A multipack of crisps isn’t a suitable everyday lunchbox choice for a baby aged 4 months to 1 year. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that babies are best not given foods containing salt, and a small bag doesn’t change what’s inside. Choose a snack suited to your baby’s eating stage, check the ingredients and stay nearby while they eat.
You’re looking for food your baby can practise eating independently. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that babies are best not given foods containing salt. VeiligheidNL recommends staying with a young child and making sure they sit calmly while eating.
Individual portions may seem handy for a lunchbox, but check the contents first. A small bag of crisps doesn’t become a suitable snack for a baby just because it comes in convenient packaging.
Keep advice for babies separate from advice for toddlers and pre-schoolers. For older children, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread as examples of snacks from the Wheel of Five.
If the food is for a baby aged 4 months to 1 year, check the ingredients and consider how it will be eaten first. The convenience of lunchbox packaging comes afterwards.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Baby’s age and salt | Check the ingredients and the salt information in the nutritional details. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that babies are best not given foods containing salt. | When choosing food for my baby, I want to know first whether it’s suitable for their age. Around 63% of consumers put suitability for their baby’s stage first. |
| Texture and supervision | Check that the shape and texture suit your baby’s eating skills. Make sure your child sits calmly and stay with them, as advised by VeiligheidNL and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. | My baby is learning to eat independently. I want the meal to suit what they can already do, and to be able to keep an eye on them. For around 25% of consumers, safe eating is their main concern. |
| Lunchbox convenience | Compare individual portions only after you’ve established that the contents are suitable. For mixed packs, check the label for the specific variety. | When we’re out and about, I want food that’s easy to take along, without mistaking convenient packaging for suitability. Around 12% of consumers put portion convenience first. |
A multipack makes snacks easier to carry and hand out, but it doesn’t change the ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that babies are best not given foods containing salt.
Check the contents and the label before comparing the number of bags or the pack size.
Even with a measured portion, the way a baby eats still matters. VeiligheidNL recommends making sure a young child sits calmly and staying with them while they eat.
Choose a shape and texture that suit your baby’s eating skills, and stay with them during mealtimes.
A toddler is at a different eating stage from a baby practising with first tastes or solid food. That’s why the Netherlands Nutrition Centre covers snacks for toddlers and pre-schoolers separately.
Check which age group the advice is intended for before packing a lunchbox.
Multipacks of individual bags make it easier to compare pack sizes, but they don’t tell you whether the contents are suitable for a baby.
Lay's describes a multipack containing several small bags of crisps for sharing.
Pringles offers a range of crisps in different varieties and flavours in the Netherlands.
Albert Heijn has a category for multipacks of crisps.
Jumbo offers multipacks of crisps in its online range.
Don’t choose salted crisps as a snack for a baby aged 4 months to 1 year. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that babies are best not given foods containing salt; a small bag doesn’t change the ingredients.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, solid food is needed alongside breast or formula milk from 6 months. Choose shapes and textures that suit your baby’s eating skills.
Yes. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises staying with your baby while they eat. VeiligheidNL also recommends making sure a young child sits calmly.
Choose food that suits your baby’s eating stage and check whether salt has been added. Match the shape and texture to your baby’s eating skills, and stay with them while they eat, even when you’re out and about.
