Sweet Potato Chips vs Potato Chips: Head-to-Head Comparison

The debate of sweet potato chips vs potato chips has been going on for years now. Especially with the popularity of video-sharing platforms on the internet, more and more people wish to share their fitness journey with a larger audience. This of course entails healthy eating.

Both types of chips are pretty popular snacking options although sweet potato chips have a slight edge over regular potato chips within the fitness community. Why you ask? Well, it is because sweet potato itself is a healthier alternative to regular potatoes. Potato chips too have their own benefits such as a vast flavor profile that is often not possible with sweet potato chips.

So, which is a better option for the health-conscious or in general?  As a fitness enthusiast, this topic is with great seriousness as I do not like to compromise on either health or taste. Thus, in this post, I have analyzed the nutritional profile, advantages, and potential health risks of both.

Key Takeaways

• Sweet potato chips and regular potato chips are both a type of processed snack food that is enjoyed all over the world.
• Both snacks have similar calorific value but sweet potato chips have a much lower glycemic index which makes them better for consumption by diabetics.
• Sweet potato chips have double dietary fiber than plain potato chips.
• Potato chips have more Vitamin B concentration while Sweet Potato chips contain more essential minerals.
• Both types of chips are not exactly healthy and should not be consumed in excess quantities or daily.

Sweet Potato Chips vs Potato Chips

Chips inherently do not have much nutritional value to offer, whether it is sweet potato chips or regular potato chips. However, the two have some key differences which are listed below:

There is a significant difference in calorific value between the two, as you can see. However, the portion size being considered here is pretty large as a standard bag of chips contains about 30-40 grams worth of chips and thus can give you about 148 – 211 calories.

This is not much to be honest if we consider an entire day’s worth of required calories but the problem lies with the processed nature of the chips. Both types of chips are usually fried and that is not good news for your health, especially if you are into snacking on these chips daily.

However, there is a consensus that baked chips are better than fried ones because the former contains lesser amounts of soluble fat but the thing is even the baked chips are highly processed. Some store-bought chips, whether baked or fried can also contain some really questionable ingredients.

4 Key Differences

The two types of chips vary from each other in certain aspects. The key differences between sweet potato chips and potato chips have been discussed in detail below.

Ingredients

The names of the respective types of chips make the key ingredient obvious. The process of making both sweet potato chips and regular white ones is also quite similar. The potatoes are peeled and sliced into thick pieces and left to dry. Once dry they are deep fried in sunflower or corn oil until they are crispy.

Taste and Flavor

After the chips are fried and the excess oil is soaked out of them, they are ready to be seasoned. Sweet potato chips typically do not have any enhanced flavor as the taste of the chips potentially overpowers any additives. Thus they are usually sold as plain salted or unsalted.

Potato chips, however, take on added flavor very well, and some popular types are tomato, barbeque, cheese, cream & onion, etc.

Nutritional Value

Chips are a heavily processed snack so there is not much nutritional value to speak of. 100 grams of sweet potato chips contain about 529 calories with almost 57 grams of carbohydrate content. The same portion of potato chips contains even more calories, that is 560 kcal and about 54 grams of carbohydrates.

These also contain nutrients such as vitamins and minerals but you certainly do not have to depend on the chips to meet the daily value of the said nutrients.

However, one noteworthy aspect of sweet potato chips is that it contains no added sugar.

Price Point

Technically speaking, there is no reason as to why sweet potato chips and potato chips should not be sold at the same price but you will frequently see that is not the case. Sweet potato chips are often sold at a much higher price than plain potato chips and that is most probably because it is considered healthier.

Capitalist market mechanisms often push up the prices of “healthy” items and consumers end up assuming that because it is pricey it must be better. There is no validity to this practice as plain sweet potato chips and plain potato chips are not all that different.

Although this is merely conjecture, a more credible reason is that regular potatoes are more widely grown and sourced and thus are more easily available than sweet potatoes.

Nutrition Facts

As already mentioned, there is not much contrast in the nutritional profile of sweet potato chips and potato chips. However, knowing the components of both types of chips can help consumers make an informed decision about which to eat and which to avoid.

Sweet potato chips are lower in calories, fat, and sodium while being higher in dietary fiber and magnesium. While regular potato chips have a good Vitamin B concentration.

It should be noted that these numbers are not absolute and may vary depending on what brand you are buying from or the level of processed chips you are eating.

