Everyone loves the crunchy and salty taste of tortilla chips. They are a great snack and fun to have around for football games, but are they gluten-free?
Yes, Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips are gluten-free, according to Frito Lay’s official website. Most Tostitos varieties are gluten-free, but some are subject to cross-contamination during manufacturing. If you are looking for healthier alternatives, try Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips Nacho, Thrive Market Grain Free Tortilla Chips Sea Salt, or Real Coconut Grain Free Tortilla Chips.
Keep reading for more info about Tostitos, including nutritional facts, ingredients, and some healthier alternatives.
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History of Tortilla Chips
Corn tortillas were first created by the indigenous people of Mesoamerican around 2500 BC. They realized that combining maize, water, and lime produced a softer dough in a process known as nixtamalization. The ancient inhabitants of Mesoamerican soaked maize kernels in an alkaline solution for a day before cooking them with lime-infused hot water to remove the outer shell. They ground nixtamal into masa, which they could either dry or keep moist for dough. Finally, they cooked each tortilla on heated stones using a golf ball size scoop of dough.
The Latin root for twisted bread is the source of the word tortilla. The Spanish term “torta” means cake, with “illa” added to designate a feminine version. The tortilla business was already well developed by the 19th century, and the combination of native and European cuisines established Mexico’s first cosmopolitan cuisine. Tortillas began their illustrious street food career when they were made in bulk and wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to retain heat and moisture.
With the creation and implementation of tortilla chips in the 20th century, tortillas achieved worldwide prominence. Rebecca Webb Carranza is widely credited with inventing and introducing tortilla chips to the world. In mid-1940s Los Angeles, she came up with the idea for a party snack: she cut a batch of misshapen tortillas into triangles and fried them on a hot skillet. Soon after, she and her husband began packaging and selling these homemade tortilla chips for a dime each bag.
Tortilla chips, which were initially tort chips, became an overnight sensation and have only increased the desire for chips since then. They’ve now been exported to over 100 countries worldwide, where they’re popularly consumed in Mexico, Tex-Mex, and Mexicali cuisine. Today’s tortilla chips come in a variety of flavors and colors.
Are These Tostitos Gluten-Free?
Are Tostitos Scoops Gluten-Free?
Yes, Scoops! Tortilla Chips are among the many gluten-free options that Tostitos makes. Other gluten-free options include Original Tostitos, Baked Scoops!, Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips, Cantina Thin & Crispy Tortilla Chips, Cantina Traditional Tortilla Chips, Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips, Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips, Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips, Reduced Fat Crispy Rounds Tortilla Chips, Scoops! Tortilla Chips, Simply Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Simply Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips, Strips Tortilla Chips,
and Thick & Hearty Rounds Tortilla Chips.
Are Tostitos Hint Of Lime Gluten-Free?
While Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips contains no gluten ingredients, they manufacture them on some of the same lines as products that do contain it. Tostitos notes that if you have Celiac or an allergy/sensitivity towards gluten, this may lead to a reaction from their product.
Tostitos Nutritional Facts and Ingredients
Tostitos Original Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Original Tortilla Chips are gluten-free and contain no artificial ingredients or preservatives. They are made with only three ingredients.
Ingredients:
- Corn
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil)
- Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 140 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 115 mg Sodium
- 19 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Tostitos Scoops!
Scoops! are the same as the original Tostitos, except they are shaped like a mini chip bowl making them gluten-free as well.
Ingredients:
- Corn
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil)
- Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 140 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 120 mg Sodium
- 19 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Tostitos Hint Of Lime
The Hint of Lime variety of Tostitos Tortilla chips is not made with any products containing gluten. With that said, if you have a severe gluten allergy, it would be best if you avoided this variety. Frito Lay uses the same machinery to produce the Hint of Lime chips as it does other chips that do have gluten. Keep this in mind if you don’t feel well after eating these.
Ingredients:
- Corn
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil)
- Maltodextrin (made from Corn)
- Salt
- Sugar
- Natural Flavors (including natural lime flavor)
- Dextrose
- Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk)
- Corn Bran
- Whey
- Spice
- Yeast Extract
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 150 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 125 mg Sodium
- 18 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- <1 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Tostitos Baked Scoops!
Suppose you are looking for an option with less fat. Tostitos makes a baked version of their Scoops! Chips. They have 50% less fat than the originals and are also gluten-free.
Ingredients:
- Whole Corn
- Corn
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil)
- Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 1 ounce serving):
- 120 Calories
- 3 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 140 mg Sodium
- 22 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Healthier Alternatives to Tostitos Chips
Even though there are worse snacks out there than tortilla chips, why not try a healthier alternative?
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips Nacho
These gluten and grain-free tortilla chips are seasoned with a dairy-free blend to give them some extra flavor. In addition to being grain-free, they are dairy-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan friendly.
Ingredients:
- Cassava Flour
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Flour
- Nutritional Yeast
- Tomato Powder
- Chia Seed
- Sea Salt
- Citric Acid
- Garlic Powder
- Jalapeno Powder
- Onion Powder
- Serrano Powder
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 130 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 150 mg Sodium
- 19 g Total Carbohydrates
- 3 g Dietary Fiber
- 1 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips Sea Salt
If you are looking for a basic tortilla chip, these will do the trick. Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips are gluten-free, non-GMO, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan.
Ingredients:
- Cassava Flour
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Flour
- Ground Chia Seed
- Sea Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 130 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 150 mg Sodium
- 19 g Total Carbohydrates
- 3 g Dietary Fiber
- 1 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Thrive Market Grain Free Tortilla Chips Sea Salt
Another great alternative to Tostitos is the grain-free chips made by Thrive Market. They are Certified Gluten-Free, Vegan, Paleo, Dairy-Free with no added sugars or preservatives.
Ingredients:
- Cassava Flour
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Flour
- Chia Seeds
- Sea Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 140 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 120 mg Sodium
- 20 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Real Coconut Grain Free Tortilla Chips
The Real Coconut makes a version of tortilla chips that are made with coconut flour. They are another great option as they are gluten and grain-free.
Ingredients:
- Organic Coconut Flour
- Organic Cassava Starch
- Organic Coconut Oil
- Xanthan Gum
- Kosher Salt
- Himalayan Pink Salt
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 140 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 120 mg Sodium
- 20 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 0 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
From The Ground Up Cauliflower Tortilla Chips
If you are looking for a plant-based tortilla chip, For The Ground Up makes a cauliflower-based chip. It seems like cauliflower is in everything these days, and tortilla chips are no exception.
Ingredients:
- Cassava
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Cauliflower
- Chia Seed
- Sea Salt, Vegetable Blend
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Celery Seed
Nutritional Facts (Per 28 g Serving):
- 130 Calories
- 6 g Total Fat
- 5 g Saturated Fat
- 0g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 135 mg Sodium
- 19 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 1 g Sugars
- 0 g Protein
Related Questions
Are Tostitos Bad For You?
Tostitos chips are a great snack if you’re looking for something that doesn’t have any preservatives, isn’t full of artificial flavors, or is high in fat. Their three ingredients make them tasty, but they also have 140 calories per serving, and are carb-heavy with 18 grams of net carbs! They are also higher in sodium than other snacks with the same amount of calories.
Are Tostitos Vegan-Friendly?
Tostitos only contain corn, oil, and salt, making them ok for those on a vegan diet. Just keep an eye out for the flavored Tostitos as some of them contain sour cream and other dairy products making them.
Are Tostitos Fried?
The original Tostitos tortilla chips are fried. If you are looking for a chip that isn’t, Tostitos also has a Baked variety of tortilla chips. The Baked chips are also lower in fat than the originals.