Doritos are a popular corn chip snack that comes in a variety of flavors. One of the most popular is Cool Ranch Doritos. But how many calories are actually in a full bag of these tasty chips?
Calories in a Serving of Cool Ranch Doritos
First, let’s look at the calorie count for a single serving size of Cool Ranch Doritos. According to the nutrition facts label, one serving size (about 14 chips or 28g) contains:
- 150 calories
- 8g fat
- 180mg sodium
- 2g protein
- 18g carbohydrates
- 1g fiber
- 0g sugar
As you can see, a single serving of Cool Ranch Doritos packs 150 calories and 8g of fat. That’s about 8% of your daily recommended intake of calories and fat in just a small handful of chips.
How Many Servings in a Full Size Bag?
Now that we know the calories in one serving, we need to determine how many total servings come in a full size bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
Doritos bags come in a variety of sizes. Here are some of the most common sizes:
- Individual snack size bag – 1 oz (about 1 serving)
- Small/medium bag – 2.75 oz (about 2 servings)
- Party size bag – 9.75 oz (about 7 servings)
- Family size bag – 15.5 oz (about 11 servings)
As you can see, the calorie count starts adding up quickly as the bag size increases! Even a medium 2.75oz bag contains 300 calories, which is about 15% of a 2000 calorie diet.
Total Calories in Full Size Bags
Now let’s do the math and calculate the total calories for some common full size bag options:
Party Size Bag (9.75 oz)
With about 7 servings per party size bag, the total calories in a full party size bag of Cool Ranch Doritos is:
150 calories x 7 servings = 1,050 calories
Family Size Bag (15.5 oz)
For the larger family size bag containing about 11 servings, the total calories are:
150 calories x 11 servings = 1,650 calories
That’s over 80% of the calories an average adult needs for an entire day!
Nutritional Table Comparing Bag Sizes
| Bag Size | Total Calories | Total Fat (g) | Total Sodium (mg) | Total Carbs (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snack Size (1 oz) | 150 | 8 | 180 | 18 |
| Small Bag (2.75 oz) | 300 | 16 | 360 | 36 |
| Party Size (9.75 oz) | 1,050 | 56 | 1,260 | 126 |
| Family Size (15.5 oz) | 1,650 | 88 | 1,980 | 198 |
This table summarizes the total calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates for the different bag sizes. As you go up in size, the calories and other nutrients increase rapidly.
Daily Value Percentages
Looking at the daily value percentages can also give you a sense of how one bag stacks up nutritionally:
Party Size Bag
- Calories – 52% daily value
- Fat – 86% daily value
- Sodium – 52% daily value
- Carbs – 42% daily value
Family Size Bag
- Calories – 82% daily value
- Fat – 136% daily value
- Sodium – 82% daily value
- Carbs – 66% daily value
As you can see, even a party size bag provides over half of your daily recommended amount of calories, fat and sodium. And the family size blows way past the recommendations, giving you over 100% of your daily fat in just one bag!
Calories from Fat
Now let’s take a closer look specifically at the calories from fat in a full bag:
- Each serving has 8g fat
- There are 9 calories in each gram of fat
- So each serving has 8 * 9 = 72 calories just from fat
This means for a full party size bag with 7 servings, there are:
72 calories from fat x 7 servings = 504 calories from fat
And for a family size bag with 11 servings, there are:
72 calories from fat x 11 servings = 792 calories from fat
To put this in perspective, nutrition experts recommend limiting your daily calories from fat to between 20-35%. For a 2000 calorie diet, that would equal 400-700 calories from fat per day. Thus, a single family size bag of Doritos provides more calories from fat than you should eat in an entire day!
Impact on Weight
Consuming all these excess calories from fat and carbs can also impact weight gain and obesity if eaten frequently and in large amounts. Let’s see an estimate:
- There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat
- If you eat an extra 500 calories per day, you’ll gain about 1 pound in a week
- The family size bag has 1,650 calories
- Eating the whole bag would cause ~3 pounds of weight gain in a week!
While one bag won’t make a huge impact by itself, consistently overeating these high calorie snack foods can really add up over time. Small changes like switching to baked chips, portion control and moderation are better strategies for maintaining a healthy weight.
Tips for Healthy Snacking
Here are some tips to keep your snacking healthier if you want to eat Doritos in moderation:
- Stick to small individual bags
- Measure out a single serving size instead of eating from the whole bag
- Aim for low fat baked versions instead of fried
- Pair with vegetables and fruits for more nutrients
- Don’t make chips an everyday snack, use in moderation
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda
The Bottom Line
While Doritos are tasty, the calories and fat quickly add up, especially as the bag size increases. A party size bag contains over 1000 calories while a family size bag has a whopping 1650 calories and provides more than 100% of your daily recommended intake for fat.
Frequently snacking on large amounts of Doritos or similar foods can contribute to weight gain over time. Your best bet is to stick to reasonable portion sizes, choose low fat versions, and enjoy Doritos in moderation as part of an overall healthy and balanced diet.