Sweet Potato Chips

If you had asked for any other type of chip other than regular potato ones, around 20 years ago, the answer you would have received would have been in the negative. However, sweet potato chips are quite popular now as it happens and while they are considered a healthier alternative to regular potato chips, they can also have some risks associated.

Both the potential risks and benefits are listed below:

Pros

• Replacing regular potato chips with sweet potato chips may reduce the risks of hypertension due to the sweet potato content ^[1]
• Vitamin A, present in these chips is associated with promoting healthy vision and guarding against an age-related degeneration of vision called AMD.
• It has a low Glycemic index which means that it is safe for consumption by diabetics.
• Due to its satisfactory fiber content, it may aid in weight management. Fiber in the diet helps to promote feelings of satiety and keeps you fuller for longer. This potentially prevents overeating. ^[2]

Cons

• Can cause allergies. ^[3]
• Some unrefined oils such as sesame oil and peanut oil used to fry the chips may cause allergies in highly sensitive individuals.
• Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene and eating too many chips from this vegetable may cause skin discoloration in some people. But it must be noted that most cases of this discoloration are from overconsuming carrots which also contain Beta-cartone. ^[4]

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Potato Chips

Potato chips have been a staple snack for decades now.  It was first made by chef George Crum in 1853. The two most popular types of potato chips are baked and fried. Since baked chips require less refined oil, they are considered a better alternative to fried ones. But most of the commercially popular potato chips are all fried.

These chips are made from a special longer variety of brown and white potatoes which are typically more starchy in nature.

Although this snack should not be a staple in the diet, they do have some possible advantages. But there are some downsides involved as well. Let’s have a look

Pros

• Among various snack types, potato chips have much less sugar and carbohydrates. They are most certainly a better snacking option than say, candies, granola bars, some baked goods, and other heavily processed stuff.
• Because it has potato as a main ingredient, it contains several essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Potato chips have more Vitamin B than sweet potato ones.
• Many varieties of potato chip cane are gluten-free as well as vegan making it ideal for consumption by those with gluten allergy or those who like to eat plant-based.

Cons

• Has a high glycemic index which can negatively affect those with diabetes.
• Potato chips can often contain high amounts of acrylamide which is a harmful compound associated with risks of causing cancer. ^[5]
• Has a lot of calories and not enough dietary fiber. The combination is not ideal for people with obesity issues. Consumption of potato chips is better avoided by those looking to lose weight.
• Is high in sodium which can cause high blood pressure.
• Typically sold in fried form fried food is not recommended for those with heart problems and diabetes.

Which is Healthier, Sweet Potato Chips or Potato Chips?

If we have to decide a definitive winner between the two types of potato chips then sweet potato chip wins out in terms of health quotient.

That being said, healthy is not a term to be associated with both regular potato chips and sweet potato chips because both are highly processed foods and are dense in calories. Another thing to be kept in mind is that people rarely stop at one or two chips but always at a full bag of them, thus consuming a lot of calories in one go.

The healthiest option is to avoid both of them completely, especially the store-bought ones. You can also always make your own potato chips using regular or sweet potatoes at home and make them healthier without using any preservatives and baking them instead of frying.

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Final Verdict

As it stands, neither of the two chip varieties can be called ideally healthy but if we are really considering the technicalities then sweet potato chips have a slightly better nutritional profile.

All of that being said, the important thing is to know to eat things in moderation. Eating a whole of chips in one evening is unlikely to cause any health concerns ( except bloating maybe ) but if you keep up the practice for days on end, the results will be adverse to your health.

Thus the takeaway is that both chips are as good as unhealthy but they are not toxic or downright harmful. So, eat them, but in moderation.

References

1. Borgi, L., Rimm, E. B., Willett, W. C., & Forman, J. P. (2016). Potato intake and incidence of hypertension: results from three prospective US cohort studies. BMJ, 353. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i2351
2. Howarth, N. C., Saltzman, E., & Roberts, S. B. (2001). Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutrition Reviews, 59(5), 129-139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07001.x
3. Velloso, A., Baeza, M., Tornero, P., Herrero, T., Fernández, M., Rubio, M., & De Barrio, M. (2004). Anaphylaxis caused by Ipomoea batatas. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 113(2), S242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2004.01.331
4. Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2012). Carrot man: A case of excessive beta-carotene ingestion. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 45(6), 816-818. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22015
5. Rudén, C. (2003). Acrylamide and cancer risk—Expert risk assessments and the public debate. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 42(3), 335-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2003.10.017