Are Baked Cheetos Bad For You?
Also Known As: Oven Baked Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks
Short answer
While better than regular Cheetos, Baked Cheetos are still bad for you. Aside from the enriched vitamins and minerals, they contain dangerous ingredients that could be extremely detrimental to your health.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Baked Cheetos, while a slightly healthier option compared to regular Cheetos, are still a highly processed food with saturated fats, MSG, natural and artificial flavoring, and artificial colors.
The health effects of saturated fats, especially those found in processed foods, are generally negative. Research shows that saturated foods raise cholesterol levels which increase your risk of heart disease. Cheetos only contain 1 gram of saturated fats, but if you frequently consume processed fatty foods your risk is beyond what you eat in Cheetos.
MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a known horrible ingredient by any name. It is known to cause symptoms like headaches, skin flushing, sweating, pressure, numbness, burning in the face, heart palpitations, nausea, chest pains and muscle weakness. Collectively, these symptoms are referred to as the “MSG symptom complex.”
Natural and artificial flavoring are chemically produced flavors to enhance your eating experience. More or less, the presence of these ingredients should tell you that your food has been so overly processed that it remains with no flavoring of its own. After all, Cheetos do contain Cheddar cheese, so why do they need these extra ingredients to boost flavor? Artificial flavoring has a laundry list of potential health effects including allergic reaction, hyperactivity, seizures, cancer, and organ damage.
Artificial coloring has some similar negative health effects to artificial flavorings. They also cause hyperactivity in children, and beyond that coloring like Yellow 5 & 6 are carcinogenic and can alter your genetic make-up. Yikes!
On the upside, these Cheetos are made with enriched corn meal that supplies some vitamins and minerals. All ingredients together, a one-ounce serving size of Cheetos contains 10% of the RDA of B2 (riboflavin), 15% of B3 (niacin) and 25% B1 (thiamin). The body uses these B vitamins as a coenzyme to make energy from carbohydrates along with other health benefits such as minimizing cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. One serving of Cheetos also contains calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium.
Possible short-term side effects
- allergic reaction
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msg symptom complex
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hyperactivity
Possible long-term side effects
- seizures
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cancer
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kidney & brain damage
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heart disease
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high cholesterol
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- contains some vitamins and minerals
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
HIPPEAS Chickpea Puffs
- 3g protein per serving
- 2g dietary fiber
- Vegan-friendly snack
- Gluten-free treat
- Crunchy texture
Learn More!
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Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 09-14-2016
Last updated: 12-01-2023
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Kristin Brown, DC, MS
Published on: 09-14-2016
Last updated: 12-01-2023
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