Kettle Chips Vs. Regular Chips: What's The Nutritional Difference?

Crispy, salty, crunchy, and delicious. Potato chips are likely one of the first treats you think of when asking for a snack or stopping at a gas station on a road trip. Their popularity has resulted in countless brands dedicated to mass-producing the snack in unique flavors and different cooking styles, such as deep frying, baking, and air-frying.

Though potato chips are certainly desirable in taste and texture, they aren't known for being the healthiest snack option due to their manufacturing process. According to Made How, the potatoes' colors are often chemically enhanced, and the cooking process typically involves heavily salting and continuously frying them on paddles that move the potato slices through hot oil, per Spark. Then the kettle chip came into play. Kettle chips have often been marketed as a healthier version of the beloved potato chip due to their different cooking technique.

But what exactly is the difference between kettle chips and regular potato chips, and what is the nutritional difference?

The main difference you will likely see between potato chips and kettle chips, aside from their shape and texture, is that the latter is hand cooked in batches. The sliced, cold potatoes are dumped into a kettle filled with hot cooking oil, as opposed to a conveyor belt, continuously mixed, and cooked in different groups, according to Food Network. Additionally, over the course of the kettle chip cooking process, the oil's temperature decreases. This is different from the regular cooking technique, which keeps the oil at a consistent temperature.

Unfortunately, when it comes to nutritional differences, you won't find much to write home about. According to the Lays and Kettle brand websites, the ingredients for both chip varieties are essentially interchangeable, and the fat, carbohydrate, and calorie measurements aren't completely dissimilar either.

So whether you like the extra crunchy, thick texture from kettle chips or the thinner, crispier texture of regular potato chips, you won't be sacrificing any health benefits by choosing one or the other. It's just a matter of personal preference.