There Are Fewer Ingredients In Fritos Than You Might Think
Everyone loves a good snack! An afternoon parfait, a sweet or salty addition while watching a movie, or just munching on some chips and dip when hanging with friends, snacking makes a great addition to many activities. But when digging into that candy box or bag of pretzels, chances are you're not thinking about the ingredients in it.
Fritos, The Original Corn Chips, are a snack you may remember from your childhood or perhaps still enjoy today. The slender and curvy chip can be a crowd-pleaser at barbecues or birthday parties and has been around for more than 80 years. It's easy to assume that there are many artificial ingredients included in Fritos due to the nature of mass food production, however, the original Frito Lay bag includes only three ingredients (via Frito Lay).
You also may be surprised to learn that there are 0 grams of total added sugars in this bag of salty goodness. And while you may have never given the ingredient profile a second thought, we bet you are now!
What are Fritos actually made of?
The three ingredients you'll find in Fritos are corn, salt, and corn oil. Unfortunately, in this case, less doesn't equate to "better for you." According to The Daily Meal, snacks like Fritos contain highly processed corn which has little to no nutritional substance and also includes a good amount of sodium. Per the Frito lay website, there's about 170 mg of sodium in each serving of Fritos. The brand does create its own hybrid of corn which makes the ingredient profile unique.
Although the original bag is comprised of corn, corn oil, and salt, that is not the case with other popular Frito flavors such as Fritos Spicy Jalapeño or Flamin' Hot, which both contain many more additives (via Frito Lay). Fun fact: The creator of Fritos didn't eat his own product. Now that's something that sparks a whole other set of questions.
If ingredients are important to you, or if it's just you're curiosity that's peeked, the next time you make a trip to the grocery store for your favorite snack, check out the nutritional information.