Corn chips are versatile – you can snack on them as they are, dip them into sauces, and create some comforting meals with them.
Today, there is a huge variety of corn chips on the market. Fritos and Tostitos are two of the best-selling brands – but what’s the difference?
In this article, I am looking at who produces each product, which flavors there are, whether there’s a big difference in nutritional values, and more.
Fritos
Fritos was created in America in 1932 and has become one of the most popular corn chip brands. In 1961 the company became part of FritoLay, which is part of the Pepsi-Cola company.
In addition to corn chips, Fritos also produce dipping sauces that perfectly match corn chips.
Where Do I Buy Fritos?
Fritos are easy to find in grocery stores and other stores that sell groceries, e.g., Walmart and Target. You can also buy Fritos in many online grocery and snack stores.
You could try Fritos’ official “Where to buy” store finder to find a convenient store close to where you live.
What Fritos Flavors Are Available?
Fritos come in seven different flavors, some of which are available on Amazon.
- Fritos Original Corn Chips are your classic corn chips with only three ingredients.
- Fritos Scoops Corn Chips combine the original flavor with a scoop shape, making them perfect for dipping.
- Fritos Scoops Corn Chips Spicy Jalapeno are for people who prefer everything to have a bit of a kick.
- Fritos Lightly Salted Corn Chips are a good choice if you prefer to dip your corn chips or use them in recipes that already include some salt.
- Fritos Flavor Twists Honey and Barbeque Corn Chips are twisted corn chips with much flavor.
- Fritos Chilli Cheese Flavored Corn Chips are a tasty snack on their own.
- Fritos Flamin’ Hot is for people who think nothing is ever spicy enough.
What are the Ingredients in Fritos?
To compare Tostitos and Fritos, I am looking at both brands’ original flavors and shapes (to make the comparison fair).
Fritos originals are quite impressive, with a short ingredient list of only three things:
- Corn
- Corn oil
- Salt
However, remember that two of these ingredients are heavily processed before they turn into a tasty Fritos corn chip.
What Are The Nutritional Values Of Fritos?
One serving of Fritos original corn chips has the following nutritional values.
- 160 calories
- 10g fat
- 170 mg sodium
- 16g total Carbohydrates (of which 0g sugars and 1g dietary fiber)
- 2g protein
- 30 mg calcium
- 2 mg iron
- 30 mg potassium
Are Fritos Vegetarian or Vegan?
While all Fritos flavors are vegetarian, only some of them are vegan.
Vegans must avoid Fritos Flavor Twists Honey and Barbeque Corn Chips, Fritos Chilli Cheese flavored corn chips, Fritos Flamin’ Hot, and Fritos Scoops Corn Chips Spicy Jalapeno as all of these include ingredients that are not suitable for vegans, e.g., honey, whey, and other dairy ingredients.
Tostitos
Like Fritos, Tostitos are produced by FritoLay, part of the Pepsi-Cola company.
Where Do I Buy Tostitos?
Like Fritos, Tostitos can be bought in most stores that sell groceries, including grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and online shops.
An easy way to find a local store is to visit the official Tostitos “Where to buy” page.
What Tostitos Flavors Are Available?
Tostitos have a lot of flavors on the market. In that regard, they are better than Fritos – as there’s a Tostito for almost everyone. Some of these flavors can be ordered via Amazon. Here’s the list.
- TOSTITOS Baked Scoops Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Bite Size Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Black Bean & Garlic Flavored Triangles Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Cantina Thin & Crispy Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Cantina Traditional Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Hint of Guacamole Flavored Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Hint of Lime Flavored Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Hint of Spicy Queso Flavored Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Multigrain Scoops! Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Reduced Fat Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Salsa Verde Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Scoops!® Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Simply Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Simply Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips
- TOSTITOS Strips Tortilla Chips
What are the Ingredients in Tostitos?
The ingredient list of Tostitos’ original corn chips is just as short as Fritos’.
- Corn
- Vegetable oil (corn, canola, or sunflower oil)
- Salt
The only difference is that Tostitos aren’t always made with corn oil like Fritos.
When it comes to different flavors you can expect a longer list of ingredients based on flavoring.
What Are The Nutritional Values Of Tostitos?
One serving of Tostitos original corn chips has the following nutritional values.
