Baked Lays are popular potato chips made by the Frito-Lay company.
These are the baked version of regular lays and are marketed as having 65% less fat than regular potato chips.
These are available in various flavors such as original, barbecue, and sour cream & onion.
And while they seem like a perfect guilt-free snack to satisfy your cravings, are baked Lays really healthy?
Short answer: Baked lays are not very healthy as they are low in protein and fiber and contain highly processed ingredients. However, they are low in fat and sodium content and contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Therefore, can be consumed in moderation.
Read on to find out more about baked Lays, including their ingredients, sugar, fat, sodium content and more.
Also read: Are Baked Hot Cheetos Healthy? Let’s Find Out
What are the ingredients in Baked Lays?
The exact ingredients in baked Lays vary depending on the flavor.
In general, baked Lays are made from potatoes, oil, and salt as the main ingredients.
Here is the list of ingredients across each baked Lays flavor
| Baked Lays flavor | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Original | Dried Potatoes, Corn Starch, Corn Oil, Sugar, Sea Salt, Soy Lecithin, Dextrose, and Annatto Extracts. |
| Barbecue | Dried Potatoes, Corn Starch, Corn Oil, Sugar, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Onion Powder, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Dextrose, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Spices, Fructose, Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Natural Flavors (Contains Milk), Sunflower Oil, Paprika, Acacia Gum, Paprika Extracts, Annatto Extracts, and Caramel Color. |
| Sour cream & onion | Dried Potatoes, Corn Starch, Corn oil, Sugar, Skim Milk, Salt, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Cultured Skim Milk, Whey, Onion Powder, Sour Cream(Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Natural flavor, Parsley, Citric Acid and Annatto Extracts. |
Let’s learn a bit about some of the ingredients in baked Lays.
Dried potatoes: Baked lays are made from potatoes as the main ingredient.
Corn starch: It is a white powdery substance made from the endosperm of corn kernels. It is a highly processed ingredient that is used as a thickening agent.
Vegetable oils: Baked lays uses different types of oils such as corn, soybean, and sunflower. All these oils are highly processed and contain empty calories.
Sugar: All the flavors of baked Lays contain a small amount of sugar. This sugar mostly comes from table sugar, dextrose, fructose, brown sugar and molasses.
Salt: It is one of the main ingredients in baked Lays that helps to enhance the taste. Baked lays contain both table or sea salt among it’s flavors.
Soy lecithin: It is a natural emulsifier derived from soybeans. It is used as an emulsifier that helps to keep the chips fresh and prevent them from sticking together.
Dextrose: It is a simple sugar produced from corn starch. It is highly processed and mostly used as a sweetener.
Annatto extracts: It is a food color(yellow-orange) produced from the seeds of the achiote tree.
Natural flavor: Baked Lays uses natural flavor to enhance the taste. However, neither the amount nor the flavors name are disclosed.
Baked lays are free from artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, which is good. However, they contain various processed ingredients such as sugar, dextrose, fructose, vegetable oils and soy lecithin.
As a result, baked lays cannot be considered very healthy in term of ingredients.
How much sugar is in Baked Lays?
Baked lays are low in sugar containing 2-3g per serving, depending on the flavor. The original flavor has the lowest amount of sugar, with 2g per serving(28g).
The sugar in baked Lays comes from both added and natural sources.
If you are on a low-sugar diet and looking for a low-sugar snack option, baked lays can indeed be a good choice.
Are baked Lays good for diabetics? Baked Lays are not ideal for diabetics as they contain ingredients like corn starch, maltodextrin and dextrose. All these ingredients are highly processed and can increase blood sugar levels.
Here is a table showing the sugar content of all baked Lays flavor.
| Baked Lays flavor | Added(g) | Total(g) |
|---|---|---|
| Original | 2 | 2 |
| Barbecue | 2 | 3 |
| Sour cream & onion | 2 | 3 |
How much fat is in Baked Lays?
Baked lays are relatively low in fat, containing just 3 to 4g per serving, depending on the flavor. The original flavor has the lowest amount of fat, with 3g per serving(28g).
Compared to regular lays, baked Lays have significantly less fat.
A single serving of original baked Lays contains 3g of fat, which is much lower than the 10g of fat found in a serving of regular lays(classic).
