The Doritos they sell in stores are different from the Doritos they sell in schools. In this review, we’ll be discussing the school version of the ranch flavor: Frito Lay’s Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos.

Where to Purchase Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos

School Doritos, such as these RF Cool Ranch Doritos, are not available in grocery stores or wholesale clubs, like Costco.

They can be purchased online, on websites such as Amazon, Oriental Trading Company, or Food Service Direct. Note the case contains 72 individual 1oz bags.

Alternatively, you could contact a local school cafeteria to inquire about purchasing a smaller quantity directly from them if it’s something they already buy. Since I work in schools, that’s how I obtained mine – by buying them from a school at a la carte prices.

Schools can purchase RF Doritos through their distributor, a vending machine company, or online at School Snack Shop.

First Impressions

My favorite part of a Dorito is the flavored powder! My wish is to have a bag full of chips heavily coated in the flavored goodness.

Honestly, that’s not what you’ll get with these Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos. 

A few chips had a bunch of the flavored powder, but not many.

The Reduced Fat version of Doritos are also visually flatter than their Regular counterparts. This is likely due to their lower fat content.

Taste & Texture of Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos

When I first crunched into the Reduced Fat Doritos, they thought they tasted just like a regular Cool Ranch Dorito. You get a tanginess from the buttermilk, along with the spices you traditionally find in ranch dressing.

However, as I continue to chew it, I noticed a few differences.

I noticed was the lack of richness you typically get when eating a Dorito. Since the RF Doritos contain less fat, you will miss some of the richness you are used to with a regular Dorito.

As I continued to chew, I noticed the texture is a little tougher and there were more hard bits than in a regular Dorito. The RF Doritos are made with whole corn and corn bran, two ingredients not typically found in Regular Doritos. Both of these will add fiber, but also make the texture more tough.

Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos Ingredients

Artificial Color (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5)

Some research suggests that artificial colors, such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 cause cancer, and there’s signficant evidence that some contribute to hyperactivity in certain children.

However, Blue 1 doesn’t have a lot of evidence against it. That doesn’t mean it’s safe; it’s actually just understudied.

In fact, one member of the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee stated that blue 1 is the only food dye in the U.S. they are uncomfortable with, due to its ability to cross the blood brain barrier.

I was actually surprised to see artificial colors in this chip because the flecks are so tiny. Considering the concern that artificial dyes are harmful, especially to children, it would be great if Frito Lay would reformulate to exclude the from Doritos. Even if it were just for these school versions that are designed specifically for kids.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

The product contains monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is a flavor enhancer. 

This is a chemical that the Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends companies reduce or eliminate due to the negative reaction that some people get when consuming it.

Cheddar Cheese

I honestly didn’t realize that ranch Doritos had cheese in them. The Nacho Cheese flavor also has Romano cheese, but they both contain cheddar. Who knew?!

Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos Nutrition Facts

I’ll highlight just a few nutrients here.

Total Fat

It should be no surprise that Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos have less fat than their regular version:

Regular Cool Ranch Doritos: 8g fat
Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos: 5g fat

Dietary Fiber

Since the school version of Doritos are made with whole grains, they actually contain more dietary fiber than their regular counterpart:

Regular Cool Ranch Doritos: 1g fiber
Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos: 2g fiber

While it’s preferred a child get their dietary fiber from sources such as fruits, vegetables, and less-processed whole grains, every gram counts!

Sodium

There is slightly less sodium in a school Dorito when compared to the regular version:

Regular Cool Ranch Doritos: 210mg sodium
Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos: 200mg sodium 

This difference is small nutritionally, but important for schools. Schools can’t sell items with more than 200mg of sodium, so the regular version are not compliant.

School Uses

Since the item is made from corn, schools can count this item as a grain. Specifically, one bag of Reduced Fat Doritos credits as 1.5oz of grain in the meal program.

It also meets the USDA’s Smart Snack requirements, so the product can be sold a la carte to students. It is also commonly found in vending machines in schools.

Dietitian’s Recommendation

The RF version of Cool Ranch Doritos have a slightly better nutrition profile when compared to the regular version, but they’re similar enough they still satisfy the craving for a salty snack.

However, at the end of the day, Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos are still a snack food that should be consumed in moderation.

Procurement Tips for Schools

Suggested Specifications

For school nutrition programs looking to procure this item, here is a suggested specification:

Chips, corn tortilla, whole grain, reduced fat, must meet Smart Snack Guidelines, ranch flavor

For more tips on writing specifications, visit my article here.

Comparable Products for “or Equal” Consideration

I have never seen another company make a product similar to the Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos. If you know of one, tell me in the comments below!

Summary

Reduced Fat Cool Ranch Doritos are a school-approved item with minor differences from the regular Dorito version.

For more information on writing product specs, refer to my article Writing Product Specifications.