g carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 2 g protein
Made with avocado oil, these potato chips are nutritionally elevated and contain just 1 g of saturated fat with an emphasis on unsaturated. With 190 milligrams of sodium per serving, you'll find that these chips are just as delicious with a nutrition label that is also healthier than most potato chips on the market.
Best: Beanitos with Sea Salt
Nutrition (Per serving): 130 calories, 7 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 120 mg sodium, 15 g carb, (4 g fiber, 1 g sugar) 5 g protein
Products that use beans almost always get a gold star for their fiber and protein boost. Beanitos nailed it with a black bean veggie chip that has 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 120 milligrams of sodium to boot. Pair these with hummus for an even more balanced snack that will keep you full and energized.
Best: Brad's Crunchy Kale Original
Nutrition (Per serving): 70 calories, 5 g fat (0g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 6 g carbs (2 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 3 g protein
Kale chips might be the ultimate veggie chip but still can be high in added fat, sodium, and even sugar. This option just 6 grams of carbs with 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. A veggie chip made of kale, we think that is pretty impressive. They also keep sodium levels modest with 210 milligrams of sodium per serving. Make sure to keep an eye on the serving size, as these might be easy to overdo.
The Worst Veggie Chips on Grocery Shelves
Worst: Sensible Portions' Garden Veggie Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 130 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 230 mg sodium, 16 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), <1 g protein
You may think you're getting a serving of veggies by eating Sensible Portions' Garden Veggie Chips, but these chips have little nutritional value, says Megan Huff, RD, LD, an Atlanta-based dietitian. "With 7 grams of fat and 16 grams of carbs per serving, these veggie sticks lack both protein and fiber. The primary ingredients are potato starch and potato flour, while the supposed 'veggie' ingredients are spinach powder and tomato paste," she adds.
Worst: Utz Good Health Veggie Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 150 calories, 8 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 290 mg sodium, 18 g carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein
Despite their name, these chips might not be the best for your health compared to other options on the market. They are mostly potato chips with some veggie food coloring, according to the ingredient label. With 290 milligrams of sodium and just 1 gram of fiber, these veggie chips are higher in added salt and don't offer much additional nutrition outside of being a source of carbohydrate.
Worst: Sensible Portions' Cheddar Sour Cream Veggie Chips
Nutrition (Per serving): 130 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 250 mg sodium, 16 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 1 g protein
These veggie chips may bring feelings of nostalgia as they resemble Pringles, but they are lacking in the nutrition department. With no fiber in a serving and 250 milligrams of sodium, you won't find more than empty calories in this tin. Certainly, indulging in these chips from time to time is no big deal, but if you're regularly snacking on these, you might want to choose a more balanced veggie chip.
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8 Healthiest Veggie Chips on Grocery Shelves—and 3 to Avoid - Eat This, Not That
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