What Oil Is in Boulder Canyon vs Kettle Chips? Avocado

Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Classic Sea Salt chips use avocado oil, while Kettle Brand Sea Salt chips use canola, sunflower and/or safflower oil. Both list just three ingredients: potatoes, an oil and sea salt, per the Boulder Canyon product page and the Kettle Brand product page.

TL;DR: Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Classic Sea Salt and Kettle Brand Sea Salt chips tie on calories and total fat, with 150 calories and 9 g of fat per 1 oz on each label. The oils differ, and the labels differ on saturated fat, sodium, protein, potassium and fiber in different directions. The label facts do not show that either bag is healthier.

Key takeaways

• Per 1 oz (about 14 chips for Boulder Canyon, about 13 for Kettle Brand), calories and total fat match at 150 and 9 g.
• Boulder Canyon lists potatoes, avocado oil and sea salt. Kettle Brand lists potatoes, vegetable oils (canola, sunflower and/or safflower) and sea salt.
• Boulder Canyon is higher on saturated fat (1.5 g vs 1 g), sodium (120 mg vs 110 mg), protein (3 g vs 2 g) and potassium (450 mg vs 330 mg). Kettle Brand is higher on fiber (2 g vs 1 g).
• Both labels list 5% Daily Value for sodium, measured against the FDA reference of less than 2,300 mg per day.

The table below puts the per-ounce values side by side.

Per 1 oz	Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Classic Sea Salt	Kettle Brand Sea Salt
Serving size	1 oz (about 14 chips)	1 oz (about 13 chips)
Calories	150	150
Total fat	9 g (12% DV)	9 g (12% DV)
Saturated fat	1.5 g (7% DV)	1 g (5% DV)
Sodium	120 mg (5% DV)	110 mg (5% DV)
Total carbohydrate	16 g (6% DV)	15 g (5% DV)
Dietary fiber	1 g (5% DV)	2 g (7% DV)
Total sugars / added sugars	0 g / 0 g	0 g / 0 g
Protein	3 g	2 g
Potassium	450 mg (10% DV)	330 mg (8% DV)
Oil listed	Avocado oil	Canola, sunflower and/or safflower oil

Which Oil Is in Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil vs Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips?

Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Classic Sea Salt uses avocado oil as its only listed added oil. Kettle Brand Sea Salt uses a blend of canola, sunflower and/or safflower oil, which its brand page names as vegetable oils.

Boulder Canyon's brand page describes its chips as made with three natural ingredients: potatoes, avocado oil and sea salt. The Open Food Facts label photo for UPC 0708163260933 lists POTATOES, AVOCADO OIL, SEA SALT.

Kettle Brand's brand page lists potatoes, vegetable oils (canola, sunflower and/or safflower) and sea salt. The Open Food Facts entry for UPC 0084114032164 words the oil as safflower and/or sunflower and/or canola oil, so the order differs slightly between sources. The ratio of the three oils was not disclosed.

What oil does Kettle Brand use?

Kettle Brand's Sea Salt chips use vegetable oils, named on the brand page as canola, sunflower and/or safflower. The label facts do not say which of the three is used in a given bag or in what proportion.

The only fatty-acid detail on either label is the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated grams. Boulder Canyon lists 1 g polyunsaturated and 6 g monounsaturated fat per 1 oz. Kettle Brand lists 1 g polyunsaturated and 7 g monounsaturated. A fuller fatty-acid profile and the refining process for either oil are not disclosed.

For another seed-oil label question, see Does Simple Mills Have Seed Oil? Yes, Like Wheat Thins.

How Much Sodium Is in Boulder Canyon vs Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips per 1 oz?

Boulder Canyon lists 120 mg of sodium per 1 oz (5% Daily Value), and Kettle Brand lists 110 mg (5% Daily Value). The FDA Daily Value reference for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day, as described on FDA's Daily Value page.

Serving size changes how the numbers add up. Boulder Canyon's 1 oz is about 14 chips, and the container is listed at 22 servings. Kettle Brand's 1 oz is about 13 chips, and its label lists about 8 servings per container. Eating more than one ounce means proportionally more sodium from either bag.

FDA's general sodium information is on its Sodium in Your Diet page.

For a sodium comparison involving a different snack, see Which Has More Sodium, Goldfish or Annie's Bunnies?. This comparison describes the label only and is not individual dietary advice.

How Much Saturated Fat Is in Boulder Canyon vs Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips per 1 oz?

