For a Christmas party with a range of tastes to cater for, a mixed box of individually packed snacks is a sensible choice, provided the number of packs, flavour mix and ingredients suit your guests. If you want the same portion and flavour for lunchboxes too, a multipack with one variety is easier to divide up, but offers less choice at the party.
You want to hand out sealed packs at your Christmas party without portioning them up yourself. A mixed box gives guests more choice, but check how many packs there are of each variety: some flavours may be more common than others. For example, Albert Heijn lists Lay's boxes containing 20 and 30 packs.
You want to pack the same snack each time. A multipack with one flavour makes this predictable, but do check the weight per pack. Albert Heijn lists a Pringles Original 12-pack containing twelve 40 g tubes.
You want to know exactly what you’re buying, rather than judging by the size of the box alone. Compare the number of packs, the weight per pack and the total net weight. Jumbo, for example, lists its own-brand sharing bags in packs of 15 × 25 g.
First, decide how many individual portions you want to hand out and whether a choice of flavours matters. Then check the weight per pack and the information on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and variety | Count the packs and check how many of each flavour or snack type are in the box. | If I want guests to have a choice, I need enough individual packs and a suitable mix. Around 50% of consumers put portions and variety first. |
| Consistent portion size | Compare the weight per pack and check whether all the portions are the same size. | For a lunchbox, I want to know in advance what portion I’m packing, without having to measure it out each time. For around 30% of consumers, this predictability matters most. |
| Contents and nutritional information | Check the total net weight and the nutritional information for the exact variety, preferably per 100 g and per portion. | I want to compare packs based on their actual contents and see what’s in one portion. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Fifteen, twenty or thirty packs don’t tell you much about how many crisps you’re getting: the weight per pack can vary.
Check the number of packs, the weight per pack and the total net weight. This gives you a better idea of whether the box is suitable for the number of guests.
Ingredients can vary between the products in a mixed box. The Lay's boxes described here include products in the mix that contain milk, lactose and soya.
If anyone has a known allergy, check the ingredients and allergens for every variety included on the packaging, not just the front of the box.
Small packs don’t all weigh the same. And an individual bag tells you nothing about the nutritional value of its contents.
Check the weight in grams per pack and the nutritional information for the product you choose. For more variety in a lunchbox, you could also consider vegetables or fruit; the Voedingscentrum lists these as snacks for children.
A product’s ingredients can change, so an ingredients list you read previously may not match the packaging you receive.
Check the label on the multipack you actually receive just before serving, especially if ingredients or allergens are important.
Albert Heijn lists Lay's party boxes containing 20 and 30 packs for anyone looking to hand out individual snacks to a group.
The Original 12-pack listed by Albert Heijn contains twelve 40 g packs of the same flavour.
Jumbo lists its own-brand sharing bags in packs of 15 × 25 g, alongside other crisps packs.
Snack Day is Lidl’s own brand for savoury snacks; Lidl also lists a crisps multipack containing 15 bags.
Albert Heijn lists Lay's party boxes and the Pringles Original 12-pack, among other products, with pack counts and product information.
These Joybuy products are mixed multipacks for handing out individual snacks at a Christmas party. Choose the number of packs to suit your group, and check the ingredients for each variety in your chosen mix.
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An option if you want to hand out individual snacks from a mixed box to a group. The product name lists two packs of 15; check the number of each variety and the ingredients before serving them to your guests.
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A mixed box to consider if 15 individual packs suit the size of your party. Check which varieties are included and read the ingredients on the packaging if you need to take allergies into account.
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For a party where you want to offer 20 individual snacks and a choice of varieties. Joybuy describes this Mega Box as containing a range of flavours; check which snacks are included and read the ingredients for each one separately.
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A mixed box for when you’re looking for snacks to share with a larger group. The product name lists two packs of 12; check the weight per bag and the ingredients for each variety if these are important to your choice.
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A mixed multipack to consider if 12 individual snacks are right for the number of guests. Before buying, check the mix of varieties and the weight per bag; read the ingredients on the packaging before handing them out.
Start with the number of guests and decide whether everyone will have their own bag or whether you’ll be serving other snacks too. Albert Heijn lists Lay's party boxes containing 20 and 30 packs. Also check how many bags there are of each flavour, so the mix suits your group.
No. First compare the weight per bag and the nutritional information for the exact variety. Individual packaging makes snacks easy to hand out, but small bags don’t all contain the same amount, and the packaging doesn’t change the nutritional value.
Read the ingredients and allergen information for every snack variety on the box. The Lay's boxes described here include products containing milk, lactose or soya, among other ingredients, so don’t assume there’s just one ingredients list for the whole mix.
Use the online information to help you choose in advance, but check the label on the pack you receive before handing it out. Albert Heijn says that ingredients and allergen information can change.