In addition, around 85% of the fat in baked lays is good fat (mono and polyunsaturated).
Here is a table showing the fat content of all baked Lays flavor.
| Baked Lays flavor | Fat(g) |
|---|---|
| Original | 3 |
| Barbecue | 3.5 |
| Sour cream & onion | 3.5 |
Are Baked Lays high in sodium?
Baked Lays are low in sodium containing 160 to 170mg per serving(28g), depending on the flavor.
That’s about 11% of the daily ideal sodium limit(1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
Sodium is essential part of the diet, but too much of it can result in heart-related issues.
Fortunately, with baked lays you don’t have to worry about excess sodium consumption.
Moreover, the original flavor uses sea salt, which is less processed than regular salt, while the other two flavors use regular salt.
If compared to other baked chips like Cheetos or Ruffles, baked Lays have the lowest sodium content.
Here is a comparison of the sodium content of baked Lays to other baked chips.
| Baked chips brand | Sodium(mg) |
|---|---|
| Baked Lays original | 160 |
| Baked Lays barbecue | 160 |
| Baked Lays sour cream & onion | 170 |
| Baked Cheetos | 210 |
| Baked Ruffles | 280 |
How much protein and fiber is in Baked Lays?
Baked lays are low in protein and fiber. A single serving contains 2g of protein and 1g of fiber.
If you are seeking high protein and fiber snacks, baked Lays might not be a good option.
However, if compared baked Lays has more fiber than baked Cheetos but less than baked Ruffles. The protein content is similar.
Here is the table showing baked Lays protein and fiber compared to other baked chips.
| Baked chips brand | Fiber(g) | Protein(g) |
|---|---|---|
| Baked Lays original | 1 | 2 |
| Baked Lays barbecue | 1 | 2 |
| Baked Lays sour cream & onion | 1 | 2 |
| Baked Cheetos | <1 | 2 |
| Baked Ruffles | 2 | 2 |
Are Baked Lays good for weight loss?
Baked Lays are not perfect for weight loss as they contain processed ingredients like salt, sugar and vegetable oils. In addition, they are low protein and fiber.
However, you can still eat them on a weight loss diet in moderation. That’s because they are not a major source of sugar.
If compared to regular Lays(classic), baked Lays(original) contain 25% fewer calories. In addition, they are also lower in fat and sodium content, making them a better option for weight loss.
How many calories are in baked lays? Baked lays contain 120 calories per serving(28g).
Even though it is important to consume baked Lays in moderation, overindulging might hinder your weight loss efforts.
Remember that weight loss does not depend on only one food but on your overall diet and lifestyle.
Are Baked Lays highly processed?
Baked lays are considered highly processed food due to the presence of ingredients like corn starch, salt, sugar, oil, maltodextrin, and dextrose.
Though, baked lays are baked and are considered less processed than regular lays or fried chips.
Are Baked Lays gluten-free?
Baked lays are gluten-free as they are made from dried potatoes and do not contain any gluten-based ingredients.
Are Baked Lays vegan?
The only flavor of baked Lays that can be considered vegan is Original.
The other two flavors contain milk-based ingredients such as whey, sour cream, and natural flavors and therefore are not vegan.
Are Baked Lays healthier than regular Lays?
Baked Lays are considered a healthier option than regular Lays since they are baked and have lower calorie, fat, and sodium content.
However, both varieties contain a similar amount of protein(2g per serving) and fiber(1g per serving).
When it comes to ingredients, both varieties contain highly processed ingredients such as oils, cornstarch, maltodextrin, dextrose, and caramel.
However, if I had to choose one based on ingredients, I would pick baked lays. This is because baked Lays do not contain ingredients like palmolein oil, torula yeast, and artificial flavors, which are highly harmful.
Even though baked lays are healthier than regular, consuming too much can be unhealthy.
Final words
When it comes to the question of whether baked lays are healthy or not, it comes with both positives and negatives.
Positives of baked lays are:
- They are baked instead of fried.
- They are low in fat.
- They are low in sodium.
- They are low in calories.
- They are free from artificial flavors or colors.
Negatives of baked lays are:
- They are low in protein and fiber.
- They contain processed ingredients.
Ultimately, the best way to incorporate baked Lays into a diet is in moderation.
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