Boulder Canyon lists 1.5 g of saturated fat per 1 oz (7% Daily Value), and Kettle Brand lists 1 g (5% Daily Value). Both labels show 9 g total fat, 0 g trans fat and 0 mg cholesterol.

Saturated fat is one of the lines where the two labels differ, by 0.5 g per ounce.

How Much Fiber Is in Boulder Canyon vs Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips per 1 oz?

Kettle Brand lists 2 g of dietary fiber per 1 oz (about 13 chips, 7% Daily Value), and Boulder Canyon lists 1 g (about 14 chips, 5% Daily Value). Total carbohydrate is 15 g for Kettle Brand and 16 g for Boulder Canyon, and both list 0 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars.

Fiber is the one nutrient on this comparison where Kettle Brand is higher. The Nutrition Facts panels give only the total fiber amount, not its source, and the label does not break down fiber by ingredient.

How Much Protein Is in Boulder Canyon vs Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips per 1 oz?

Boulder Canyon lists 3 g of protein per 1 oz, and Kettle Brand lists 2 g. Potassium is 450 mg (10% Daily Value) for Boulder Canyon and 330 mg (8% Daily Value) for Kettle Brand.

The Boulder Canyon label also lists calcium 10 mg (0%), iron 0.5 mg (2%) and vitamin D 0.1 mcg (0%). Kettle Brand lists calcium 0 mg (0%), iron 0.4 mg (2%) and vitamin D 0 mcg (0%).

Are Boulder Canyon Chips Healthier Than Kettle Brand Chips? Side-by-Side Facts

The label facts do not establish that either bag is healthier, because the two tie on calories and total fat and differ on several other lines in different directions.

Boulder Canyon is higher on saturated fat, sodium, protein, potassium and total carbohydrate. Kettle Brand is higher on fiber. Whether any of these differences matters depends on the person, their overall diet and their health needs, which a label cannot assess.

Is Boulder Canyon healthier than Kettle Brand?

The label facts do not show that either chip is healthier, since each bag leads on different nutrients. Boulder Canyon's per-ounce values are higher for saturated fat and sodium, and Kettle Brand's are higher for fiber.

Are Boulder Canyon Chips Healthy?

Per 1 oz, the Boulder Canyon label shows three ingredients, 150 calories, 0 g added sugars and 0 g trans fat. The label does not include a health rating for these chips.

These values describe one serving and cannot show how any individual responds to fat, sodium or fiber. The label does not address medical conditions, so it cannot say how these chips fit into the diet of someone with a specific condition.

Are Boulder Canyon Chips Healthier Than Lay's?

Whether Boulder Canyon chips are healthier than Lay's is not answerable from the label facts available here, because this article includes no Lay's figures. A label can show per-ounce values, but it cannot by itself establish whether a snack is healthy for a given person.

To make that comparison, read the Nutrition Facts panel per 1 oz on both packages and compare the same lines in the same units.

What Is Not Disclosed About These Chips?

The following are not disclosed on either product's label or brand page:

• A fatty-acid profile of either oil beyond the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated grams on the label.
• Whether Boulder Canyon's avocado oil is refined or tested for purity.
• Acrylamide levels in either product.
• Non-GMO or gluten-free certification status.
• Price per ounce.
• Frying temperature or other 'kettle' process details.

For another seed-oil label question, see Does SkinnyPop Have Seed Oils? Yes; LesserEvil Uses Coconut.

What Does Natural Mean on Boulder Canyon's Label?

FDA has not formally defined 'natural,' but its longstanding policy considers it to mean 'nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food' (see FDA's page on the term natural). Boulder Canyon's 'three natural ingredients' wording is the brand's own phrasing, and the label facts do not describe how its oil is processed.

What Should You Check on a Bag of Kettle Chips?

Check five lines on either bag: serving size, sodium, saturated fat, the oil name and what the label leaves out. The labels differ in different directions, so neither bag leads on every line.

• Check the serving size and chips per serving (about 14 for Boulder Canyon, about 13 for Kettle Brand).
• Compare sodium in milligrams and as % Daily Value, against the FDA reference of less than 2,300 mg per day.
• Compare saturated fat in grams, since the two labels differ by 0.5 g per ounce.
• Read the oil name in the ingredient list: avocado oil on one, canola, sunflower and/or safflower on the other.
• Note what the label does not show, including refining method, the oil ratio and any fatty-acid breakdown beyond the poly- and monounsaturated grams.

Labels show what is printed on one package. They cannot show how a given person responds to fat, sodium or fiber, and they do not address people with specific medical conditions.