When you want a crunchy and cheesy snack, it's tempting to head to the vending machine. Hot Cheetos are not the healthiest snack, because they contain a high amount of calories, sodium and fat, but you can work them into your eating plan as an occasional treat if you keep your portion sizes small.
Calories, Fat and Cholesterol
Video of the Day
Hot Cheetos have 170 calories per 1-ounce serving, approximately 21 pieces, with 100 calories coming from fat. They have 11 grams of total fat, which includes 1.5 grams of saturated fat, but they do not contain any trans fat or cholesterol. Regularly consuming high-calorie, high-fat foods, including this particular snack, may increase your risk of obesity and heart problems. The FDA recommends limiting your intake of total fat to less than 65 grams of total fat and less than 20 grams of saturated fat a day. This recommendation is based on a diet of 2,000 calories, however, and your specific dietary needs may differ.
Video of the Day
Sodium
The amount of sodium in this snack is 250 milligrams, which is about 10 percent of the daily value. Although 10 percent may not seem significant, the daily value recommendations for sodium are higher than the recommendations of other organization, such as American Heart Association. This organization recommends limiting sodium consumption to only 1,500 milligrams a day, versus the FDA daily value recommendation of 2,300 milligrams. If you follow the American Heart Associations recommendations, this snack could use up a significant portion of your daily sodium allowance.
Other Nutrition Facts
Each serving of Hot Cheetos offers 2 grams of protein. Although there is no daily value percentage established for protein, the FDA suggests most adults should aim for at least 50 grams of protein each day. Hot Cheetos also has 15 grams of total carbohydrates in every serving, which is about 5 percent of the daily value. This total amount of carbohydrates includes less than 1 gram of dietary fiber and no sugar.
Vitamins and Minerals
Although Hot Cheetos contain a significant number of calories, fat and sodium, the snack does provide some essential vitamins and minerals. Each serving offers 2 percent the recommended daily value for iron and riboflavin, as well as 4 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin E, thiamin and niacin. They do not contain significant amounts of any other vitamin or mineral.
Considerations
Hot Cheetos contain milk and soy ingredients. Avoid consuming this snack if you have an a food allergy to these items. Call a doctor if you believe you experience an allergic reaction after consuming this product.