Are Baked Cheetos Healthy? 11 Things You Should Know

Are baked Cheetos a healthy snack option?

Did you know: Hot Cheetos were banned from some schools in California, Illinois, and New Mexico. Really. But what’s so bad about these spicy snacks? And do you need to worry about the Baked version, too? Are Baked Cheetos healthy?

Baked Cheetos have 50% less fat than regular Cheetos, but they are still not very healthy. They have several processed ingredients like vegetable oil, MSG, and artificial colors, with 1g or less of fiber per serving. Some children may experience stomach pain when eating large amounts of Baked Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Below, we’ll take a close look at Baked Cheetos nutrition. I’ll compare them to regular Cheetos and explore if they’re good for weight loss, if they cause cancer, or if Hot Cheetos can really “burn holes in your stomach.”

Are Baked Cheetos Bad for You?

Here are the 11 specific questions we’ll answer about Baked Cheetos nutrition. Click any of them to skip ahead—or just keep scrolling to read them all:

1. What Are Baked Cheetos Made Of?
2. Are Baked Cheetos High in Carbs?
3. Are Baked Cheetos High in Fat?
4. Are Baked Cheetos High in Sodium?
5. Are the Artificial Colors in Baked Cheetos Safe?
6. Are Baked Cheetos Good for Weight Loss?
7. Are Baked Cheetos “Processed Food”?
8. Do Baked Cheetos Cause Cancer?
9. Can Baked Hot Cheetos Burn Holes in Your Stomach?
10. Are Baked Cheetos Healthier Than Regular Cheetos?
11. Are Baked Cheetos Vegan?

1. What Are Baked Cheetos Made Of?

Let’s start by looking at some actual Baked Cheetos ingredients. Do they contain anything you should be avoiding?

Baked Cheetos Flavor	Ingredients
Crunchy Cheese	Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/Or Sunflower Oil), Whey, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Salt, Whey Protein Concentrate, Monosodium Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, And Artificial Color (Yellow 6).
Flamin’ Hot	Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Sea Minerals (Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Carbonate), Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Yeast Extracts, Citric Acid, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Whey Protein Concentrate, Garlic Powder, Buttermilk, Natural Flavor, Sodium Diacetate, Lactic Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, and Skim Milk.

Here’s what I noticed about these ingredients:

• Baked Cheetos have processed vegetable oil. Specifically, they have “Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil.” All of these highly processed oils add empty calories. Below, we’ll look at the fat in Baked Cheetos, and how it compares to other snacks.

• Baked Cheetos have artificial colors. Both flavors have Yellow 6. The Flamin’ Hot flavor has several more (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5). All these artificial colors are suspected to cause hyperactivity for some children, and some studies suggest possible links to cancer risk. See below for more.

• Baked Cheetos have MSG. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a somewhat controversial ingredient. When you look into the actual science, there’s not much evidence that it’s any worse than normal table salt… But if you prefer to avoid MSG, be aware: Baked Cheetos do have MSG.

• Baked Cheetos have dairy products. This isn’t a negative for everyone—but if you’re lactose intolerant, vegan, or otherwise dairy-free, then beware. Both flavors have cheese and whey, and the Flamin’ Hot flavor has even more dairy ingredients.

Baked Cheetos don’t look great in terms of the ingredients. They have several highly processed and/or artificial ingredients. But it’s not just the list of ingredients that matter—the quantity of each ingredient also matters.

So, next let’s look at the actual amount of carbs, fat, and sodium in Baked Cheetos, and how they compare to other snacks.

2. Are Baked Cheetos High in Carbs?

Baked Cheetos have 20g of carbs per serving (34 pieces), which is pretty high. The carb content of Baked Cheetos is similar to Goldfish, Triscuits, and other popular snacks. The main ingredient in Baked Cheetos is enriched corn flour, which is high in carbs.

Here’s a table showing the sugar and carb content for Baked Cheetos, compared to other snacks:

Snack	Serving Size	Total Sugar	Total Carbs
Baked Crunchy Cheese Cheetos	34 pieces (28g)	1g	20g
Baked Flamin’ Hot Cheetos	34 pieces (28g)	<1g	20g
Takis	12 pieces (28g)	1g	17g
Cheez-It	27 crackers (30g)	0g	17g
Goldfish	55 pieces (30g)	<1g	20g
Wheat Thins	16 pieces (31g)	5g	22g
Triscuits	6 crackers (28g)	0g	20g

As you can see, Baked Cheetos are just about average when it comes to carbs per serving. That said, Baked Cheetos avoid the considerable sugar content that Wheat Thins have.

Related Question:

• Do Baked Cheetos Have High Fructose Corn Syrup? Baked Cheetos do not have high fructose corn syrup or any added sugar ingredients.

