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Crunchy, salty, and downright delicious, chips are among the most loved of all snack foods.
While their tastiness is undeniable, many popular chips are highly processed and packed with unhealthy ingredients, including added sugar and artificial coloring.
Still, there are a number of chip brands that make products with wholesome ingredients, keeping consumer health in mind.
The chips on this list are made with nutritious whole-food ingredients and don’t contain additives like refined oils, artificial colors, and added sugars (1).
Here are 8 of the best healthy chips on the market.
A quick look at the best healthy chips
- Best plantain chips: Barnana Organic Plantain Chips
- Best sweet potato chips: Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips
- Best potato chips made with olive oil: Good Health Olive Oil Kettle Chips
- Best puffs: Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs
- Best with added veggies: Thrive Market Organic Veggie Sticks
- Best tortilla chips: Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Best veggie chips: Brad’s Veggie Chips
- Best cassava chips: Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips
How we chose
We focused on three main criteria to choose the best healthy chips:
- Ingredient quality: We selected chips that are minimally processed and made with nutritious ingredients. The chips on this list are made with healthy fats like olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil.
- Nutritional value: Chips aren’t meant to be “health foods,” but we included only products that contain zero added sugar and less than 250 mg of sodium per serving, so they’re on the healthier side.
- Price: We included options within a price range so that you can find something that suits your budget.
A note on price
Product prices in this roundup are comparable and lie between $0.60 and $1.40 per ounce (28 grams). The bag sizes generally vary between 3, 4, and 5 ounces (85, 110, and 140 grams).
You can sometimes find multipack deals online, which may further bring down the price per ounce.
Pricing guide
- $ = under $1 per ounce (28 grams)
- $$ = over $1 per ounce (28 grams)
Healthline’s picks for the 7 best healthy chips
Best plantain chips
Barnana Organic Plantain Chips
- Price: $
- Pros: made with a handful of ingredients, certified organic, low in sodium
- Cons: more expensive than other plantain chip products
There’s a lot to love about Barnana plantain chips.
First, these chips are made with just three ingredients: organic plantains, organic coconut oil, and Himalayan pink salt. They’re also vegan, paleo-friendly, certified organic, and kosher (2).
What’s more, the Himalayan Pink Sea Salt flavor is low in sodium, with just 75 mg per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving, so these chips a good alternative for those watching their sodium intake.
Additionally, Barnana takes sustainability seriously. The brand works with farmers to reduce food waste, making its products from imperfect produce that would otherwise be thrown away.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:
- Calories: 150
- Carbs: 17 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 9 grams
- Fiber: <1 gram
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best sweet potato chips
Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips
- Price: $$
- Pros: made with coconut oil, higher in fiber than regular potato chips
- Cons: on the pricey side
Jackson’s Honest sweet potato chips are a great choice when cravings for crunchy, salty snacks hit.
These chips are made with just three ingredients: sweet potatoes, coconut oil, and sea salt. Coconut oil is an excellent choice for frying chips because of its stability at high temperatures (3).
Many popular chips are fried in canola oil. Although it’s stable at high temperatures, canola oil is high in omega-6 fats, which can increase inflammation in your body when consumed in excess (4, 5).
Because modern diets tend to be high in omega-6 fats and low in anti-inflammatory omega-3s, it’s best to reduce your intake of refined omega-6-rich oils such as canola oil.
These chips are also slightly higher in fiber and lower in sodium than traditional potato chips (6, 7).
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving (6):
- Calories: 150
- Carbs: 18 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fat: 9 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best potato chips made with olive oil
Good Health Olive Oil Kettle Chips
- Price: $
- Pros: made with olive oil, low in sodium
- Cons: can be hard to find in stores
Most potato chips are made with canola or sunflower oil. That’s where Good Health Olive Oil Kettle Chips set themselves apart — they’re made with 100% olive oil.
Olive oil is a healthy fat that has been linked to many benefits. For example, diets high in olive oil may help protect against heart disease (8).
These crunchy chips have a salty flavor, so they’ll scratch that itch despite being low in sodium, with just 65 mg of sodium per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving (9).
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving (9):
- Calories: 150
- Carbs: 16 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best puffs
Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs
- Price: $$
- Pros: no artificial colors or flavors, certified organic, paleo-friendly
- Cons: expensive
Many cheese puff products contain a number of ingredients that aren’t good for overall health, including artificial flavors, artificial coloring, and flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG).
They also tend to be high in sodium and calories, which can make them a less-than-ideal snack choice (10, 11).
Still, there are healthier cheese puff choices on the market, including Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs.
The “No Cheese” cheesy flavor comes from nutritious ingredients such as coconut oil, sweet potato powder, nutritional yeast, and ground mustard. These puffs don’t contain any artificial colors, flavorings, or flavor enhancers.
Plus, they’re lower in calories and sodium than other cheese puff products (10, 11, 12).
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving (12):
- Calories: 130
- Carbs: 19 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 6 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best with veggies
Thrive Market Organic Veggie Sticks
- Price: $
- Pros: no artificial colors or flavors, certified organic, paleo-friendly
- Cons: available only at Thrive Market
If you’re searching for a veggie-filled chip alternative, Thrive Market Organic Veggie Sticks make an excellent choice.
These veggie sticks are created with a blend of spinach, tomatoes, and beets and cooked in organic coconut oil. They’ll provide some of the benefits of vegetables while satisfying your chip craving (13).
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving (13):
- Calories: 130
- Carbs: 21 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fat: 5 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best tortilla chips
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
- Price: $$
- Pros: made with avocado oil, paleo-friendly, low in sodium
- Cons: expensive
Siete tortilla chips are grain-free and a good choice for those following paleo diets.
