Budget-conscious new parents
You’re buying crisps for yourself or visitors and want to avoid leaving an awkwardly sized pack unused. Decide in advance whether the contents will suit the snack occasions you have in mind.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Parents who want to plan portions
You’re looking for a size for a quick snack or to share. A large bag and individual small packs won’t necessarily suit the same kind of use.
Households checking ingredients and allergens
You need to know what’s in the exact variety. For example, Pringles Original lists wheat flour and may contain milk and soya; this information doesn’t automatically apply to other flavours.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, work out how many crisps the adults or visitors are likely to eat. Then compare the packaging and labels of the varieties that suit your needs.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Amount you’ll use | Check the net weight and consider whether you’ll use the pack for the snack occasions you have planned. | If I’m buying crisps for several adults, I don’t want to choose a bag that’s much bigger than necessary. Around 33% of consumers prioritise getting a suitable amount. |
| Portions and storage | Check the portion size on the packaging and whether individual portions or one bag would be more convenient. | For quick snack breaks, I want to be able to take one portion easily and store the rest; around 20% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Nutritional information | Compare the salt content per 100 g and per portion of the exact variety, among other things. | When I’m choosing a snack for adults, I want to see how much salt is in my portion. This nutritional information matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current bag or tube. | If someone sharing the snack needs to avoid an ingredient, I want to check the exact flavour before eating it; this is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating an online product page as the definitive label
Recipes and allergen information can change. Pringles Original lists wheat flour and may contain milk and soya, but you should check the information again for a different flavour.
If you have a relevant allergy, read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging of the exact variety you’re buying.
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Assuming a large bag is always the practical choice
The contents of a large bag won’t always suit a quick snack break or the amount you want to share.
Choose a size based on the adult portions you have planned and follow the storage instructions on the packaging once opened.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
The supermarket’s own-label range includes AH Chips Naturel, a classic potato crisp.
- Albert Heijn lists this variety in a 250 g bag, with potato, sunflower oil and salt as its ingredients.
- Check the packaging itself: ingredients and nutritional information may change.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s own-label crisps range includes, among other things, ready salted crisps, paprika crisps and tortilla chips.
- The different product types offer options for a range of tastes and snack occasions.
- Don’t compare different product types as if they were the same variety of crisp; check the pack size and label for each one.
Lidl Snack Day
Snack Day is Lidl’s own snack brand, with ready salted, paprika, bolognese and cheese and onion crisps among its range.
- You can explore different flavours within the range.
- Check the ingredients and nutritional information for each flavour; they may differ.
Lay's
Lay's offers several crisp ranges, including classic varieties, MAX and Oven Baked.
- According to Lay's, Oven Baked Naturel is oven-baked, making this product range easy to identify.
- The name Oven Baked alone doesn’t tell you how its overall nutritional value compares with another variety.
Pringles
Pringles Original is a stackable crisp sold in a tube; Pringles lists pack sizes of 40 g, 70 g and 165 g.
- The different pack sizes let you choose an amount to suit your planned use.
- According to the brand, Pringles Original contains wheat flour and may contain milk and soya. Always check the label for other flavours.
Crisps for adult snacking on Joybuy
These two varieties offer a choice between individual tubes in Red Pepper flavour and one bag of Oven Baked Natural. Decide which size suits your planned use, and check the information on the current packaging of both products.
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Pringles Red Pepper Flavoured Potato Crisps, 12 × 40 g
The 12 individual 40 g tubes are ideal for snack occasions when you want to plan a portion per pack.
If you have an allergy, check the ingredients and warnings for this Red Pepper variety on the packaging.
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Lay's Oven Baked Natural, 150 g
This 150 g bag suits anyone who wants to open one pack for a planned adult snack occasion or to share.
Oven Baked is the product range; check the label for the nutritional information and ingredients of this Natural variety.
Frequently asked questions
Are crisps suitable for babies too?
These crisps are intended for adults or visitors, not as a regular snack for babies. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends foods from the Wheel of Five as a starting point for babies’ first tastes.
How much salt is in a portion of ready salted crisps?
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a 40 g bowl of ready salted crisps contains an average of 0.45 g of salt. The amount may vary between specific varieties, so check the per-portion nutritional information on the packaging.
Where can I check which allergens crisps contain?
Check the label on the exact pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens must be clearly and accurately listed on the labels of prepacked foods; also check for any warnings on the variety you’re buying.
What do ‘oven-baked’ or ‘light’ mean for crisps?
These descriptions don’t tell you the full nutritional value of a variety. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that regular and light crisps are not included in the Wheel of Five; compare the nutritional information for the exact products if it matters to your choice.