Choose a box of individual bags if you want to hand out portions or offer a choice of flavours during the school holidays. A large bag or tube is better if you’d rather portion them yourself. When buying a multipack, check the number of bags, the weight per portion and the ingredients of each variety, especially if you’re buying for a group.
If you have several snack breaks during the school holidays, individual bags make it easier to prepare portions in advance. A variety box also offers different flavours, as long as the group will actually eat them.
If you’re stocking up on crisps for different occasions, it helps to know how many packs there are and the weight of each bag. With a large bag, you’ll need to portion them out yourself once it’s open.
If nutritional information or allergens are a concern, the exact variety matters more than the name of the variety box. Different snacks in the same box may have different ingredients.
First decide whether you need individual portions or would rather serve snacks from a large pack yourself. Then compare the contents, and if you’re buying a variety pack, check the information for each individual snack.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portioning snacks | Count the individual bags and check the weight of each one; bags in a variety pack may not all be the same size. | If I’m handing out snacks to children or guests at different times, I want to know in advance how many portions I’ll have. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise portioning. |
| Enough for several occasions | Compare the total net weight and number of packs with how much you actually plan to use. | When I’m buying snacks to last for several occasions, the amount of usable product in the pack matters to me. Around 27% of consumers would have this as their main concern. |
| Nutritional information | Read the nutritional information for the exact variety, per 100 g and per portion, paying particular attention to energy, salt and fat. | When I’m planning snacks for children, I want to compare the portion size with the nutritional information on the label. This would be the main priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | For a variety box, check the ingredients and allergens for each different type of snack on the current packaging. | If someone in the group needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know what’s in each individual bag. Around 13% of consumers would put these checks first. |
A box may contain snacks made with different recipes. So the ingredient information on the front isn’t enough to assess every item for the same group.
Read the information for each individual variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
Having lots of individual bags makes sharing easy, but it doesn’t change the nutritional value of crisps. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 215 kcal for an average 40 g bowl of crisps; exact products may differ.
Plan snack occasions separately from the pack size, and check the nutritional information per portion for the crisps you choose.
As well as individual crisp varieties, Lay's offers variety boxes with separate bags, including boxes with different numbers of portions.
Pringles Original is available in different tube sizes. Small individual tubes are another way to hand out snacks, rather than choosing a box of mixed flavours.
Albert Heijn’s range includes Lay's variety boxes with 20 and 30 individual portions.
Snack Day is a Lidl range of crisps and snacks, including plain, paprika, bolognese and cheese and onion varieties.
These Joybuy products are variety boxes with bags or multipacks of small tubes for individual snack occasions. Choose according to the flavours you want, the number of packs and the information for the exact variety.
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A selection of individual bags for anyone who wants to hand out different snacks. If you have a milk or soya allergy, check the labels on each item, and look at the weight per bag before comparing portions.
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A selection to share over separate snack occasions. The pack contains 180 g; check the ingredients if soya is a concern for anyone in your group.
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The two sets of 15 bags are ideal if you want to prepare individual packs for several sharing occasions. If you have allergies, read the labels for the different snacks and look out for information about milk, gluten, soya and wheat.
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Twelve individual 40 g tubes are a good choice if you want to hand out small packs of one flavour. If you have allergies, check the label for this Red Pepper variety, particularly for information about wheat, gluten, milk and soya.
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A box of 12 individual bags for anyone who wants to share different snacks with a group. Check the pack for the weight, nutritional information and allergens in each variety.
Individual bags are more convenient if you want to prepare portions in advance for several people or occasions. With a large bag, you portion them yourself, so compare the weight per bag with the weight of the portions you plan to serve.
Start with the number of snack occasions you have planned and the people you want to share crisps with. Then check both the number of packs and the weight per portion: more bags don’t automatically mean larger portions.
Check the portion size and nutritional information for the crisps you choose, and don’t let the size of a multipack determine how often you offer them. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 215 kcal for an average 40 g bowl of crisps and recommends that children aged 4 to 12 choose mainly snacks from the Wheel of Five.
Yes. Before sharing a variety box with someone who has an allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information for every different type of snack. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens specified by law must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods; ingredients may vary between items in the same box.
