Tortilla chips are a popular snack, and they are also great for creating some interesting dishes. There’s the first difference: you can’t do that with plantain chips.
But what other differences are there? Is it true that plantain chips are the healthier snack for you?
In this article, I will look at plantain chips vs tortilla chips to determine whether they are really that different and whether these differences should influence your purchase decision.
Plantain Chips
What Are Plantain Chips Ingredients?
The basic ingredients for plain plantain chips looks like this:
Plantains and vegetable oil (which one is used depends on the producer).
Yes, that’s it.
Of course, flavored varieties have a few more ingredients, like sea salt, chili, or barbecue seasoning. But I have yet to come across plantain chips with excessive ingredient lists.
Where Can I Buy Plantain Chips?
Today, you will usually find a few plantain chip varieties in most well-stocked grocery stores.
If you want more choice, you should get your plantain chips online as there is usually a bigger selection of different brands. And they get delivered to your address, so that’s also convenient.
Nezka Plantain Chips come in a handy container that will help keep these chips nice and fresh for a long time. Buying in bulk is always cheaper than going to smaller Plain Plantain Chips snack packs (which are better for lunch boxes).
Chili Plantain Chips are a nice, mildly spicy plantain chip. These are lovely and are perfect if you want something that’s not overwhelmingly spicy, but still spicy.
Garlic lovers will have to try Garlic Plantain Chips. These are a rather unusual snack and probably not ideal for eating just before a date night – but they are tasty!
If you need help deciding what to try, why not buy a Plantain Chips variety pack?
What Are Plantain Chips Nutrition Facts?
One serving of plain plantain chips equals 1oz / 30g (the size of most snack packs). On average, one serving contains:
- 150 calories
- 8g of fat
- 20g of carbs
- some fiber
- minerals
- vitamins
Plantain chips are a comparably good source of vitamin C, E, K, and some B vitamins. Compared to other chips, this is not that bad. But beware of the savory versions: they can contain quite a lot of Sodium!
Tortilla Chips
What Are Tortilla Chips Ingredients?
Let’s look at the ingredient list of ordinary tortilla chips. Do you expect it to be longer or shorter than that of plantain chips?
Plain, unsalted tortilla chips, while hard to find, contain only corn and vegetable oils. You are more likely to find unsalted tortilla chips that, for some reason, have lime as an ingredient.
The most popular version of tortilla chips is salted, which adds salt as an extra ingredient.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, you have a large number of products like Spicy Sweet Tortilla Chips with ingredient lists like this:
Protein blend (milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate), high oleic sunflower oil, calcium caseinate, corn starch, natural flavors, sugar**, psyllium husk, salt. Contains less than 2% of the following: onion powder, garlic powder, tomato powder, paprika, spice, dried soy sauce (soybeans, salt), vinegar powder, spice extract, chia seed, soluble corn fiber, citric acid, turmeric oleoresin (color), paprika extract (color), yeast extract, stevia sweetener, calcium carbonate, sunflower lecithin. **adds a trivial amount of added sugar.
You are unlikely to find such ingredient lists for plantain chips.
Where Can I Buy Tortilla Chips?
Every grocery store will sell tortilla chips and some nice dips (usually in the same aisle). Big brands like Doritos have a store finder on their website to find the closest store; add your postal code, and the map will show you where to go.
If you want to explore different flavors from many brands, online shopping is a great solution as not every grocery store sells every brand. Some good tortilla chips are:
Garden of Eatin’s Red Hot Blues Corn Tortilla Chips are great if you like spicy chips. They are made with blue corn, are vegan, and have an ingredient list that doesn’t cause you headaches.
If you are after some basic tortilla chips, Amazon’s own brand Happy Belly has a good-sized 20oz bag of Restaurant Tortilla Chips which are great for dipping or creating tasty meals.
Hilo Life has an interesting selection of tortilla chips in their different variety packs. They are tasty, but you want to avoid looking at the ingredient list.
For a bit of a different look, try the Blue Corn Tortillas. They might look a little different, but they are perfect for dipping. They will look great if you are preparing a snacking table with dips.
What Are Tortilla Chips Nutrition Facts?
As with other chips, the nutritional values can vary depending on brand and flavor. As an example, I am using a 30g serving of salted tortilla chips without any additional flavorings. This contains:
- 140 calories
- 6g of fat
- 85 mg of Sodium
- 10g of carbs
- Very small amounts of iron and calcium
Comparison:
Which Has The Better Nutrition Values? Which Is Healthier?
While neither of the two options is good for you, plantain chips are nutritionally better.
While tortilla chips have small amounts of vitamin E, iron, calcium, and selenium, plantain chips have more good stuff, i.e., they contain good amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin B5.
Both contain a lot of fat and are calorie-dense, but plantain chips, on average, contain less sodium, especially if you go for the unsalted versions.
Which is More Affordable?
Let’s look at how these two chips compare regarding their cost. Average prices have been calculated by comparing different brands and retailers.
| Plantain Chips | Tortilla Chips | More Affordable | |
| Plain | $0.60 per oz | $0.32 per oz | Tortilla Chips |
| BBQ | $1.70 per oz | $0.98 per oz | Tortilla Chips |
| Chili | $0.55 per oz | $0.45 per oz | Tortilla Chips |
It is not a big surprise that tortilla chips are more affordable. They are a mainstream product, and more brands are on the market. This means: the pricing needs to be more competitive to attract customers.
The price of plantain might come down in the future. Still, since plantain chips’ production process also includes a bit more manual labor, it is likely that they will only be cheaper than tortilla chips if you buy them in bulk on a good offer.
Which Has The Better Texture?
Tortilla chips are the crunchier option regarding texture. There are also different types of tortilla chips available, e.g., the classic triangle and rolled tortilla chips.
Plantain chips are generally a bit harder and have a very different texture. It is not bad but takes some getting used to. Plantain chips are more like dehydrated crunchy fruit.
Both can’t compare to potato chips – depending on your preference. Tortilla chips are the more satisfying snack experience.
Which Has More Variety?
There is no doubt: there are dozens of different tortilla chip varieties, while plantain chips come in a rather limited range.
Tortilla chips are more suitable for adding loads of flavors. Plantain chips will always be slightly more limited because they have a somewhat sweet base taste (not as sweet as banana chips).
Related Questions
Are Plantain Chips The Same As Banana Chips?
No, plantain is a different fruit. It might look a bit like a banana, but it’s not. A plantain is starchier and not quite as sweet as a banana. While it does taste similar, you wouldn’t want to swap banana for a plantain.
Plantain chips are generally more savory because the base flavor is more neutral. Banana chips are often enjoyed as an unflavored snack because they are sweet enough on their own.
Can I Use Tortilla Wraps To Make Tortilla Chips?
Yes, you can. Simply cut the wraps into pieces – the size and shapes are up to you. Just remember that smaller shapes need to be watched carefully!
Place them on a baking sheet after cutting them (single layers!). Your oven should be preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake for six minutes, then turn them.
Sprinkle them with salt (or any other seasoning), and bake for another six minutes, or until you see them turn golden brown. Don’t let them burn!
Final Thoughts
There is quite a difference in flavor variety, pricing, texture, and uses. Plantain chips usually are not good for cooking and also are not that good for dipping.
However, plantain chips are a slightly healthier snack (you still shouldn’t eat a big bag in one sitting).
In the end, both are tasty snacks. I would go for plantain chips when I feel like savory flavors that are enhanced by a slightly sweet base. When I want something to dip or something very spicy, tortilla chips have the better options.