Bugles corn chips are the ultimate party food. They’re crunchy, salty with a light texture that makes them excellent finger-food snacks. But, are they gluten-free?
Bugles are gluten-free from a dietary standpoint, as they contain corn rather than wheat or gluten. However, Bugles are not certified gluten-free. Additionally, flavored Bugles varieties may contain wheat used mainly in flavorings. The best gluten-free and healthier alternatives to Bugles are Thrive Market Grain-Free Nacho Puffs, Pulp Pantry Spicy Barbecue Chips, and Snacklins Nacho Plant Crisps.
If you love Bugles, but are gluten-sensitive, no worries! In this article, we’ll explore the ingredients in several varieties of Bugles corn chips and some alternatives to Bugles that are healthy and gluten-free. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Why should food be certified gluten-free?
Food that is certified gluten-free has been tested and approved to contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten proteins. Companies that are certified also prevent cross-contamination by using equipment that doesn’t process wheat products. While many foods that are not certified gluten-free may have no gluten ingredients and may be safe to eat for gluten-sensitive people, if a food is certified it is guaranteed gluten-free.
General Mills made Bugles in the 1960’s
Bugles are a corn chip-style snack that is now made by the company Tom’s Snacks under a license from General Mills. But, the snack was originally introduced to consumers in 1966 in a blitz of uniquely-shaped snacks that were released by the company that year. GM also unveiled cheese-dusted corn chips shaped like whistles and popcorn-flavored chip snacks shaped like bows in the same year.
Are Bugles Healthy?
Bugles Original corn chips don’t have very many ingredients. They’re basically processed corn meal with a few other ingredients, but they are heavily processed and contain the chemical preservative BHT. They also contain 14% of your daily recommended sodium in one serving and are high in saturated fat.
Bugles Nutritional Information
Bugles Original Flavor Corn Chips
These corn chips have a distinct cone shape that sets them apart from other snacks and have a salty taste and a light, crispy texture.
Ingredients:
- Degermed Yellow Corn Meal
- Coconut Oil
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Freshness Preserved by BHT
Nutrition Facts (per 30 g. serving):
- Calories – 160
- Total Carbohydrates – 18 g
- Total Fat – 9 g / 12%
- Sodium – 320 mg / 14%
- Dietary Fiber – < 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 2 g
- Protein – 1 g
Bugles Nacho Cheese Flavor Corn Chips
This variety of Bugles has a cheesy, salty taste with a bit of a kick and the same light texture as the original flavor. The label indicates they contain milk ingredients and may contain wheat.
Ingredients:
- Degermed Yellow Corn Meal
- Coconut Meal and/or Palm Kernel Oil
- Sugar
- Maltodextrin
- Salt
- Monoglycerides
- Baking Soda
- Dried Buttermilk
- Monosodium Glutimate
- Dried Whey
- Reduced Lactose Whey
- Dried onion
- Tomato Powder
- Natural and Artificial Flavor
- Dried Garlic
- Citric Acid
- Dried Cheddar Cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes)
- Spice
- Paprika Extract
- Disodium Inosinate
- Disodium Guanylate
- Dried Enzyme
- Disodium Phosphate
- Artificial Color
- Freshness preserved by BHT
Nutrition Facts (per 30 g. serving):
- Calories – 150
- Total Carbohydrates – 19 g
- Total Fat – 8 g / 12%
- Sodium – 320 mg / 14%
- Dietary Fiber – < 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 2 g
- Protein – 2 g
Bugles Caramel Flavor Corn Chips
Salty meets sweet with these easy-to-eat snacks, which contain more sugar than the some of the other Bugles varieties. They contain no wheat ingredients but aren’t certified gluten-free. Bugles Caramel corn chips do contain dairy ingredients, coconut and soy.
Ingredients:
- Degermed Yellow Corn Meal
- Sugar
- Coconut Oil
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
- Soy Lecithin
- Salt
- Molasses
- Distilled Monoglycerides
- Natural Flavor
- Baking Soda
- Lactic Acid
Nutrition Facts (per 30 g. serving):
- Calories – 160
- Total Carbohydrates – 18 g
- Total Fat – 9 g / 12%
- Sodium – 180 mg / 14%
- Dietary Fiber – 0 g / 0%
- Sugars – 10 g
- Protein – < 1 g
Healthy Gluten Free Alternatives
PopChips Aged White Cheddar
There are dozens of flavors of PopChips and all of them are certified gluten-free. The PopChips Aged White Cheddar flavor is saturated with cheese dust and contains milk.
Ingredients:
- Potato
- Sunflower Oil
- Rice Flour
- Potato Starch
- Whey
- Milk Cultures
- Salt
- Enzymes
- Buttermilk Powder
- Natural Flavor
- Lactic Acid
- Citric Acid
Nutrition Facts (per 22 g. serving):
- Calories – 160
- Total Carbohydrates – 19 g
- Total Fat – 4.5 g / 6%
- Sodium – 160 mg / 7%
- Dietary Fiber – 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 2 g
- Protein – 2 g
Snacklins Nacho Plant Crisps
These chips are plant-based, certified vegan and gluten-free and are seasoned with nutritional yeast, giving them a cheesy taste.
