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You can make homemade potato crisps a better choice by measuring the oil, using little or no added salt, and taking them out of the oven or fryer while they are golden yellow or lighter. For packaged snacks, compare the current labels—especially salt and fat—and check how much is in the portion you actually eat. “Baked” or “air-fried” describes a cooking method, not a guarantee that a snack is healthy.
How to make homemade potato crisps healthier
Potatoes provide energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium. The NHS says they can be a healthy choice when boiled, baked, mashed or roasted with only a small amount of fat or oil and no added salt. That is general guidance about potatoes, not a tested recipe for thin crisps; turning potatoes into crisps still involves a different preparation method.
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- Measure the oil. Use a small amount rather than pouring freely. Less added oil can reduce the fat you add, though it does not make the finished snack fat-free.
- Go easy on salt. Try little or no added salt. The American Heart Association quotes nutrition expert Penny Kris-Etherton: “Instead of salt, try onion powder or garlic powder.”
- Watch the colour. Aim for golden yellow or lighter, rather than dark brown. NHS guidance explains that acrylamide can form when starchy foods such as potatoes are cooked for a long time at high temperatures. Following cooking instructions and avoiding over-browning can help reduce exposure; home cooking cannot be assumed to eliminate acrylamide.
Boiling or steaming potatoes can reduce fat and acrylamide compared with frying or roasting, according to the NHS, but those methods will not produce a crisp in the same way. The practical trade-off is texture versus the amount of added fat and the cooking conditions.
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An air fryer is one way to cook potato snacks while measuring the oil, but the appliance alone does not determine the nutritional result. The American Heart Association’s air-fryer recipe is for French fries, not thin crisps, so its nutrition figures should not be treated as estimates for homemade crisps.
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That recipe serves four and uses one pound of russet potatoes, 1½ tablespoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic powder and pepper. The AHA reports 134 calories, 5.0 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 153 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate and 3 g fibre per serving. These figures apply to that specific fries recipe. Its directions say not to overcrowd the basket and to cook until golden brown; for acrylamide advice, the NHS recommends aiming for golden yellow or lighter.
Are baked or popped crisps healthier than fried crisps?
UK government healthier-catering guidance describes baked or popped crisps and snacks as not fried and lower in fat than standard crisps. That is a category-level comparison, not proof that every baked or popped product is low in salt, calories or total fat. Check the nutrition information on the particular pack rather than relying on the word “baked” or “popped.”
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How to compare packaged crisps
Use the current packaging, because recipes and nutrition labels can change. Compare products on the same basis—such as per 100 g—then check the whole pack or the portion you expect to eat. A favourable figure per 100 g can still add up if the serving is large.
- Salt: Compare salt per 100 g and per pack or portion. NHS Healthier Families recommends using traffic-light labels and choosing products with more greens and ambers.
- Total and saturated fat: Look at both values rather than treating “baked” as a substitute for the numbers.
- Calories: Check calories for the amount you are likely to eat, not just a suggested serving.
- Portion size: A smaller pack may make it easier to limit the amount eaten. UK sandwich-shop catering guidance suggests offering packets of 30 g or less; this is catering guidance, not a universal serving prescription.
- What kind of snack you want: If you are open to alternatives, NHS snack swaps include plain rice cakes, chopped-up fruit, vegetable sticks and unsalted nuts.
No single branded crisp is established as the healthiest choice here. To compare two specific products, use their current labels and weigh salt, fat, saturated fat, calories and pack size together rather than picking a winner from the product name alone.
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