They’re made with limited ingredients and come in a variety of flavors — including Nacho, Ranch, Sea Salt, and Jalapeño Lime — so there’s an option for even the pickiest chip lover.
Siete uses avocado oil to make these chips, which is a healthier alternative to highly refined oils like canola and soybean oil (14).
Avocado oil is mostly made up of monounsaturated fats and rich in antioxidants. It’s also stable at high temperatures, so it’s a good choice for frying chips (15).
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the Sea Salt flavor (14):
- Calories: 130
- Carbs: 19 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Fat: 6 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best veggie chips
Brad’s Veggie Chips
- Price: $$
- Pros: made with real vegetables, certified organic, low in calories
- Cons: expensive
Brad’s Veggie Chips are made from real vegetables and come in a variety of flavors.
They’re air-dried, not baked or fried, so they’re low in calories and fat. They’re also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals thanks to nutritious ingredients such as organic veggies, flaxseed, buckwheat groats, and spices (16).
Brad’s makes a number of different veggie chips, including kale chips, red pepper chips, broccoli cheddar chips, and sweet potato chips — all of which are packed with vegetables.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of the Red Bell Pepper flavor (16):
- Calories: 90
- Carbs: 11 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 4 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
Best cassava chips
Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips
- Price: $$
- Pros: paleo-friendly, made with sustainable palm oil, low in sodium
- Cons: can be hard to find in stores
For those looking for a veggie-based and paleo-friendly chip option, cassava chips are a great choice.
Cassava is a root vegetable that’s an important source of carbohydrates around the world. It has a nutty taste and can be fried to make delicious chips (17).
Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips are paleo-friendly and made from just three ingredients: cassava, sustainably harvested palm oil, and sea salt.
Here’s the nutrition info for a 1-ounce (30-gram) serving (18):
- Calories: 140
- Carbs: 23 grams
- Protein: <1 gram
- Fat: 5 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Sodium: 67 mg
- Added sugar: 0 grams
How to choose
When shopping for healthy chip options, it’s important to choose products based on their ingredients and nutritional profile.
Generally, the fewer ingredients, the better. However, some healthy chips may contain more ingredients than others if they’re flavored. Spices, nutritional yeast, and salt are examples of healthy flavoring ingredients that may be listed on the back of chip bags.
Look for chips that aren’t made with artificial coloring or flavoring, and don’t contain added sugar. Added sugar can be listed in many ways on ingredient labels, including high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar.
Another factor to consider is the calorie and macronutrient content of the product.
Choose chips that deliver 150 calories or fewer per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving to maintain healthy snacking portions.
Also, because most chips are typically low in protein and fiber, it’s a good idea to pair them with a protein- and fiber-rich dip like hummus or black bean dip to make your snack more nutritionally complete.
Additionally, if you have any food restrictions, it’s important to choose chips that fit into your dietary pattern.
How the best healthy chips compare
-PriceType Calories (per serving)Barnana Organic Plantain Chips$plantain chips150Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips$$sweet potato chips150Good Health Olive Oil Kettle Chips$potato chips150Lesser Evil Paleo Puffs$$cassava-based puffs130Thrive Market Organic Veggie Sticks$corn-based veggie sticks130Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips$$cassava tortilla chips 130Brad’s Veggie Chips$$veggie-based chips90Artisan Tropic Cassava Strips$$cassava chips140Frequently asked questions
What ingredients should you avoid when looking for healthy chips?
When shopping for chips, it’s important to choose chips that don’t contain added sugar. Even savory chips can contain added sugar, so you’ll want to read a product’s nutrition facts and ingredients.
Look for chips that contain natural ingredients, such as cassava or plantain, and don’t have a long ingredient list. If you recognize most of the ingredients on the label, that’s also a good sign as it shows the product doesn’t contain additives.
You’ll also want to look for chips that contain less than 250 mg of sodium per serving to limit your intake of added salt.
To promote overall health, it’s best to keep your total sodium intake under 2,300 mg per day. To meet this recommendation, it’s helpful to limit your consumption of salty foods such as most chips, fast foods, canned soups, and frozen meals (19).
Finally, some people may want to avoid chips made with artificial colorings, flavors, and preservatives.
What type of chips are healthiest?
Chips aren’t necessarily meant to be healthy, but it’s always best to choose chips that are made with nutritious ingredients.
The most nutritious chips on our list are Brad’s Veggie Chips, which are made from whole, organic ingredients like vegetables and flaxseed.
Typically, chips that contain ingredients such as vegetables, beans, and seeds tend to be more nutritious and are often higher in fiber than regular potato chips.
Can you make your own healthy chips?
Yes! You can make a number of healthy chip recipes in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Check out these simple and tasty chip recipes if you don’t know where to start:
- Homemade Baked Potato Chips
- Baked Sweet Potato Chips
- 4-Ingredient Keto Cheetos
Are chips healthy for weight loss?
No one food is necessarily good or bad for weight loss. Overeating and eating high calorie foods too frequently may contribute to weight gain.
If you find that you tend to overeat chips, it could cause you to gain weight. However, you can absolutely enjoy your favorite chips while trying to lose weight. Just make sure you’re sticking to a reasonable portion and eating an appropriate number of calories to promote weight loss.
If you’re not sure where to start or what’s an appropriate calorie level for you, consider consulting a healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
The bottom line
Although many popular chip products are packed with unhealthy ingredients, including additives like artificial coloring and sweeteners, you can choose from many healthy alternatives.
The healthy chips on this list are not only tasty but also made with wholesome ingredients sure to satisfy your cravings for a salty, crunchy snack.