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Potato chips vs. French fries — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are potato chips and french fries different?

  • Potato chips have more vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, selenium, vitamin B2, iron, and vitamin K than french fries.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin E for potato chips is 50% higher.
  • Potato chips contain 9 times more selenium than french fries. While potato chips contain 8.1µg of selenium, french fries contain only 0.9µg.
  • French fries have less saturated fat.
  • Potato chips have a lower glycemic index (56) than french fries (70).

Snacks, potato chips, plain, unsalted and Fast foods, potato, french fried in vegetable oil are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Potato chips vs French fries infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 48% 7.2% 113% 61% 102% 30% 71% 1% 57% 44%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 25% 5.4% 51% 30% 41% 14% 54% 27% 32% 4.9%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +91.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +33.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +120.2%
Contains more IronIron +101.2%
Contains more CopperCopper +146.8%
Contains more ZincZinc +118%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +32%
Contains less SodiumSodium -96.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +78.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +800%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 104% 0% 182% 0% 42% 45% 72% 24% 152% 0% 55% 34% 20%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 16% 0% 33% 0% 43% 9% 56% 35% 86% 0% 28% 23% 20%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +561.7%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +445.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +405.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +27.4%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +77.4%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +97.3%
Contains more FolateFolate +50%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +44.3%
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.17mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Choline ~36.8mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
7% 35% 53% 2% 4%
Protein: 7 g
Fats: 34.6 g
Carbs: 52.9 g
Water: 1.9 g
Other: 3.6 g
3% 15% 41% 39% 2%
Protein: 3.43 g
Fats: 14.73 g
Carbs: 41.44 g
Water: 38.55 g
Other: 1.85 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +104.1%
Contains more FatsFats +134.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +27.7%
Contains more OtherOther +94.6%
Contains more WaterWater +1928.9%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
33% 30% 37%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 10.96 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 9.84 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 12.17 g
17% 44% 39%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.336 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 5.969 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 5.398 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +64.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +125.5%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -78.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Potato chips French fries
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Potato chips French fries DV% diff.
Vitamin E 9.11mg 1.67mg 50%
Polyunsaturated fat 12.17g 5.398g 45%
Saturated fat 10.96g 2.336g 39%
Fats 34.6g 14.73g 31%
Vitamin C 31.1mg 4.7mg 29%
Histidine 153mg 22%
Vitamin B6 0.66mg 0.372mg 22%
Copper 0.306mg 0.124mg 20%
Potassium 1275mg 579mg 20%
Selenium 8.1µg 0.9µg 13%
Vitamin B2 0.197mg 0.039mg 12%
Calories 536kcal 312kcal 11%
Iron 1.63mg 0.81mg 10%
Monounsaturated fat 9.84g 5.969g 10%
Vitamin K 22.1µg 11.2µg 9%
Sodium 8mg 210mg 9%
Magnesium 67mg 35mg 8%
Manganese 0.44mg 0.247mg 8%
Protein 7g 3.43g 7%
Phosphorus 165mg 125mg 6%
Zinc 1.09mg 0.5mg 5%
Vitamin B3 3.827mg 3.004mg 5%
Folate 45µg 30µg 4%
Vitamin B5 0.402mg 0.58mg 4%
Fiber 4.8g 3.8g 4%
Carbs 52.9g 41.44g 4%
Calcium 24mg 18mg 1%
Net carbs 48.1g 37.64g N/A
Sugar 0.22g 0.3g N/A
Vitamin B1 0.167mg 0.17mg 0%
Trans fat 0.06g N/A
Choline 37.5mg 36.8mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.108mg 0%
Threonine 0.253mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.283mg 0%
Leucine 0.419mg 0%
Lysine 0.424mg 0%
Methionine 0.11mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.31mg 0%
Valine 0.392mg 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.407g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.029g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 4.898g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Potato chips French fries
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
56%
Potato chips
27%
French fries
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
53%
Potato chips
28%
French fries

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Potato chips
Potato chips is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.08g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Potato chips
Potato chips contains less Sodium (difference - 202mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Potato chips
Potato chips is lower in glycemic index (difference - 14)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Potato chips
Potato chips is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Potato chips
Potato chips is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
French fries
French fries is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 8.624g)
Which food is cheaper?
French fries
French fries is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Potato chips - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170649/nutrients
  2. French fries - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170698/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.