- 140 calories
- 7g fat
- 115 mg sodium
- 19g total Carbohydrates (of which 0g sugars and 1g dietary fiber)
- 2g protein
- 30 mg calcium
- 3 mg iron
- 40 mg potassium
Are Tostitos Vegetarian or Vegan?
While Tostitos are vegetarians, vegans must avoid some flavors as they include dairy and other animal-derived ingredients. Currently, the following Tostitos are unsuitable for vegans:
- TOSTITOS Hint of Lime
- TOSTITOS Habanero
- TOSTITOS Hint of spicy Queso
- TOSTITOS Hint of Guacamole
- TOSTITOS Sabritas Salsa Verde
Always check the ingredient list if you aren’t sure about a flavor, as the company is legally required to make it easy for customers to find out about allergens like dairy, which is a great help for vegans, too.
Comparison Questions
Which Lasts Longer?
The answer to this depends on the flavor you want to know about. Some flavored versions of each brand will last a shorter time than an original corn chip. To keep it simple, let’s look at the original version of both.
There is no difference, as the ingredients are the same. Corn chips stay fresh for up to six months in an unopened package. Once you open them, you need to keep them in an airtight container to keep them from losing their crunch.
Which Is More Affordable?
Two products are fairly similar – the original and a flamin’ hot (Fritos) or spicy (Tostitos) flavor, so I decided to check the average cost per oz for each.
| Fritos | Tostitos | More affordable | |
| Original | $0.42 per oz | $0.31 per oz | Tostitos |
| Spicy / Flamin’ Hot | $0.42 per oz | $0.35 per oz | Tostitos |
In both cases, Tostitos is more affordable than Fritos.
Do Fritos Or Tostitos Have Gluten-Free Options?
The original corn chips from both brands are gluten-free, as they are made from corn, oil, and salt. Many other flavors are also safe for people with gluten intolerance, but not all of them.
The easiest option to find all gluten-free options is to check the gluten-free products list on Frito-Lay’s website.
Which Production Method Is Used For Fritos And Tostitos?
The production method is where the main difference between the two products lies.
Fritos are made with machine-extruded cornmeal dough that is then deep-fried.
Tostitos, on the other hand, are meant to be a more authentic product. They are made with a cornmeal dough with a different formulation, which is supposed to remind people of stone-ground white corn. While the dough is also deep-fried, the outcome is different because the cornmeal dough is different.
Related Questions
Are Fritos And Tostitos Made By The Same Company?
Fritos and Tostitos are two different products and used to be produced by different brands in the past, but now, both are made by Frito Lay.
Frito-Lay is part of the huge Pepsi Cola Company.
Do Tostitos Taste Like Fritos?
It depends on how sensitive your taste buds are. The taste is very similar, but I find Tostitos to taste less salty (which I find better). There is also a minor texture difference, but you need to pay attention to what you are eating to notice it.
Of course, this only applies to the original corn chips of each brand. There is a huge difference between flavored versions. Tostitos has far more flavors to choose from, so some flavors have no Fritos flavor to compare them against.
Can I Eat Fritos And Tostitos With Braces?
I would not recommend it as corn chips are very hard, and you could damage your braces when eating them.
This does not mean that you can’t, though. If you really want to eat corn chips while wearing braces, you must be very careful. Take small bites and chew carefully, but it would be safer not to try.
Damaged braces can turn into a costly and annoying issue.
What Is A Serving Of Fritos And Tostitos?
Many people have a problem with knowing the correct serving size for snacks like corn chips. And no, a whole share pack is not a serving size. A snack pack, yes, but it’s not uncommon for people to eat a whole big packet in a day.
People usually overdo a serving of corn chips when asked to measure it. A normal serving size differs from flavor to flavor (heavily flavored corn chips often have smaller serving sizes).
For original flavors (Fritos and Tostitos), the suggested serving size is between 30-35 chips.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I learned that there is not much difference between the two varieties of corn chips. They are both produced by the same brand and are both popular.
Tostitos is my personal choice as I like the variety of flavors and that there is less sodium in each serving. My favorite chips are actually the Tostitos Lime, I love them! It also helps that Tostitos are the more affordable option, even if its just pennies.
Read some of my related comparison articles:
