Don’t buy individual bags of crisps as a solution for an ordinary nursery lunch. For toddlers and young children, the Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Wheel of Five, such as vegetables, fruit or wholemeal bread. If the nursery’s food policy allows an occasional treat, individual bags can make handing them out easier. Check the ingredients, allergens and portion size on the packaging first.
You’re looking for food that fits the usual mealtime and the group’s arrangements, without making crisps a regular part of lunch. According to BOinK, the childcare provider’s food policy should set out its approach to food.
You want something to hand out for an occasional event that the nursery has approved in advance. The number of sealed bags and the information on the current packaging can help you decide whether a pack is practical.
You need to compare the ingredients in the pack you choose with the allergies known to the nursery. For example, Albert Heijn’s product information for Lay's Party Mix lists milk and wheat; the mix may also contain soya.
First, decide whether this is for an ordinary lunch or an approved exception. Only then should you consider the ingredients and number of portions when choosing between packs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| The mealtime | Is this for an ordinary lunch or an approved treat? What does the food policy say? | If I’m organising the daily lunch, I want to know whether crisps are suitable for that mealtime at all. For around 42% of consumers, suitability for lunch comes first. |
| Allergies and group arrangements | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack, and agree your choice with the nursery. | If anyone in the group has a known allergy, I don’t want to hand out bags before checking the ingredients. Around 33% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Portions for the group | Compare the number of bags, the weight of each bag and the flavours in the pack. | For an approved treat, I want to know whether there’s an individual bag for every child. Portion planning matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
An individual bag makes crisps easier to share, but it doesn’t make them a suitable choice for an ordinary lunch. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Wheel of Five for toddlers and young children.
Start with the nursery’s food policy. Only consider crisps for an occasional event that has been approved in advance.
A multipack can contain different crisps and savoury snacks. Albert Heijn lists milk and cereals containing gluten, including wheat, for Lay's Party Mix, and warns that it may contain soya.
Check which varieties are in the mix and read the allergen information on the pack before choosing something for the group.
Ingredients and allergy information can change, as Albert Heijn notes in its product information. That’s why the packaging you receive matters when you make your final check.
Read the label on the pack you’ve bought before handing it out, and follow the nursery’s arrangements.
With a 165 g tube, such as the Pringles Original described here, a member of staff has to portion out the crisps themselves. Individually wrapped bags state the weight of each portion.
If every child needs a sealed portion, check that the pack really does contain individual bags.
Lay's Party Mix is an example of a pack for a treat approved in advance. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, it contains 15 individual bags with five types of crisps and savoury snacks.
The 165 g Original tube described here is a sharing pack, not a collection of sealed portions for each child.
Jumbo Crisps Multipack Paprika & Original is an example with two flavours. Jumbo lists 15 bags of 25 g.
The order compares these three examples for a treat approved in advance, based on individual portions and how easy it is to check the contents. It isn’t a general ranking of crisps for children; none of these packs is the right choice for an ordinary lunch.
| Position | Product | Features | Things to weigh up | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumbo Crisps Multipack Paprika & Original, 15 bags | 15 bags of 25 g; paprika and original. | The stated number of sealed portions makes planning easier. Jumbo lists milk as an allergen; check that the pack fits the group’s arrangements. | Jumbo |
| 2 | Lay's Party Mix 396 g | 15 bags with five types of crisps and savoury snacks. | The variety of products means you’ll need to check the ingredients and allergens. Albert Heijn lists milk and wheat, and warns that the mix may contain soya. | Albert Heijn |
| 3 | Pringles Original Crisps 165 g | 165 g tube; no individual bags. | A member of staff has to portion them out. Joybuy’s product information lists wheat, milk and soya among the ingredients for this tube. | Joybuy |
These packs contain individual bags. Consider them only for an occasional treat approved in advance by the nursery, not as options for an ordinary lunch.
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For a treat approved in advance, ten individual bags make it easy to plan the number of portions. Before handing them out, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging.
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If a treat is allowed, you can compare the twelve individual bags with the size of the group. Before handing them out, read the ingredients and allergens on the pack you’ve bought.
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Fifteen individual bags can be handy for an approved treat for a group. Before handing them out, check which varieties are in the pack and read the allergen information for the mix you’ve bought.
No, don’t choose them for an ordinary lunch. For toddlers and young children, the Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Wheel of Five, such as vegetables, fruit or wholemeal bread. If you’d like to bring in an occasional treat, ask the nursery about its food policy.
A smaller bag mainly makes the portion size clear; the packaging doesn’t change the product itself. The Dutch Nutrition Centre gives the nutritional values for an average 40 g portion of crisps as 215 kcal, 13,1 g fat, 3,4 g saturated fat and 0,53 g salt. For a specific product, check the nutritional information on the pack, both per 100 g and per portion.
Read the ingredients list and any warnings on the pack you’re actually going to hand out, then compare them with the allergies known to the nursery. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens must be clearly identified in the ingredients list of prepacked foods.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you’ve bought. For the Jumbo Crisps Multipack Paprika & Original described here, Jumbo recommends storing it in a cool, dry place.
