Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: Multigrain Tostitos

Who doesn't love to munch on chips every now and then?

Unfortunately, most brands pack in quite a caloric punch, largely due to the oil they fry their chips in.

Food companies are aware of this undesirable trait and always looking to market a not-so-nutritious item as one that will please the health-conscious snacker.

Enter multigrain Tostitos.

On paper, the concept is eye-catching -- four whole grains in one chip!

A look at the ingredient list identifies them: whole oat flour, whole buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour, and buckwheat fiber.

So what's the problem?

These four whole grains are at the end of the list. In other words, there's not that much of them.

In fact, sugar is the third ingredient on the ingredient list, and each serving of multigran Tostitos only contains one gram of sugar.

So you can bet that any ingredient that appears after sugar barely registers.

Despite all these all-star grains, each serving musters up a mere two grams of fiber.

Additionally, the second ingredient is corn oil.

It's not a surprise, given that just one ounce of these chips contains eight grams of fat -- just as much as regular potato chips.

In fact, you would need two servings (300 calories!) to add just four grams of fiber to your diet. A half cup of raspberries offers just as much fiber in a 32 calorie package!

Do corn chips have a place in our diet? Of course -- that's what discretionary calories are for.

However, think of them and potato chips as fraternal twins -- not identical, but VERY similar.

A sprinkling of whole wheat flour does not turn them into a health food that can be enjoyed in large quantities.