Crisp bags aren’t a suitable staple snack for babies or toddlers: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing foods from the Wheel of Five, such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread. If crisps are on the menu occasionally, compare the contents of each individual pack and check the ingredients and allergens for every flavour. A small bag sets a limit on the amount, but that doesn’t make it an officially recommended toddler portion.
If you’re looking for something for every day, the first question isn’t which bag of crisps to buy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread as snacks for babies and toddlers.
If crisps are an occasional treat, the contents listed for each bag can help you assess the pack. A term such as ‘grab bag’ doesn’t tell you how many grams it contains or determine how much to offer a toddler.
If you want your child to avoid certain ingredients or allergens, check each variety in a mixed box separately. The brand name and the outside of the box aren’t enough.
First decide whether you’re looking for a regular snack or crisps for an occasional treat. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, regular snacks for babies and toddlers should come from the Wheel of Five. If crisps are an occasional treat, the pack and the information for each flavour matter.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Regular or occasional | Decide what role the snack will play. For a regular snack, choose fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread instead of crisps. | I’m looking for something for regular snack times and want to know whether crisps are suitable. For around 50% of consumers, suitability would be the main consideration. |
| Contents per pack | Check the number of bags and the weight of each one; don’t treat the pack weight as a toddler portion. | If I take crisps with me as an occasional treat, I want to decide in advance how much to offer without using a large bag as a guide. For around 30% of consumers, setting a limit would be the main consideration. |
| Ingredients for each flavour | Check the ingredients and allergens for each variety on the current packaging, and read the nutritional information too. | If my child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to assess each flavour separately. Ingredients and allergens would be the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
The packs listed by Jumbo, Lay's and Pringles come in different weights: 25 g, 27.5 g and 40 g. These are pack sizes, not officially recommended portions for toddlers. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also says that crisps aren’t a suitable staple for regular snacks.
First decide whether crisps are an occasional choice, then compare the number of grams in each individual pack.
A box may contain different snacks and ingredients. The Lay's Party Mix listed by Jumbo combines potato crisps with Bugles Nacho Cheese, so the information for one variety won’t tell you everything about the other.
Read the ingredients and allergens for each variety on the packaging before offering a bag.
When choosing a specific flavour, the details on the current packaging are important. Lidl Netherlands says it doesn’t provide an online list of ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for its food products.
Check the packaging for the flavour and size you’re actually buying, especially if you want to avoid an ingredient.
For an occasional treat, there are individual bags in a range of multipacks. Jumbo lists Lay's Party Mix, for example, with 15 bags of 27.5 g each.
If you’re looking for a tube to share as an occasional treat, Pringles Netherlands lists Original in 40 g, 70 g and 165 g sizes.
Jumbo lists a box of 15 multipack bags weighing 25 g each, with ready salted and paprika crisps.
Lidl Netherlands lists a multipack containing a mix of 15 bags.
These packs are worth comparing if you’re looking for individual bags of crisps, a snack mix or tubes for an occasional snack. Check the listed contents for each product and assess each variety in a mix separately; none of these pack sizes is an officially recommended toddler portion.
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For anyone who occasionally wants to take individual bags of Thai Sweet Chili crisps with them.
The pack contains 10 bags, each weighing 40 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging before offering a bag.
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For anyone considering a mixed box of individual snacks as an occasional treat and wanting to assess each variety separately.
The multipack contains 20 bags. Check the packaging for the contents and ingredients of each type, as well as how the bags are divided across the mix.
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For anyone comparing individual tubes with multipack bags for an occasional snack.
The multipack contains 12 tubes of 40 g. Pringles Original product information lists wheat and gluten, and mentions possible traces of milk and soya; check the current packaging. The contents of a tube aren’t an officially recommended toddler portion.
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For anyone who occasionally wants to take a crisp mix with them and can check the individual flavours before serving.
The pack lists a total weight of 180 g. Check the current packaging to see how much each individual bag contains, and check the ingredients and allergens for each flavour.
No, not as a regular staple. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends foods from the Wheel of Five as snacks for babies and toddlers, such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread. Choosing a smaller pack of crisps doesn’t change that advice.
No, these are the weights of specific packs, not officially recommended toddler portions. Use the weight to see what’s in a bag or tube, not as an indication that you should offer the whole contents.
Yes. If ingredients or allergens are a concern, read the information for each variety. A mix such as the Lay's Party Mix listed by Jumbo contains different types of snacks; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that allergens must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
Check the specific packaging. Lidl Netherlands says it doesn’t provide an online list of ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for its food products, so read the information for the variety you’ve bought before serving it.
