Are Quest Chips Keto Friendly?

Are you hungry but your next keto meal is a few hours away? Well, who said you’re not allowed to snack on the ketogenic diet?

While you shouldn’t snack every day, there’s no need to feel guilty about munching on some chips. After all, there are many store-bought low-carb chips that you can try, such as Quest!

So, are Quest Chips keto-friendly? 

We look at what’s in Quest Chips, how many carbs they have, and find some other keto-friendly chips you can try. 

What Are Quest Chips?

Quest Chips are one of the newest products from Quest, a popular, low-carb snack brand. 

Aside from these protein chips, they also offer protein bars, cookies, and other treats.

Quest Chips come in an array of flavors in both a tortilla or an original style of chip.

Quest Nutrition was ranked number two on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing US companies in 2014. In its first three years, Quest grew by 57000% and reached revenues of $82.6 million.

In 2015, it was acquired by Simply Good Foods Co. for $1 billion. As a billion-dollar company, Quest started as a homemade protein bar product that became popular among fitness enthusiasts.

Quest is especially popular among younger, urban consumers who are into low-carb lifestyles like keto. 

Quest Chips Nutrition

Here’s a breakdown of Quest Protein Chips’ nutritional value.

Protein

Quest Protein Chips contain 19g of protein per serve, which is high enough to help with muscle growth and repair.

The very first ingredient in the Quest Chips is their protein blend. This includes milk isolate and whey protein isolate.

Milk isolate is the substance that comes from the removal of non-protein constituents of skim milk.

On the other hand, when milk is processed to form cheese or yogurt, the liquid byproduct is called whey. Then, it undergoes several processing steps to increase the protein.

Whey protein isolate has a lower carb content than whey protein concentrate.

Fats

Fat is the most important nutrient on the keto diet. Quest Protein Chips do not contain enough fats to give you any real benefits.

They contain a total of 4.5g of fats, 0.5g of which are saturated fats. 

Saturated fats are found in animal products like milk, cheese, and meat. It’s also found in tropical oils, like MCT oil and palm oil.

Make sure to consume other high-quality fats to keep you in ketosis.

Vitamins and Minerals

Quest Chips do not contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. They have 300mg sodium and 0.3mg of iron.

They also contain 160mg of calcium, which is 15% of the daily recommended value. 

Quest Chips Carb Content

A serving of Quest Protein Chips has around 140 calories, 5g total carbs and 1.5 to 4 grams of net carbs, making it a good low-carb snack.

Net carbs are computed by subtracting the sugar alcohols and dietary fiber from the total carbs. The fiber content of Quest Chips is 1g, so be sure to consume other fiber-rich foods while on keto to maintain good gut health.

Here’s how many grams of net carbs each flavor of Quest Protein Chips contains:

• BBQ: 2g net carbs
• Cheddar & Sour Cream: 3g net carbs
• Ranch Tortilla Style: 4g net carbs
• Nacho Cheese Tortilla Style: 4g net carbs
• Sour Cream & Onion: 3g net carbs  
• Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Style: 4g net carbs
• Chili Lime Tortilla Style: 3g net carbs
• Loaded Taco Tortilla Style: 4g net carbs.

All the flavors have 0-1g sugar, and they do not use artificial sweeteners. Most people aren’t looking for sweet chips anyway.

On the keto diet, your daily carb limit is around 25-50g, so one bag of chips won’t affect your ketosis. 

Most of the carbs in Quest Chips come from the dried potatoes and corn starch. These make up the base of the chip and are the same for all the flavors. 

Are Quest Chips Keto-Friendly?

A keto or low-carb diet provides several benefits, especially for people who want to control their blood sugar or lose weight. The keto diet also eliminates carb cravings.

When we’re on keto, we often restrict sweets that we forget starchy foods that are also carb-heavy. We eat too much rice and chips until we realize that we are out of ketosis.

Thankfully, you can enjoy these salty and savory chips on the keto diet without feeling guilty.  

Quest Protein Chips are keto-friendly because they are low in carbs yet high in protein. 

Quest Chips, however, do not contain enough vitamins or minerals, which we shouldn’t expect from most chips anyway.

Another downside to Quest Protein Chips is that they’re easy to overeat. Make sure you have extra willpower to limit overeating. Otherwise, you may get kicked out of ketosis.

Remember to eat only one pack when you’re craving and don’t do it every day!

Maximize your daily macro intake by eating healthy, low-carb whole foods.

Quest Protein Chips vs. Lay’s

Lay’s is the most popular potato chips brand out there, so it’s great to compare its nutritional value with Quest to see if Quest is really a better option for keto.

Not surprisingly, Quest Protein Chips have a much better nutritional profile. While Quest chips have a total of 5g of carbs for 140 calories, Lay’s has a total of 15g carbs for a 160-calorie serving.

Lay’s may be a bit higher in fat, but only has 2g of protein. 

Overall, Quest Protein Chips are lower in carbs and more nutrient-dense than Lay’s. 

Taste-wise, many still prefer Lay’s, which is why some people do not feel satisfied with low-carb chips despite them being high in protein. 

Other Keto-Friendly Chips

Looking for other keto-friendly chips for when you’re craving a salty snack? Here are other store-bought and homemade options for you.

Genius Gourmet Protein Keto Chips

Genius Gourmet Protein Chips come in similar flavors as Quest Chips. These include:

• BBQ
• Chili Lime
• Ranch 
• Spicy Nacho.

They also do not contain any sweeteners. What makes them better is the higher fiber content and lower carb count. With 5g of total carbs and 3g of fiber that’s a net carb count of only 2g.

These keto tortilla chips taste so good that they can satisfy your savory cravings!

Pork Rinds

Pork rinds, or chicharrones, are made of fried pork skin with 0g net carbs. This ketogenic snack can be eaten on its own or crushed to be used as breadcrumbs.

All you have to do is let the pork simmer in boiling water then divide into bite-sized pieces. After this, let cool for three to five hours and put into the oven for around 8 hours.

Lastly, place them in the fryer and season immediately. Check out this full pork rinds recipe by Chomps! 

FAQ Keto Diet and Snacks

What Other Snacks Can I Have on Keto?

Now that you know you’re allowed to snack on keto, make sure you’re munching on low-carb foods like Quest Potato Chips. 

Keto usually limits carb intake to less than 50 grams a day. For this to be effective, make sure your snacks don’t go beyond this and you leave room for your main meals.

We have a list of keto-friendly snacks you can enjoy! 

What is the Most Keto-Friendly Quest Product?

The most keto-friendly Quest Product that we recommend is their cookie. It has the best macro ratio because it is high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein. 

Their cookie also uses better keto sweeteners, such as stevia, erythritol, and xanthan gum. 

While their potato chips are perfect for your salty and savory cravings, your sweet tooth can be satisfied with the keto-friendly Quest Protein Cookie!

Do Quest Chips Help You Stay in Ketosis?

Yes. Quest Chips may not be entirely free from carbs, but they help keep you full with just a few net carbs.

The low carb count will help you stay in ketosis if you stick to other high-fat and low-carb foods throughout the day.

Test your ketone levels regularly to get an exact overview of how Quest Chips affect your ketosis.

Quest Protein Chips are Great for Keto!

Quest Nutrition Protein Chips are far from the worst low-carb snacks. After all, it’s hard to find snacks that contain zero carbs.

You may also try Genius Gourmet Chips. They have fewer net carbs, but the selection of flavors is limited. Or you can make your own pork rinds!

Make sure to test your ketone levels regularly and pair the diet with ketone supplements to maintain a healthy level of ketosis.