Be it the Premier League matches or a Netflix binge-watching session: we all love snacking on some spicy Doritos. When you take a bite, the crunchiness bust into tanginess and cheesiness, with a touch of chili and ranch; by now, your mouth must have started watering after reading this. But pause because we are going to investigate if Doritos are a healthy snack or not.
Let’s start munching.
Is Doritos Healthy?
The Original Dorito flavor has these ingredients:
CORN, CANOLA OIL, SALT, SUNFLOWER OIL, and ANTIOXIDANTS (TOCOPHEROLS, ASCORBIC ACID, ROSEMARY EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID).
DORITOS® Original Flavoured Corn Chips ingredients.
Now, we shall analyze the one with flavors.
Ingredient Analysis
The most common ingredients in Flavored DORITOS® are:
Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Part-skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Corn Flour, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Lactose, Spices, Artificial Color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, And Red 40), Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Skim Milk, Red And Green Bell Pepper Powder, Disodium Inosinate, And Disodium Guanylate.
DORITOS® Nacho Cheese flavor ingredient.
The most popular flavor that got the company on the road to success is the Nacho Cheese flavor. This flavor contains all the ingredients mentioned above. Most of the flavors have these in their tortilla chips.
| S. No. | Criteria | Original Salted Doritos | Flavored Doritos |
| 1. | Whole ingredients | Yes | No |
| 2. | Artificial ingredients | No | Yes |
| 3. | Level of Processing | High | High |
| 4. | Harmful ingredients | No | Yes |
| 5. | Carbs to Fibre Ratio | (17.2/1) | (18/1) |
| 6. | Glycemic index | Medium (63) | ___ |
When we compare the Original Salted Tortilla chips with the flavored ones, we can see that this one is safer to consume.
Nutritional Info Analysis:
Please note that the nutritional info mentioned on the pack is per serving and not for the entire pack. The values must be multiplied by 9 to understand the amount consumed per pack accurately. This table will highlight some nutritional facts about the flavored ones. For this, we shall see DORITOS® Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips’ nutritional info:
| S. No. | Head | Nutritional Facts per Serving (27g) | Nutritional Facts per Pack (243g) |
| 1. | Calories | 150 | 1350 |
| 2. | Fat | 8 g | 72 g |
| 3. | Sodium | 210 mg | 1.89 g |
| 4. | Carbohydrate | 18 g | 162 g |
| 5. | Dietary Fibre | 1 g | 9 g |
One pack has 1350 calories, and a person must consume 2000 to 3000 in a day. This is a lot of calories.
Product Suitability:
Based on the above-detailed analysis, we can easily conclude for whom this product is suitable.
| S. No. | Suitable for | Original Salted Doritos | Flavored Doritos |
| 1. | Vegans | Yes | No |
| 2. | Diabetes | No | No |
| 3. | Vegetarian | Yes | Yes |
| 5. | Keto | No | No |
| 6. | Gluten-Free | Yes | Maybe |
Pros & Cons
Before concluding, let’s review the pros and cons of Fritos to understand if they are healthy.
Pros:
- Original salted is free of MSG. This one has ascorbic acid and tocopherols.
- Delicious in taste.
- They are free of trans fatty acids.
Cons
- The flavored ones contain MSG.
- They are first baked and then fried.
- High on calories.
- If they use saturated vegetable oil, it can be very unhealthy.
Verdict: Is Doritos Healthy?
To conclude, they are not healthy snack. The original salted ones are still better than the flavored ones. However, eating these tortilla chips in a limited amount is best for your health.
FAQs
1. Is Doritos halal?
They are not halal certified, but most of their products are meat-free and do not contain ethanol.
2. Is the Cool Ranch flavor healthy?
No. As mentioned earlier, the flavored ones contain MSG, which is not good for your health.
3. Do they contain eggs?
The tortilla chips may not be made with eggs. Their dips may contain eggs. Check the label before consumption. It can be different for different flavors.
While weighing the health factors of Doritos, you might also want to explore the various delicious accompaniments to eat with Ritz crackers.
