I know, I know. Doritos have become an American staple, and you're thinking "how can I possibly have a Super Bowl party without them?"
There are always 2 sides to every argument. So first let's talk a little bit about the upside of Doritos. Today I'm going to focus on Nacho Cheese Doritos, or as I remember them being called when I was little "Nacho Cheesier" Doritos. They are the original, and most of what I say can be applied to the other flavors. Per serving, Doritos have 8g of total fat. That is 2g less than a standard serving of potato chips (Lays Classic). Calories are the same, 150. Protein 2g. Fiber 2g. Same. Taking only this into consideration, you could argue that Doritos aren't that bad. But then we get to the ingredients.
Frito-Lay makes both Doritos and Lays Classic Chips. They like to use the graphic displaying "o grams trans fat" on the front of their bags. Here's a little secret they don't tell you. The FDA defines "0" as 0.5g or less. So these or any products can contain trans fat even if they have a label saying they don't. The problem arises when you eat several servings of many foods with "partially hydrogenated oils" in them. They are trans fat. If some type of "partially hydrogenated oil" is listed in the ingredients, there is trans fat in the product. Guess what, Doritos have "partially hydrogenated oils" in them. Doritos also have Monosodium Glutamate(MSG) in them. Remember the last time you looked at a chinese restaurant menu. There was probably some mention of MSG on it. Many restaurants are making a conscious effort to not cook with it. Here's why. MSG is used as a flavor enhancer, it makes things taste even better, or maybe better than they should. Some believe that it can actually cause you to eat more. Eating more is already easy to do when you are sitting in an easy chair with a bag of Doritos in your lap. I question the reason for using MSG. It makes me wonder, "without MSG, what would this product actually taste like?" "Why do they need to enhance the flavor? Does the actual flavor suck?"
Doritos are famous for their bold flavors and colors. But where do they come from? Surely not just from some cheese. Artificial Colors ( Yellow 6, Red 5, Yellow 40, etc) and Artificial flavors that could be anything, they can be vaguely listed as "Artificial Flavors." Do some research for yourself on Artificial Colors. I just don't think it's necessary, why does it have to have color at all if it has a good taste? But wait, I forgot, it doesn't have a good taste, it's the MSG. So Doritos are fake colored chips with fake flavors that are enhanced with chemicals. I think we could apply the 100 year rule to this product. The 100 year rule is that if the ingredients were not around 100 years ago, we shouldn't be eating it now.
I would also like to call into question the milk ingredients of Doritos. Where do they come from? Are they from farms where cows are raised with synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics? Just something to think about.
You might be asking "what about the low-fat and Baked! versions of Doritos, are they any better?" Not really. Many of them still contain MSG, and all the Artificial Flavorings and Colorings. With a lower fat snack, I tend to eat more than I normally would. I get the false sense that since this food has less calories or less fat then I can eat more, but it's leading to the same calories in the end.
What could you eat instead of Doritos? If you still want a fattening snack, Lays Classic chips are a better alternative. They only have 3 ingredients. Potatoes, Sunflower and/or Corn oil, and salt. They are simple, and these types of chips have been around for a lot longer than Doritos. "But what about a cheesy chip! I need my cheese!" Alright, calm down. I can highly recommend Garden of Eatin' brand nacho chips. Very good, and much more natural than Doritos. They contain a lot of Organic ingredients, and happy to say NO MSG, or Artificial Colors/Flavors. They actually contain real spices, what a concept!Check them out at http://www.gardenofeatin.com.
