How to Understand Potato Chip Nutrition

Potato chips are very thin slices of potatoes that are boiled in oil. The Kitchen Project credits George Crum with the invention of the potato chip in 1853. Crum made fried potato slices in response to a diner who wanted them much thinner than usual. The manufacture of potato chips spread quickly and they're now a popular snack food throughout much of the world. The nutritional value of potato chips depends primarily on the type of oil they contain.

Things You'll Need

• Nutritional label for potato chips

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Instructions

• 1

  Select a source for the nutrition data. Myfitnesspal.com provides nutrition data for generic potato chips using a serving size of 1 oz. This information assumes the potato chips contain added salt with no other ingredients.

• 2

  Study the calorie content of potato chips. A serving of potato chips contains a total of 152 calories. Fat provides 90 calories, carbohydrates account for 54 calories and protein accounts for the remaining 8 calories. A serving of potato chips provides about 8 percent of the daily value of 2,000 calories per day.

• 3

  Examine the fat content of potato chips. Potato chips contain approximately 10g of fat per serving, including 3g saturated fat. This provides 15 percent of the daily value for total fat and 15 percent of the daily value for saturated fat. Potato chips contain no cholesterol if they're boiled in vegetable oil.

• 4

  Observe the carbohydrate content of potato chips. A serving of potato chips contains 15g of total carbohydrates. This consists of 14g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber and no simple sugar. This provides 5 percent of the daily value for total carbohydrates and 4 percent of the daily value for fiber. A serving of potato chips also has about 2g of protein, which is 4 percent of the daily value for protein.

• 5

  Inspect the vitamin and mineral content of potato chips. Potato chips have 168mg of sodium, or 7.3 percent of the daily value for sodium. It also has 361mg of potassium, equal to 7.7 percent of the daily value for potassium. Additional nutrients in potato chips include 15 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 3 percent of the daily value for iron and 1 percent of the daily value for calcium, along with varying amounts of niacin, phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin, and vitamin B6. Lastly, the chips contain about 20 percent of the suggested daily value for vitamin E.