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Plant

Plain (fritos) corn chips

USDA description: Corn chips, plain (Fritos)

How plain (fritos) corn chips scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.

Food Index score

Plain (fritos) corn chipsExcellent

80/ 100
0100
Based on a well-supported purine estimate
What moved this score
Starting score100
Calorie Density-10
Saturated Fat-6.5
Sodium-5.9
Fiber+2.5
Nutrient Gaps-2
Magnesium+1.8
3 smaller factors-0.3
Final score80
Flare risk (acute)100
Long-term (chronic)80

Plain (fritos) corn chips scores 80 out of 100 and sits in the excellent band. Among the lower-risk choices for most people with gout, and often carries protective nutrients.

Penalties took 24.9 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 4.5 back. Every factor is listed in full below.

Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.

The underlying data

Nutrition and portions

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per 100 g
Typical serving45 g
Calories539
  • Total Fat33.4 g
  • Saturated Fat4.3 g
  • Sodium514 mg
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Total Sugars0.27 g
  • Protein6.2 g
  • Calcium138 mg
  • Iron1.2 mg
  • Magnesium72 mg
  • Vitamin C0 mg
  • Folate8 ug
  • Water1.1 g
  • Alcohol0 g
  • Omega-3 EPA0.01 g
  • Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

  • 1 chip1 g
  • 1 small single serving bag28 g
  • 1 medium single serving bag57 g
  • 1 large single serving bag85 g
  • 1 100 calorie package20 g
  • 1 cuptypical45 g
  • Quantity not specified45 g

Where the purine figure comes from

No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (tortilla, corn, other chips).

We rate this a good confidence estimate.

How purines affect the score →

Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.

Scoring rationale

Every factor, in full

Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.

PointsFactor
  • -10

    Calorie DensityLong-term

    539 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.

    Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr

  • -6.5

    Saturated FatLong-term

    4.33 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.

    Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol

  • -5.9

    SodiumLong-term

    514 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.

    Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res

  • +2.5

    FiberLong-term

    4 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.

    Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol

  • -2

    Nutrient GapsLong-term

    Provides meaningful amounts of only 4 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).

    Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol

  • +1.8

    MagnesiumLong-term

    72 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.

    Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ

  • -0.5

    Purine LoadFlare risk

    10 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 0.45x as a plant source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 5 mg effective.

    Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis

  • +0.1

    Omega-3 (EPA+DHA)Flare risk

    0.010 g of EPA and DHA omega-3 per 100 g, with no portion adjustment. Omega-3 is linked to fewer recurrent flares.

    Evidence: Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol

  • +0.1

    FolateLong-term

    8 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.

    Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr

Common questions

About plain (fritos) corn chips

Look up any food's Food Index score

Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.

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