Anyone buying lunch for the office
If everyone needs their own sealed portion, individual bags are easier to hand out than crisps from a large bag. As well as checking the number of bags, look at the weight of each one.
Who are individual portions useful for?
A team with different snack preferences
A mixed box can be a good choice if not everyone wants the same flavour. Check how the contents are divided, though: a mix of potato crisps and other snacks is different from a selection of potato crisp flavours.
Anyone buying for colleagues with allergies
Check the exact product and its current packaging before handing out the portions. Allergens can vary between flavours and snack types.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether everyone needs their own bag or tube. Then compare the amount in each portion, the flavour selection and the ingredients for the people who’ll be eating them.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portions | Compare the number of bags or tubes and the weight of each one. | If I want to put out a sealed portion for every colleague, I don’t want to have to divide crisps from a large bag first. Around 46% of consumers say this convenience is their top priority. |
| Flavours and snack types | Check how many of each flavour and type of snack are in the pack. | For a lunch break with a range of preferences, I want to be able to choose from the options available without assuming every mix is divided equally. Around 36% of consumers give this choice top priority. |
| Ingredients and packaging | Check the current ingredients, allergens and portion size of the exact product. | When I’m buying for others, I need to know what they can take from the box before handing out the bags. For around 18% of consumers, this check matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Comparing only the number of items
Fifteen 25 g bags, fifteen 27.5 g bags and twelve 40 g tubes are different portion sizes. So the number of items alone doesn’t tell you how many crisps each person will get.
Check both the number of portions and the weight of each bag or tube.
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Assuming a mixed pack offers unlimited choice
Jumbo says that Lay's Party Mix contains five bags of each of its three varieties. Jumbo’s multipack divides its fifteen bags between plain and paprika flavours. In both cases, the selection is fixed in advance.
Compare the number of bags for each flavour with what your colleagues actually want to eat.
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Checking allergens only when handing out the snacks
A mixed box isn’t automatically suitable for everyone. Ingredients and allergens can vary between the individual snacks.
Check the information for the exact product before buying, then check the current packaging again before handing out the portions.
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Treating a large bag like a multipack
A standard bag doesn’t contain individually wrapped lunch portions. Once opened, you’ll need to divide up the crisps yourself and reseal the bag.
Choose individual bags if handing them out straight away matters more than serving crisps from a shared bag.
You may also need separate containers to portion them out.
Relevant brands and own-label options
Lay's
Lay's multipacks are worth considering if you’re looking for individual bags and a choice of flavours or snack types.
- Jumbo lists fifteen 27.5 g bags in its Party Mix: five plain, five paprika and five Bugles Nacho Cheese.
- For mixed boxes, check the allergens in each snack. A mix isn’t automatically suitable for every colleague.
Pringles
Pringles Original is an alternative if you’d prefer individual tubes to small, flat bags.
- Albert Heijn lists a 12-pack; Pringles Netherlands lists 40 g as an available tube size for Original.
- According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Pringles Original contains wheat and cereals containing gluten, and may contain milk and soya.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s multipack is an own-label option if plain and paprika are enough choice for your office lunch.
- Jumbo lists fifteen 25 g bags: eight salted and seven paprika.
- The multipack offers these two flavours. Check the allergen information on the packaging too.
Snack Day
Snack Day is Lidl’s own brand of crisps and snacks. Lidl describes a multipack containing fifteen bags of different types of crisps.
- The individual bags make this format suitable for separate lunch portions.
- Check the label on the pack you buy for the flavour selection and ingredients.
Albert Heijn
At Albert Heijn, you can compare multipacks with standard bags of crisps for a shared office supply.
- A standard bag can work if you’d rather divide up the crisps yourself than give everyone a sealed portion.
- A large bag isn’t a multipack and needs to be resealed once opened. Albert Heijn recommends checking the packaging, as product information can change.
Multipacks on Joybuy
These packs contain individual bags or tubes for an office lunch. Compare the quantity and size of each product: a mixed box and a Pringles multipack won’t suit exactly the same preferences.
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Lay's Fun Mix Box Crisps, 2 x 15 bags
This pack is a good choice if you want to set out individual bags for several lunch breaks.
The bundle contains two 15-packs. Check the portion size and allergens on the exact pack before buying for a group.
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Lay's Fun Mix Box Crisps, 15-pack
A 15-pack is a good option if you want individual bags without buying two boxes straight away.
Before handing out the bags, check the contents, the weight of each bag and the allergen information on the packaging.
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Pringles Original Crisps, 12 × 40 g
The individual tubes are handy if you want each person to take or receive a tube instead of a small bag of crisps.
Each tube contains 40 g. Check the current ingredients and allergens on the packaging for the people you’re buying for.
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Lay's Doritos Chill Box, 2 × 12 bags
This bundle is a good choice if you want to set out individual portions for more than one lunch break.
Before buying, compare the weight of each bag and check the ingredients and allergens in the individual snacks.
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Lay's Doritos Chill Box, 12 bags
This 12-pack is a good choice if you need a smaller quantity of individual bags for an office lunch.
Check the packaging to see how much is in each bag and which ingredients and allergens apply to the contents.
Frequently asked questions
How many bags do I need for an office lunch?
Allow one individual portion per person if everyone is having one snack. A 15-pack will serve up to fifteen people; if you’re buying a larger box, check that the mix of flavours and snack types suits the group too.
Can I offer a mixed box of crisps to all my colleagues?
Not without checking the allergens in the exact product. According to Jumbo’s product information, Lay's Party Mix contains milk and may also contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat. For Pringles Original, Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten, with the possible presence of milk and soya. Check the current packaging before handing anything out.
Is the online ingredients list enough when buying for a group?
Use the online information to compare products in advance, but check the packaging of the product you receive as well. Dutch government information via Ondernemersplein explains which label details must also be available online; product information and packaging can change.
How should I store crisps for the next lunch break?
Keep unopened portions in their packaging and check the best-before date. Reseal a large bag securely once opened; there’s no need to do this for any individual bags that remain unopened.