People who want every bag to be vegan
If you want to pack each bag without animal-derived ingredients, check the exact flavour and the current packaging. With one flavour, you have fewer recipes to check, but the flavour name alone isn't enough.
Who are individual bags useful for?
Families and organisations sharing out portions
Individual bags are handy if you want to divide crisps between several lunchboxes or break times. Jumbo lists a box of twenty 40 g bags for Lay's Original; the portion size doesn't replace checking the ingredients.
People looking for variety
An assorted box offers different flavours, but each variety needs to be checked. The Lay's Mega box described by Albert Heijn also contains snacks with lactose, whey powder or cheese powder.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start by checking the ingredients in every flavour included. Then see whether the number of bags and the weight of each one suit the lunchboxes you're buying them for.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients in each flavour | Read the current ingredients list for every variety and look out for milk, whey and cheese, among other ingredients. If you're unsure about an ingredient, ask the manufacturer for clarification. | If every bag in my lunchbox needs to be free from animal-derived ingredients, I don't want to rely on the flavour name. For around 38% of consumers, checking the ingredients comes first. |
| Individual portions | Check how many individual bags are in the box and how many grams each bag contains. | I want to divide the bags between lunchboxes without having to portion out a large bag myself. This portion format is the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Varieties in an assorted box | Check the contents of the box and the ingredients in every flavour included; don't assume one variety represents the whole assortment. | I like having a choice, but I want to know in advance whether the other flavours meet my vegan requirements too. Around 31% of consumers prioritise checking the assortment. |
Common mistakes
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Judging an entire assorted box by one flavour
Albert Heijn lists varieties containing lactose, whey powder and cheese powder in the Lay's Mega box. Having an Original variety in the box doesn't automatically make the other bags suitable for a vegan lunchbox.
Check the contents and ingredients of each variety. If every bag needs to meet the same requirement, check the label on the pack you receive even when you're buying a box with just one flavour.
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Relying on the flavour name alone
A name such as Original or paprika doesn't tell you which ingredients are used in that specific variety. The name doesn't always reveal the source of an unclear ingredient either.
Check the ingredients list on the pack. If the source of an ingredient matters to your choice, ask the manufacturer for clarification.
Brands to consider
Lay's
Jumbo lists a Lay's Original multipack with twenty 40 g bags and an ingredients list for this flavour.
- You can assess the number of portions and the ingredients in this Original variety separately.
- Other Lay's products have different recipes: the Mega box at Albert Heijn also contains varieties with milk ingredients.
Pringles
Pringles Netherlands features Original, Paprika and Sour Cream & Onion, among other flavours.
- The range of flavours gives consumers a choice.
- Check the ingredients in the exact flavour and whether the pack you choose contains individual lunchbox portions; a tube isn't the same as a multipack of bags.
Jumbo
Jumbo's crisps range includes its own-brand Original and ridged crisps.
- You can compare the pack formats of different own-brand crisps.
- The larger bags listed by Jumbo aren't necessarily individual portion bags; check the ingredients for each product too.
Snack Day
Lidl offers, among other products, Original and paprika crisps under the Snack Day name.
- These flavours give you a starting point for comparing individual products.
- Check the ingredients on each pack and whether it contains individual bags; the brand name doesn't tell you either.
Crisps for individual lunchbox portions
This selection consists of individually packed plantain chips. Plantain chips are a different product from potato crisps, so check that this is the type of snack you're looking for. For vegan use, read the ingredients on the pack you receive.
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TG Salted Plantain Chips, 6 × 85 g
An option if you'd like to pack individual bags of salted plantain chips: the pack contains six 85 g bags. For vegan use, check the ingredients on the pack you receive; the portion size alone doesn't tell you which ingredients the crisps contain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose Lay's Original 20 x 40 g for vegan lunchboxes?
The ingredients list Jumbo provides for this exact box names potatoes, vegetable oils, salt and antioxidants, with no animal-derived ingredients listed. This doesn't confirm that the product is certified vegan; check the label on the box you receive before use.
Is an assorted Lay's Mega box suitable if every bag needs to be vegan?
Not the Mega box described by Albert Heijn: it also contains varieties with ingredients such as lactose, whey powder and cheese powder. If you choose a different assorted box, check every flavour included separately.
Do I need to check every flavour in a multipack separately?
Yes, if the multipack contains different flavours and every bag needs to meet your vegan requirements. Read the ingredients for each variety; if you're unsure about the source of an ingredient, ask the manufacturer for clarification.