Lay's Baked Vs SunChips: Which Has Higher Nutritional Value?

In our line of work, potato chips are big business. Who could forget our hype when Trader Joe's rolled out its Irish garlic butter crisps, for instance? Sometimes, when popping chips during a snack attack, one wishes for a slightly more "virtuous" chip (not that any food is inherently good or bad, of course). In that instant, you might consider SunChips or Lay's Baked, both of which posit themselves as healthier alternatives to traditional chips. Here's the real question: which one contains more nutritional value, keeping in mind that any potato chip worthy of the name is likely to be pretty devoid of the good stuff? After all, no potato chip is a head of broccoli. With all those qualifiers, we can say that Lay's Baked is a slightly better choice in most cases and a much better option in one potentially significant way.

Both Lay's Baked and SunChips come in a panoply of flavors, some of which have joined the sad list of discontinued snack chips. So, for the most direct comparison, we looked at the original flavor of each, along with a BBQ variety that provided easy side-to-side scoping. Honestly, plain Lay's Baked and Original SunChips stack up pretty closely. Lay's Baked has fewer calories (110 per comparable serving versus 140). Both have the same amount of cholesterol per serving (none), and SunChips even scooch a bit ahead when it comes to lower sodium, with 115 milligrams compared to 120. Where the metrics really shift, however, is when it comes to potassium, generally an area where consumers want more, as opposed to less. Both plain and BBQ Lay's Baked absolutely trounce SunChips (including Honey BBQ) when it comes to potassium, offering 220 milligrams to just 60 per serving.

While Lay's Baked aren't going to stand toe-to-toe with any of the fruits with more potassium than a banana, they contain an amount of potassium that's not insignificant. According to the Cleveland Clinic, potassium is an essential nutrient that balances fluids in your body and aids in the proper contraction of muscles and brain signaling. Furthermore, potassium plays an essential role in regulating blood pressure. It acts as a check and balance to sodium, another major player that keeps your body ticking along. Healthy adults are encouraged to get between 2,600 and 3,400 milligrams of potassium daily (based on biological sex assigned at birth). As you can see, one serving of Lay's Baked won't satiate your potassium daily requirement by a long shot ... but they contain an amount that doesn't hurt, either!

When you reach for your next bag of chips and are wondering what "healthier" chips are slightly better for you, you can rest assured that SunChips and Lay's Baked offer similar levels of macros. If you care about potassium, however — and potassium is worth considering — you might want to opt for a variety of Lay's Baked. Choose a serving alongside your lunchtime sandwich, add a banana to the mix, and you'll get a dose of potassium that will aid your body in feeling good and working right.