Chips, also known as french fries, are a beloved food enjoyed around the world. There are two main ways that people typically eat chips – oven chips cooked at home, and chip shop chips from takeaways or restaurants. But which is the healthier option?
This article will compare oven chips and chip shop chips across a range of factors including calories, fat, salt and vitamin content. We’ll look at how they are made, their nutritional values, and the pros and cons of each type of chip. Read on to find out whether oven chips or chip shop chips come out on top in the health stakes!
How Are Oven Chips Made?
Oven chips are made from fresh potatoes that have been peeled, chopped and formed into chip shapes. They are coated in a small amount of oil, usually sunflower or rapeseed oil, to help them crisp up in the oven.
Some oven chips may also have additional ingredients such as flour or starch to help hold them together, and extra seasoning or flavorings. However, most standard oven chips contain just potato and a small amount of oil.
To cook oven chips, you simply place them on a baking tray and bake in the oven until golden and crisp, typically for around 15-20 minutes at around 220°C.
How Are Chip Shop Chips Made?
Chip shop chips undergo a more complex cooking process compared to oven chips.
The potatoes are peeled, chopped into chips and washed thoroughly before cooking. They are then par-boiled in water to partially cook them. This helps soften the chips so they will fluff up when fried.
After par-boiling, the chips are dried then fried in hot oil at around 160°C. The oil used is usually a cheap vegetable oil like sunflower or rapeseed. This high heat crisps up the outside of the chips.
The chips are fried once, removed from the oil, then fried again at an even higher temperature of around 190°C. This double frying makes the chips extra crispy.
Some chippies may coat chips in an extra layer of seasoning or salt before serving for added flavor. Vinegar is often available to sprinkle over chip shop chips too.
Calories in Oven Chips vs Chip Shop Chips
| Food | Calories (average per 100g) |
|---|---|
| Oven chips | 131kcal |
| Chip shop chips | 312kcal |
When looking at calories, oven chips are considerably lower in calories than chip shop chips.
On average, 100g of oven chips contains around 131kcal.
Whereas 100g of chip shop chips contains roughly 312kcal – over double the amount!
This significant difference is largely due to the cooking methods. Frying chips twice immerses them in a large amount of oil, absorbing more of it and ramping up the calories.
Oven chips require little or no oil to cook, keeping their calorie count lower.
Fat Content of Oven Chips vs Chip Shop Chips
Similarly, the high temperature frying used for chip shop chips results in them containing far more fat:
| Food | Total fat (average per 100g) |
|---|---|
| Oven chips | 4.5g |
| Chip shop chips | 15g |
Statistics show 100g of oven chips contains around 4.5g fat, whereas 100g of chip shop chips contains about 15g – over three times as much.
This makes oven chips a better choice than takeaway chips for those limiting their fat or oil intake.
Salt Content in Oven Chips vs Chip Shop Chips
Salt levels also show a stark contrast:
| Food | Salt (average per 100g) |
|---|---|
| Oven chips | 0.2g |
| Chip shop chips | 1.3g |
On average, 100g of oven chips contains 0.2g salt. Whereas 100g of chip shop chips contains around 1.3g salt.
Again, this big difference comes down to the cooking method. Most oven chips only have a small amount of salt added during production.
Whereas chip shop chips are fried in oil that may have remnants of salt from previous frying. They are also sprinkled with additional salt after cooking.
If limiting salt intake, oven chips would be the better option. However, some chippies do offer low salt varieties upon request.
Vitamin Content of Oven Chips vs Chip Shop Chips
Although potatoes don’t contain a huge range of vitamins and minerals, oven chips retain slightly more than heavily fried chip shop chips:
| Vitamin | Oven Chips (per 100g) | Chip Shop Chips (per 100g) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B6 | 0.25mg | 0.2mg |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 3.2mg |
| Potassium | 350mg | 290mg |
The high heat during frying causes some vitamins like vitamin C and B6 to break down or leach out of the chips.
Oven chips retain slightly more, but neither can be considered a significant source of vitamins.
Are Oven Chips or Chip Shop Chips Healthier Overall?
When looking strictly at nutritional values, oven chips are clearly the healthier choice:
– Oven chips are much lower in calories and fat than chip shop chips.
– They also contain less salt compared to chip shop chips.
– Oven chips retain slightly more vitamins too.
The large reduction in calories, fat, and salt makes a big difference health wise.
Eating lower calorie, lower fat, and lower salt foods can help prevent obesity, heart disease, stroke, and other health conditions.
The cooking method is key – frying chip shop chips at high heat doubles the calories and quadruples the fat!
However, there are some factors aside from nutrition to consider:
– Chip shop chips may taste better to some people as frying gives more flavor.
– Oven chips are cheaper and more convenient than buying takeaway.
– Having oven chips at home avoids any risks of food hygiene issues at takeaways.
So in summary, while oven chips are significantly healthier in terms of nutrition content, chip shop chips may be tastier to some. But the high levels of fat, salt and calories in chip shop chips make them a less healthy pick overall.
How To Make Oven Chips Healthier
Although oven chips are already a healthier pick than takeaway chips, you can make them even better by:
– Opting for lower calorie, lower fat oven chip varieties.
– Adding your own seasoning rather than using salted chips.
– Baking rather than frying in oil if possible.
– Having them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
– Accompanying oven chips with plenty of vegetables or salad.
Healthiest Ways To Eat Chips
If you want to enjoy chips in a healthier way, here are some of the best options:
– Baked sweet potato fries – lower in fat than regular potatoes.
– Homemade oven baked parsnip or carrot fries.
– Kale chips – low calorie and packed with nutrients.
– Cauliflower thins – can be baked or air fried with less calories than potato.
– Zucchini fries – cut into chip shapes and oven baked.
– Butternut squash chips – contains healthy fats and vitamins.
These lower carb, lower calorie options provide more nutrients than regular chips. But for most people, oven chips are still a better choice health wise than deep fried chip shop chips.
Conclusion
Based on their nutritional content, oven chips are clearly much healthier than deep fried chip shop chips. They are significantly lower in calories, fat and salt.
Frying chips in oil doubles the calories and quadruples the fat compared to oven chips. Oven chips also retain slightly more vitamins.
However, chip shop chips may taste better to some people. Oven chips provide a convenient cheaper option to still enjoy chips at home while being mindful of your health.
There are also ways to tweak oven chips to make them even healthier, like opting for lower calorie varieties. And alternatives like sweet potato or cauliflower fries provide great healthy swaps for chips too.
So in conclusion, while both have their place, oven chips are the better choice for health reasons in most cases. Moderating portion sizes of oven chips as part of a balanced diet can allow you to still enjoy this tasty treat!