Straight Talk on Snacking



  • Q:  Aren’t all fried foods unhealthy?

    • A:  Actually, no. Frying itself isn’t unhealthy—it’s the type of oil in which the frying is done that  matters. Certain oils, such as tropical and partially hydrogenated oils have saturated fats or trans fats, which are considered “bad fats.” But Frito-Lay chips are fried in healthier oils like corn and sunflower oils, which contain 80% or more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat—the “good fats.”

  • Q:  Aren’t your chips high in fat?

    • A:  Most of our chips range from 7-10 grams of fat per 1oz. serving, an amount comparable to many other snack choices. We also offer snacks, like Baked! LAY’S® potato crisps, which have 3.5 grams of fat or less per serving. The good news about all our chips is that we make them with “good fats”—polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which have heart health benefits because they can actually lower bad cholesterol, so long as the total calories consumed do not increase.

  • Q:  Won’t eating chips make me fat?

    • A:  Weight and weight gain always goes back to calories in, calories out. Frito-Lay chips (and any food, in fact) can be a part of a healthy lifestyle but moderation is important. Frito-Lay offers a number of options to help with portion control, including our multipacks and variety packs, which are an easy way to ensure the right portion, and fresh-tasting chips every time. And our 100 Calorie Mini Bites offer 100 calorie portions of some of our most popular brands including DORITOS® and CHEETOS®. 

  • Q:  Doesn’t Frito-Lay make junk food?

    • A:  At Frito-Lay, we make great-tasting snacks that start with quality, farm-grown ingredients. All Frito-Lay chips start with real, simple ingredients (corn or potatoes) and are minimally processed. And all of our chips are cooked in sunflower, canola, corn or soybean oil, which support heart health because they have a higher ratio of good fats to bad fats and 0g trans fat.

  • Q: What’s in your chips, anyway?

    • A:  Our most popular snack chips are based on 3 simple ingredients: potatoes or corn, natural oil, and salt and have NO preservatives.  In our seasoned varieties, seasoning makes up less than 5% of the ingredients in our chips. Another ingredient fact: all Frito-Lay potato chips are naturally a good source of vitamin C (10% of your daily value) from the potatoes.

  • Q: Frito-Lay makes salty snacks…so aren’t they high in sodium?

    • A:  Actually, no. Chips have comparable sodium per serving to many other foods, like a slice of white bread, crackers, or even cottage cheese. In fact, Frito-Lay chips account for only about 1% of the sodium consumption in the U.S. Salty snacks taste salty because the salt is on the surface of the chip, not because they are high in sodium. Other foods like crackers have the salt mixed and baked in so they don’t taste as salty.  The primary source of sodium in the U.S. diet comes from common foods like bread and cheese.

  • Q: Isn’t snacking just a bad habit?

    • A:  Clearly there is a difference between mindless eating and snacking to curb the appetite between meals. Snacking can be part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and offers many benefits. When keeping healthier ingredients, portion size, and personal calorie needs in mind, snacking can be useful in managing weight and sustaining energy throughout the day.

  • Q: What does “organic” have to do with snacks? Does Frito-Lay use any organic ingredients?

    • A:  Organic food options are becoming more widely available, and not just in the produce section. Organic snacks are made with organic ingredients that have not been treated with pesticides or artificial fertilizers. They are made from all natural (not-synthetic) ingredients, not genetically modified, and not treated by radiation. Frito-Lay uses certified organic blue corn in our Natural Blue Corn TOSTITOS® Tortilla Chips, certified organic yellow corn in our Natural Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips and organic cornmeal in our CHEETOS® Natural White Cheddar Puffs.

  • Q: I am on a modified diet that restricts salt, fat, and cholesterol. Are my favorite Frito-Lay snacks off limits?

    • A:  Good news! Frito-Lay offers a lot of different snacking options to address various nutritional concerns.  Go ahead and turn the bag to check the nutrition and ingredients panel! Frito-Lay snacks are cooked in healthier oils, so they offer the good mono- and polyunsaturated fats that are associated with lowering bad cholesterol when they replace saturated fats. And all Frito-Lay chips have 0g trans fat per serving. As far as salt goes, Frito-Lay snacks have less sodium than you might think—a serving of LAY’S® Classic potato chips have a similar amount of sodium to a slice of bread. So Frito-Lay snacks, enjoyed in moderation, can be part of any balanced diet.