Parents looking for a snack for their toddler
If the food is for a toddler, choose a suitable snack separately from the crisps for your guests. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends options including fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Hosts welcoming both young and older guests
You may want to serve crisps for adults and older children to share, while giving your toddler something else. A large sharing bag or individually wrapped snacks can offer different ways to serve them.
Shoppers comparing portions and labels
When choosing crisps for guests, you can compare the stated serving size and nutritional information per 100 g. If someone has a food allergy, check the label on the actual pack; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must be provided on prepacked products.
What should you look for when buying?
First decide what your toddler will have, then choose a pack of crisps for your other guests. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Dutch Wheel of Five for toddlers.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| A snack for your toddler | Choose something suitable separately for your toddler, such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread. | If I’m also preparing something for a toddler, I don’t want to use crisps for guests as their snack. For around 46% of consumers, choosing a suitable snack for a toddler comes first. |
| Portion size, salt and fat | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per stated portion, and check how many portions the pack contains. | When I serve crisps to adults or older children, I want to know how much I’m serving and what a portion contains. Around 36% of consumers say this is their top priority. |
| Easy to share | Choose between a sharing bag and individual packs, depending on which guests you want to serve crisps to. | When I have guests, I want to be able to offer crisps to the older ones without confusing them with the toddler’s snack. For around 18% of consumers, ease of sharing matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Treating a sharing bag as a snack for your toddler
A pack designed for several guests doesn’t change the dietary advice for young children. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Dutch Wheel of Five for toddlers.
Serve the crisps separately for adults and older children, and prepare a snack of their own for your toddler.
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Assuming ‘original’ or ‘lower fat’ tells you everything about its nutritional value
A flavour name or a comparison of just one nutrient doesn’t tell you how much salt, fat or other nutrients a portion contains. Nor does it make crisps a suitable regular snack for a toddler.
Compare the label for the specific variety per 100 g and per portion, rather than relying only on the front of the pack.
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Skipping the label because you know the product
If someone has a food allergy, the ingredients and allergens on the pack you’re serving are what matter; product information can change.
Before serving, read the allergen information and any warnings on each individual pack.
Brands and shops to consider
Lay's
For crisps to serve to adults or older guests, Lay's offers sharing bags and multipacks, among other options.
- Albert Heijn lists the Lay's Original value pack as containing 300 g, with ten 30 g portions.
- A sharing pack isn’t a reason to choose crisps as a regular snack for a toddler.
Pringles
A tube may suit you if you’d prefer a different pack format from a sharing bag for older guests.
- Pringles lists Original pack sizes of 40 g, 70 g and 165 g.
- Check the ingredients and allergens for each flavour and pack; information for Original doesn’t automatically apply to other varieties.
Albert Heijn
This retailer’s product information can help you compare specific packs of crisps.
- For the Lay's Original value pack, Albert Heijn lists both the total pack size and the portion size.
- When you buy, also check the label on the pack you receive.
Jumbo
Jumbo is a useful reference for comparing a large bag of original crisps with other sizes for guests.
- Jumbo lists its 250 g Chips Naturel as containing ten portions.
- The stated number of portions doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether the crisps are suitable as a snack for a toddler.
Lidl Snack Day
Lidl presents Snack Day as a range for snacking occasions, including get-togethers with several guests.
- The range gives you options to explore flavours and pack sizes for older guests.
- Compare the salt, fat and allergens on the label of the specific bag you choose.
Crisps and snacks for older guests on Joybuy
These packs are intended for serving crisps or other savoury snacks to adults and older children, from a bag to share to individually wrapped portions. Choose a suitable snack for your toddler separately.
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Croky Sharing Mix 180 g
A 180 g sharing mix of crisps to serve to older guests. Check the portions and allergens on the pack before handing them out.
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Lay's Oven Baked Paprika 150 g
A 150 g bag of oven-baked paprika-flavoured crisps for adults or older guests. Check the nutritional information and allergens for this paprika variety on the current label; information for the original variety isn’t interchangeable.
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Pringles Red Pepper, 12 × 40 g
Twelve 40 g packs are an option if you want to hand out snacks individually to older guests. Check the label for ingredients and allergens for this Red Pepper variety.
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Lay's, Cheetos and Doritos Mega Box Multipack, 20 pieces
A multipack of 20 items for serving savoury snacks to older guests. If someone has an allergy, check the labels on each individual product; don’t treat the range as a single product with one ingredients list.
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Lay's Family Box, 15 pieces
A box of 15 items for a gathering with older guests. Before handing out snacks, check the variety, portion size, nutritional information and allergens on each individual pack.
Frequently asked questions
Is a large bag of crisps a suitable snack for a toddler?
Not as a regular snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks from the Dutch Wheel of Five for toddlers, such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread. Serve crisps separately for your other guests.
How do I compare the portions in two packs of crisps?
Check the portion size on each label and compare the nutritional information per 100 g. For example, Albert Heijn lists ten 30 g portions in its 300 g Lay's Original value pack; another pack may state a different portion size.
Does ‘oven baked’ make crisps suitable as a snack for a toddler?
No: the cooking method or a claim about fat content doesn’t change the advice on snacks for toddlers. If you’re comparing oven-baked crisps for adults, also check the salt, ingredients and stated portion size for the specific variety.
Where can I check allergens in a multipack?
Check the allergen information for every variety you plan to serve on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked products; don’t assume that a multipack has one ingredients list for all its snacks.