Ingredients:
- Yuca
- Mushroom
- Sunflower Oil
- Nacho (Nutritional Yeast, Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Organic Flavor, Lactic Acid)
- Spice
- Onion
- Sea Salt
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 90
- Total Carbohydrates – 15 g
- Total Fat – 4 g / 5%
- Sodium – 110 mg / 5%
- Dietary Fiber – 0 g / 0%
- Sugars – 0 g
- Protein – 1 g
Wilde Himalayan Pink Salt Chicken Chips
High protein and crispy, these chicken-flavored chips are certified gluten-free. They use Himalayan and sea salt, along with whole-food ingredients for seasoning.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Breast
- Tapioca Starch
- Expeller pressed High Oleic Sunflower Oil
- Dried Egg Whites
- Tapioca Syrup Solids
- Chicken Broth
- Himalayan Pink Salt
- Sea Salt
- Rosemary Extract
- Citric Acid
- White Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Nutrition Facts (per 30 g. serving):
- Calories – 160
- Total Carbohydrates – 8 g
- Total Fat – 10 g / 15%
- Sodium – 240 mg / 10%
- Dietary Fiber – 0 g / 0%
- Sugars – 0 g
- Protein – 10 g
Pulp Pantry Spicy Barbecue Chips
Certified gluten-free, vegan, grain free, these zesty and crunchy chips do contain soy. They also contain a variety of leafy green vegetables, seeds and other nutrient-dense plant ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Organic Vegetable Blend (Romaine, Spinach, Kale, Collards, Green Leaf, Green Chard, Spring Mix, Arugula, Cucumber Parsley, Celery and/or Fennel)
- Sunflower Oil
- Cassava Flour
- Tapioca Flour
- Okra Flour
- Non-GMO White Vinegar
- Chia Seeds
- Non-GMO Barbecue Seasoning (Salt, Dehydrated Lucuma Fruit, Tomato Powder, Chipotle Powder, Spice, Dehydrated Onion, Dehydrated Garlic, Flavors)
Nutrition Facts (per 20 g. serving):
- Calories – 170
- Total Carbohydrates – 17 g
- Total Fat – 11 g / 15%
- Sodium – 210 mg / 9%
- Dietary Fiber – 0 g / 0%
- Sugars – 0 g
- Protein – 2 g
Thrive Market Grain-Free Vegan Nacho Puffs
These cheese-dusted and crunchy puff bites are certified gluten—free, certified vegan, Non-GMO and grain-free. They have a zesty flavor with the addition of their Vegan Nacho Seasoning.
Ingredients:
- Cassava Flour
- Navy Bean Meal
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Vegan Nacho Seasoning (Maltodextrin, Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Sugar, Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Green Bell Pepper Powder, Paprika, Spices, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, White Distilled Vinegar, Jalapeno Powder)
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 130
- Total Carbohydrates – 15 g
- Total Fat – 0 g / 15%
- Sodium – 270 mg / 10%
- Dietary Fiber – 2 g / 7%
- Sugars – 1 g
- Protein – 2 g
Other Gluten-Free Alternatives
Fritos Original Corn Chips
These corn chips are salty with a light, crispy texture and there you can eat 32 chips in one serving size. They are on Frito-Lay’s list of certified gluten-free products and contain no wheat ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Corn
- Corn Oil
- Salt
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 160
- Total Carbohydrates – 16 g
- Total Fat – 10 g / 12%
- Sodium – 170 mg / 7%
- Dietary Fiber – 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 0 g
- Protein – 2 g
Cheetos Baked Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks
These baked chips are low in fat and high in flavor. They are certified gluten-free, but do contain milk Ingredients. Cheetos Baked Crunchy Cheese chips are part of Frito-Lay’s certified gluten-free line.
Ingredients:
- Enriched Corn Meal
- Vegetable Oil
- Whey
- Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt Enzymes)
- Maltodextrin (made from corn)
- Natural and Artificial Flavors
- Salt
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Lactic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Artificial Color
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 140
- Total Carbohydrates – 20 g
- Total Fat – 5 g / 4%
- Sodium – 240 mg / 10%
- Dietary Fiber – < 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 1 g
- Protein – 2 g
Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ Flavored Potato Chips
Ruffles has several flavors of chips that are gluten-free, including the Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ chips. These are part of the Frito-Lay certified gluten-free line, but they do contain milk.
Ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn and/or Canola Oil)
- Maltodextrin (made from corn)
- Salt
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Yeast Extract
- Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Artificial Color
- Potassium Chloride
- Sodium Diacetate
- Natural Flavors
- Garlic Powder
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 150
- Total Carbohydrates – 16 g
- Total Fat – 9 g / 7%
- Sodium – 200 mg / 9%
- Dietary Fiber – 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 1 g
- Protein – 2 g
LAY’S Baked Original Potato Crisps
These chips are certified gluten-free and contain soy.
Ingredients:
- Dried Potatoes
- Corn Starch
- Corn Oil
- Sugar
- Sea Salt
- Soy Lecithin
- Dextrose
- Annatto Extracts
Nutrition Facts (per 28 g. serving):
- Calories – 120
- Total Carbohydrates – 22 g
- Total Fat – 3.5 g / 4%
- Sodium – 160 mg / 7%
- Dietary Fiber – 1 g / 0%
- Sugars – 2 g
- Protein – 2 g
Related Questions
Are Bugles vegan?
The Original Bugles flavor is vegan and contains no animal-based ingredients. Other flavors of Bugles are not vegan because they contain milk ingredients like whey.
Are Bugles kosher?
All sizes and flavors of Bugles are not certified kosher anymore. The manufacturer, General Mills, discontinued the certification in 2011 after changes at production facilities. Some of the Bugles varieties were certified kosher, prior to 2001, but not all of them.
Are there allergens in Bugles?
Bugles corn chips may contain milk and wheat and are processed in a facility that could expose them to other allergens, like nuts. If a product is cross-contaminated with an allergen, it could contain trace amounts of that allergen.
Are there harmful chemicals in Bugles?
Most Bugles flavors contain the preservative BHT, which has been shown to have antioxidant properties in small quantities. Some studies indicate a potential to cause cancer.
Are Bugles high in salt?
Bugles Original flavor contains 320 mg of sodium – that’s 14% of your daily sodium recommendation in one serving.