After we have acquired food habits in family, school, or work/college, and these have reflected on our functioning, and we suddenly want to change them.

In essence, there are so many reasons why we do not want to eat in a certain way anymore and why we desire to alter, to perhaps something different that has an ethical aspect.

In this sense, veganism fulfills this idea. Still, it not an easy task, because, when all of us fall into the circle of the wheel of a particular food, we do not know where to start, what and how to eat and prepare, we doubt the choice of sports and already imagine in advance events that serve great food, and we shake our heads.

This is especially true when it comes to the preferences of some snacks that we still desire, being unaware that some of our favorite food is vegan. Still, it is advisable to look at the ingredients on the label, whatever you buy.

The good news – you can do it – you can switch from one food style to another, and in time, as you learn more and more, you can alter your entire lifestyle.

It is possible to eat delicious and healthy without jeopardizing your vegan diet while looking beautiful and fit.

For many new vegans, snacks are the most problematic part, chips, as the most favorite, even more.

In this category, we see one brand that sticks out – Lays Chips. Is it vegan?

Lays Chips – one of the most popular brands of potato snacks 

This is one company that started its business in the early 30s in the USA, and this data would not be anything special, but we know that this was the time of the Great Depression, where there was so little to eat, no jobs, no money, and no luxury.

It is fascinating to know that this Brand found so many lovers in the period between two wars, in one very challenging time.

Another interesting fact that is related to this Chips is the fact that it was the first-ever snack that had its commercial on air.

At the beginning of the productions, the company had produced just two flavors – Classic and Sour Cream and Onion that remain fan-favorite to this day, regardless of the existence of so many other interesting flavors that show up on the market. The number of flavors on today’s market s over 50!

One of the most exciting and innovative flavors is certainly the Blubbery, but it cannot be bought everywhere in the world, just in certain countries.

Its taste is described as a full flavor, and the marketing slogan you cannot eat just one is right.

Having said all of this, we did not answer the question – is Lays Chips vegan? For this, we must take a look at the ingredient list to make matters clear.

Ingredients

First, we must say that the components of these Chips vary a lot, and knowing that there more than 50 of them, you can imagine how that list would be extended. In this example, we took the simplest version.

Some of the most common elements that are used in the production of Lays Chips, and this case, we take an example of regular Classic Lays Chips are corn, lactose, corn starch, salt, sugar, garlic powder, corn syrup solids, vegetable oil (Corn, Canola, and Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (that is as we all know made out of corn), tomato powder, whey, onion powder, monosodium glutamate, and Dextrose.

As we can see here, we cannot find anything alarming for all vegans out there, and right away, we will tell you that the problem may arise in cases where Lays Chips come with some flavoring.

Are Lays Chips Vegan?

The most straightforward answer that we could give you is this – some of them are and some not.

Some of the choices you can make if you like to enjoy this type of Brand are Deli Style Lays, Limon Lays, and Kettle Cooked Lays Original (along with the kind that has seas salt and black pepper), and then the most famous maybe Bar-b-Que Lays, along with the type that has a smaller amount of salt. In this vegan group, Classic Lays Potato chips are also included.

If you are a vegan, we recommend that you avoid these kinds because they are not vegan – Chile Lemon Lays, Dill Pickle Lays, Cheddar, and Sour Cream lays, Honey BBQ Lays, Kettle Cooked Lays Honey Chipotle and Flamin’ Hot Lays.

The problem is the large variety of chips, not just these brands, as far as their vegan status goes, comes from the fact that it is not about the potato itself, the problem arises when some animal element appears in chip flavorings. It is not easy to see, but it can be an issue.

To notice this in kinds like Cheddar and Sour Cream Lays chips are not hard, because it is you know that you cannot eat dairy, but in some cases like Kettle Cooked Sea Salt and Vinegar it is hard to know that product is not vegan at all.

As you may know or read, there are a few problematic issues when it comes to the production of Lays Potato Chips – it is made by one of the largest corporations in the world, and such a massive production has its rules that often do not comply with veganism.

In the first place, there is a matter of usage of palm oil, as all large companies do, and PepsiCo, also uses it, in large quantities because it has some properties that suit large manufactures, it is cheap with amazing traits(it can sustain extremely high temperatures, it does not burn, etc., perfect for frying large quantities of chips).

This company is large, and even the company has stated that they are committed to sustainable production; some say that this is not the case always.

There are many issues that vegans have with palm oil, and it is the reason why they refuse to eat Lays Chips.

Are Lays Chips Healthy?

We all know that the bag of chips is the worst thing that you can eat – by many; it is one of the worst foods that are filled with fat and many calories.

Having one bag of chips a day is the same as drinking 5 liters of oil annually. It is not good for your body, for sure.

It is also a known fact that oil where potatoes are fried often very hot so that the potatoes are crisp, and in this sense, it is even unhealthier version.

Nutrition experts and medical experts say that this is the cause of cancer and numerous cardiovascular diseases, among many other illnesses, like gastritis and obesity. This is especially problematic when it comes to children that are big fans of chips.

Now, the other part that we spoke about here was palm oil, and of course, the frying is never a good idea, but this oil is not “bad” by itself.

Palm oil belongs to vegetable oils. Palm oil is quite different from other types of standard oilseeds because it mainly contains 40-50% of saturated fatty acids, which makes it very stable, and therefore very suitable for processing and frying. This is the type of oil withstands high-temperature conditions, and it is therefore perfect for frying.

It is considered healthy because it is rich in vitamins A and E, contains about 10% linoleic acid, has characteristic organoleptic properties, is difficult to oxidize of and lasts a long time.

It is highly saturated oil, a reddish color that comes from carotene. In addition, it contains antioxidants. If palm oil is combined with some other edible oil, a hybrid can be obtained, which retains the benefits of both ingredients.

So, it is best to use it in any other way but not for frying, but we must say that it gives the perfect crunch to any fried food.

Summary

Lays chips are one of the most famous brands in the world, and they have, as a major brand, numerous products that do not have any animal products, and the company has decided that about the third of their products is vegan, in fact.

As usual, no one can give you just a simple answer to this question – you have to look for the answers because it is not an easy task to look for the background of every product that has been used in the production of Lays Potato Chips.

Like you were able to see, many of the Brand’s products are vegan, if you look at the products themselves, but we must add that some ethical can have an issue regarding the animal and human rights that do not make these products cruelty free. It remains an open question and a relevant matter for all vegans out there.

This is the oil that is mostly used in African and Asian countries, where there is a lot of it; large companies use it because it is cheap and because it is amazing for frying. A problem here is this – environmental problem as well as a human problem.

Ethical vegans say that nowadays, for the production of palm oil, the forest is being cut down so that the production of palm oil becomes larger. We do not have to mention to you how much damage this causes – climate changes and everything in between.

Also, it is said that this production and cutting forests endanger numerous animals. Another issue here is that large companies use cheap labor to make as many products as possible.

In the end, as we always like to point out – you are the one that makes choices, the only thing to do is to be well informed about what you eat, even if snacks are in question.

If you are not sure, and you opt for a healthier version that is vegan – try making your own batch of chips, and you do not have to stick only to potatoes, you can make chips from so many other vegetables and even fruits.

They can be made with little or no fat at all.