Plantain Chips vs Potato Chips

Which is the healthiest?

Potato chips (or crisps in the UK) may be the more commonly consumed snack of the two but plantain chips have been rising in popularity for the last few years!

The variety of flavours, brands, and choice of potato crisps is vast - and can be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you want when out shopping.

But… shops are beginning to catch up with consumer demand for possible healthy alternatives to potato chips and the trend towards more natural ingredients and flavourings. So, we are seeing more and more alternatives to potato chips appearing on shelves - plantain chips being one of them!

What are Plantain Chips and how are they made?

Plantain Chips are made from – yep, you guessed it – plantains! 

Plantains are a member of the banana family but tend to be bigger and thicker skinned than their cousins, the banana. They also have a lower sugar content than bananas, making them a better savoury snack option and perfect for turning into chips or crisps.

Typically, plantain chips are a great source of fibre and other nutrients like potassium and sodium, and provide more vitamins A and C than potato chips. Purely Plantain Chips provide 12 percent of your daily vitamin A recommendation and 16 percent of your suggested vitamin C! They also tend to be lower in saturated fat than potato chips, which is a form of unhealthy fat associated with an increased risk of heart and circulatory disease. Plantain chips are also a great source of Omega-6.

Plantain chips can be fried in oil, like many potato chips, or baked or roasted. At Purely, we kettle cook our Plantain Chips, which makes them crunchier and more flavourful than the continuous frying processed method that many regular potato chips go through that can often introduce damaging ‘free radicals’.

According to the National Library of Medicine:

“...plantains… help boost body immune system, regulate digestion, and are good sources of potassium and vitamins C… that fight against free radical damaging effect in the body and prevent aging and diseases like cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.”

What about Potato Chips? How do they compare?

Potato chips are often made from potatoes that are continuously fried on a conveyor belt in oil that is kept at a consistently high temperature, which causes the moisture in the potato to evaporate almost immediately, making potato chips generally more light and crisp.

According to the glycemic index, a value given to foods based on how quickly and how high they increase glucose levels in the blood (blood sugar levels), potato crisps are rated at 56 and plantains chips are rated at between 45 and 56 depending on how ripe they are. This makes them not too dissimilar, if using ripe plantains, in terms of the glycemic index, although plantains are lower in general.

Many potato crisps have added artificial flavours and preservatives to make them taste better and last longer, which can often be unhealthy. (Purely Plantain Chips contain no artificial flavourings, preservatives, or additives - just natural ingredients)

Which is healthier? Potato Chips or Plantain Chips?

Both plantain chips and potato chips provide essential vitamins and minerals and have around the same amount of calories per serving. 

Both are valid snack options, as long as you’re eating them as part of a balanced diet, especially when you’re on the go.

So, it all comes down to personal preference, brand, and cooking method really.

If you’re going to eat either, it is worth looking into how they are cooked - like we mentioned before, many standard potato chips are cooked by passing the potatoes along conveyor belts through oil that is kept at a consistently high temperature. Kettle cooking is a much better way of cooking plantains or potato chips - this is how we cook our plantain chips, here at Purely.

It is always worth a look at the back of the packet at the ingredients and nutritional information. Take note of any artificial ingredients and additives that could be considered more unhealthy or whether the product is made via a healthier method using better quality and natural ingredients.

At Purely, we have a variety of Plantain Chips to choose from in delicious flavours in our online shop!

Want to try Purley Plantain chips for free?

We’ll choose 10 people at random to be sent a trial pack, completely free of charge, simply let us know your information below. 

If you would like to receive a trial without waiting to be chosen use code: trychips for 40%, the discount expires on 30th April.