You Should Think Twice About Eating Chips With Salsa. Here's Why

Let's be honest: Chips and salsa are the perfect flavor combination. There's nothing like biting into warm, salty chips that are loaded with spices, tangy tomatoes, and delicious onions, a.k.a salsa. This popular snack can be found everywhere from Super Bowl parties to Mexican restaurants. According to Statista, U.S. Census data shows over 214 million Americans bought salsa in 2019 alone. That's a lot of tomatoes! Unfortunately, there are some downsides to this chunky tomato and salty treat mixture. 

As you may have guessed, chips and salsa aren't the healthiest option. MyFitnessPal reports that one basket of chips and salsa at a restaurant is a whopping 430 calories. That adds up quickly if you're eating them as a snack before the main entree. Registered dietician Allison Stowell told Women's Day that our yearning for salt is more powerful than our ability to walk away from the chip platter. And although salsa is low in calories, it can lead to overeating because it doesn't fill us up. To curb your hunger, try guacamole or bean dip with multi-grain, low-sodium chips to get more fiber. 

A Michigan-based restaurant named Su Casa Mexican was caught red-handed for reusing uneaten chips and salsa from customers. "My daughter ... was told not to throw away the salsa, chips, etc that come back that 'looked' like they haven't been touched!" Kristie Bowie wrote on Facebook per Food & Wine. "She did not feel comfortable with this so asked the owner if it was true. He said it was true so she put her notice in and worked her shift. The owner belittled my daughter telling her she had no common sense...!"

And if you thought this was an exaggeration, a local news station WWMT went to inspect the eatery and it was completely accurate. The alarming information caused the health department to investigate and cited the restaurant for reusing food. The owner, Egar Suarez, said, "I didn't realize that even if people did not touch them or they were still in the tray, I thought everything was good." Let's hope no other restaurants partake in this disturbing practice.