The Worst Chips and Dips

Food marketers have done to the potato and the ear of corn what British Petroleum did to the gulf: They took a great source of natural food and covered it in oil. Does that mean you can’t accompany your tailgate or barbecue with a side order of chips and dip? Absolutely not. There are plenty of healthy options out there. If you love potato chips, check out the Kettle Bakes line (the closest you can get to an unadulterated spud). If you’re into corn chips, Sun Chips Original is made from whole grains—meaning you’re upping your heart-healthy fiber intake with each bite. Here are some simple swaps you can make to help you stay slim this fall—to literally “chip away” at your belly!

Worst Regular Potato Chip

Wise Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips

(~14 chips, 28 g)
150 calories
10 g fat (3 g saturated)
290 mg sodium

A lengthy, absorbent dip in the fryer and liberal use of salt are to blame for Wise's bleak bag. Opt for Popchips Salt & Pepper, instead. Popchips are neither fried nor baked—the potatoes “pop” with heat and pressure. It’s delicious ingenuity.

Eat This Instead!

Popchips Sea Salt & Vinegar

(~20 chips, 28 g)

120 calories

4 g fat (0 g saturated)

260 mg sodium

Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream

(~11 chips, 28 g)
160 calories
10 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
180 mg sodium

Ruffles are cut thick and crinkled, which means more fried potato is stuffed into each bite. Think of it this way: If you stretched out the crinkles, you’d have a massive hunk of fried potato. If you want a flavored crisp, go for anything from the Baked! Lays line, which has about 10 fewer calories per serving than almost any other brand of baked chips.

Eat This Instead!

Baked! Lays Barbecue Flavored

(~14 chips)

120 calories

3 g fat (0.5 g saturated)

210 mg sodium 

Fritos Original

(~32 chips, 28 g)
160 calories
10 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
170 mg sodium

Beloved Fritos are great for transporting bean dip to your mouth. But they’re decidedly not great for keeping off the belly fat. Choose the Baked! Tostitos Scoops! instead. They scoop just as well as the Fritos, with less than half the fat. And if you crack them in half, they’re roughly the same size, too.

Eat This Instead!

Baked! Tostitos Scoops

(~15 chips, 28 g)

120 calories

3 g fat (0.5 g saturated)

140 mg sodium

Worst Flavored Corn Chip: Tostitos Hint of Lime

(~6 chips, 28 g)
150 calories
7 g fat (1 g saturated)
125 mg sodium

For Tostitos, a “hint of lime” includes partially hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial coloring. If you want lime-flavored chips, your best option is easily the Guiltless Gourmet line. It has fewer ingredients, less fat, and double the fiber of the Tostitos.

Eat This Instead!

Guiltless Gourmet All Natural Chili Lime

(~18 chips, 28 g)
120 calories
3 g fat (0 g saturated)
250 mg sodium

Worst Cheese Dip

Kraft Cheez Whiz Original Cheese Dip

(2 Tbsp, 33 g)
90 calories
7 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
440 mg sodium

This glowing orange goop is pure junk. If you have a taste for cheese, save your calories for the real thing. We're especially fond of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Medium. With the nutritional perks of tomatoes and peppers, salsa con queso beats straight cheese dip every time. Plus, you can eat twice as much for the same caloric punch (not that you should, of course!).

Eat This Instead!

Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Medium

(2 Tbsp, 34 g)

40 calories

2.5 g fat (1 g saturated)

280 mg sodium

Worst Party Dip

Lay's Creamy Ranch Dip

(2 Tbsp, 33 g)
60 calories
5 g fat (0 g saturated)
210 mg sodium

Make ranch your staple dip and you could be adding hundreds of low-quality calories to your snacking. Instead, choose hummus. This fiber- and protein-rich Mediterranean staple is perfect for dipping and slathering, and it has only a little over half the calories as nutritionally void ranch.

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Eat This Instead!

Wild Garden Hummus Dip Roasted Garlic

(2 Tbsp, 30 g)

35 calories

2 g fat (0 g saturated)

70 mg sodium

Worst Salsa

Tostitos Creamy Salsa

(2 Tbsp, 32 g)
60 calories
5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
160 mg

Salsa is typically the planet's finest condiment because it's packed with antioxidants that help prevent cancers and macular degeneration. Another benefit? It's typically no more than 10 meager calories per 2 tablespoons. Any spicy dip labeled "creamy," however, has been polluted with a dose of fatty oil. This Tostitos Southwestern Ranch is more than three times as caloric as the Ortega's Thick & Chunky Salsa. Maybe not such a big deal after one scoop. But after 10? You're looking at the caloric difference of four McDonald's McNuggets.

Eat This Instead!

Ortega Thick & Chunky Salsa Medium

(2 Tbsp, 31 g)

10 calories

0 g fat

170 mg sodium

Worst Guacamole Dip

T. Marzetti Guacamole Veggie Dip

(2 Tbsp, 29 g)
130 calories
13 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
240 mg sodium

Real guacamole is an incredibly healthy spread for chips and sandwiches alike. That's because avocados are rich with oleic acid, a healthy fat that helps to lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good. The problem, however, is that guacamole imposters are hiding in every cooler in the country. This one from T. Marzetti is made up mostly of oil and sour cream.

Eat This Instead!

Wholly Guacamole Classic

(2 Tbsp, 30 g)

60 calories

5 g fat (1 g saturated)

90 mg sodium