• Can You Eat Baked Cheetos on Keto? Baked Cheetos are not very low carb or keto-friendly, with 20 grams of carbs per serving. About 60% of the calories in Baked Cheetos come from carbs.

3. Are Baked Cheetos High in Fat?

Baked Cheetos have 5 grams of fat per serving, including 1 gram of saturated fat. Despite being baked, not fried, Baked Cheetos still contain processed vegetable oil. They are not a low-fat food.

One of the reasons cited for banning Hot Cheetos from schools in California, Illinois, and New Mexico was the fat content. Huffington Post noted that a snack-sized bag has 26g of fat. So it’s understandable that a “Baked” version with less fat could be appealing.

Many people understand that baking is healthier than frying because less oil can be used. But don’t assume too much. Baked Cheetos still have 5 grams of total fat per serving, a good portion of which comes from oil.

Yes, Baked Cheetos have 50% less fat than regular Cheetos—but still, about 1/3 of the calories in Baked Cheetos come from fat.

Related Questions:

• What kind of oil is in Baked Cheetos? Baked Cheetos contain vegetable oil. The ingredients list specifies that it could have canola oil, corn oil, and/or sunflower oil.

• What kind of fat is in Baked Cheetos? Baked Cheetos have both saturated and unsaturated fat. Most of the fat is unsaturated, with about 2.5g of polyunsaturated, 1.5g of monounsaturated, and 1g of saturated fat per serving.

4. Are Baked Cheetos High in Sodium?

Baked Cheetos have about 240mg of sodium per serving of 34 pieces. That’s about the same sodium content as Goldfish or Cheez-Its. When comparing hot snacks, Baked Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have 80% less sodium than Takis. A low-sodium flavor of Baked Cheetos is not available.

Here’s a table showing the sodium content of Baked Cheetos, compared to other snacks:

Snack	Serving Size	Sodium
Baked Crunchy Cheese Cheetos	34 pieces (28g)	240mg
Baked Flamin’ Hot Cheetos	34 pieces (28g)	230mg
Takis	12 pieces (28g)	420mg
Cheez-It	27 crackers (30g)	230mg
Goldfish	55 pieces (30g)	230mg
Wheat Thins	16 pieces (31g)	200mg
Triscuits	6 crackers (28g)	160mg

As you can see, most of these snacks are pretty similar when it comes to sodium. But Takis are extra high in sodium. So if you’re looking for a hot snack with lower sodium, Baked Hot Flamin’ Cheetos look good in comparison.

Eating too much sodium increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. So, be mindful of how your sodium content can add up while eating many servings of snacks.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting your sodium intake to 2,300mg per day, which is about 10 servings of Baked Cheetos. However, the AHA is “moving toward an ideal limit” of 1,500mg per day, which is only about 6 servings of Baked Cheetos.

5. Are the Artificial Colors in Baked Cheetos Safe?

Baked Cheetos has artificial colors like Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, and Yellow 5. Research suggests that artificial colors cause hyperactivity and behavioral issues in some children. There are also concerns about possible carcinogens in the artificial colors in Baked Cheetos.

I’ve made separate posts about each of these artificial colors before. But here are some of the specific health concerns people have:

• Yellow 6 (and Yellow 6 Lake): Yellow 6 often has known carcinogenic contaminants, including benzidine and 4-amino-biphenyl. However, these contaminants have only been documented at low levels, so it shouldn’t cause problems. There were also animal trials where Yellow 6 resulted in kidney/adrenal tumors—but this result is disputed. (source, source)

• Red 40 Lake: Red 40 has small amounts of benzidene, which is a known carcinogen. It’s legally allowed because the amount is small enough to have no presumed effect. The EU requires foods with Red 40 to have a warning label saying it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

• Yellow 5: A 2015 study found that Yellow 5 caused DNA damage in human white blood cells that it was exposed to. It is possible that this DNA damage could lead to tumor formation if it were to happen in amounts that could not be repaired.

All of these artificial colors are still being tested on animals to determine their safety. The most established risk is hyperactivity in kids. Some governments around the world have taken steps to add warnings or ban some of these dyes.

It’s actually hard to find good credible sources on which of these dyes are banned in which countries. There seems to be some misinformation online about this.

I found the most credible references to Yellow 6 being banned in Japan and several European countries. (Yellow 6 is found in both flavors of Baked Cheetos.)

Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable eating large amounts of these artificial colors on a regular basis. An occasional snack might be fine—but why take the risk of putting it in your body every day?

[See more below: Do Baked Cheetos Cause Cancer?]

6. Are Baked Cheetos Good for Weight Loss?