If you need to avoid gluten or another allergen, choose crisps based on the current packaging and the information relevant to your needs. A flavour name such as Original doesn’t offer that reassurance. Crisps can be part of your post-workout snack, but they don’t automatically make a meal: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises runners to eat something containing both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of exercise.
What matters to you is what the packaging says about the ingredients and the possible presence of allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on labels; also check any warnings relevant to your circumstances.
You’re looking for something savoury after exercise, without treating crisps as a complete meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises runners to think about carbohydrates, protein and fluids after exercise, too.
You might be comparing a lactose-free, wheat-free or plant-based option, or crisps made from something other than potatoes. Consider each requirement separately: a gluten-free claim on a product says nothing by itself about milk, soya or whether it’s suitable for vegans.
When choosing crisps for after exercise, start by deciding what matters most to you. A strict requirement around ingredients or allergens calls for different label checks from choosing a flavour or portion size.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and allergens | If you avoid gluten, check for a gluten-free claim, as well as the ingredients and warnings about any other relevant allergens on the packaging you choose. | If I need to avoid gluten or another allergen, I don’t want to rely on a flavour name. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this reassurance from the label. |
| How they fit alongside other food | Compare the nutritional information per portion and decide what you’ll eat and drink alongside the crisps. | After exercise, I want to know how the snack fits in with my meal. For around 29% of consumers, this combination is the main consideration. |
| Choice of ingredients | Compare what the crisps are made from and check each requirement, such as lactose-free or vegan, against the label separately. | I’m looking for a particular ingredient or want to avoid a specific one, without treating different claims as interchangeable. This is the priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Flavour and portion size | Compare pack sizes and the nutritional information per portion. Don’t assume that Original means free from allergens. | If I mainly want a savoury snack, the flavour and quantity need to suit the occasion. For around 14% of consumers, practical use is the main consideration. |
A flavour name doesn’t tell you which allergens are present. For example, Pringles lists wheat flour as an ingredient in Pringles Original.
Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact flavour and pack you’re buying.
A gluten claim doesn’t answer questions about milk, soya or other ingredients. Albert Heijn sells Schär Curvies Original as gluten-free and lactose-free; check any warning about milk separately.
Check every ingredient or allergen you need to avoid separately on the current label.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises runners to eat something containing both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of exercising. Choosing crisps alone doesn’t answer what else you should have at that eating occasion.
Decide what you’ll eat and drink alongside the crisps, taking your own ingredient requirements into account.
Allergen information on packaging can change. Lay’s also reminds consumers that warnings on its packaging may be updated.
Compare online product information with the label on the pack you actually receive.
Albert Heijn sells Schär Curvies Original with gluten-free, lactose-free and wheat-free claims.
Jumbo lists Eat Real lentil and hummus crisps in its range of gluten-free crisps and savoury snacks.
Lay’s describes Oven Baked Original as oven-baked crisps.
Pringles Original is a stackable crisp, and Pringles lists wheat flour as an ingredient.
Jumbo lists various types of crisps and savoury snacks in its gluten-free range, including products from other brands.
These okra, plantain, taro and cassava crisps are snack options to consider alongside your post-workout food. Check each option separately to make sure the packaging meets your ingredient and allergen requirements.
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Okra crisps to compare if you’re looking for a different type of snack; the pack contains 25 g.
Check the gluten-free claim and allergen information on the packaging. Also compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion before deciding how the crisps fit into a post-workout meal.
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Salted plantain crisps to compare if you’re looking for something made from something other than potatoes; the pack contains 85 g.
If you need to avoid gluten or an allergen, read the specific claims and warnings on the packaging. A general allergen statement isn’t the same as an explicit gluten-free claim.
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Taro crisps with a sea salt flavour to try if you’re looking for a different base; the pack contains 50 g.
Check the current label against any gluten-free requirement and other allergen needs. Don’t compare nutritional values per 100 g directly with those for a portion you’ve eaten.
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Cassava crisps to compare if you’re looking for a different base; the pack contains 100 g.
The product information lists soya oil and possible traces of peanuts. Check this information and any other requirements on the packaging before choosing.
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Chilli-flavoured cassava crisps to compare if you’re looking for a spicy snack; the pack contains 250 g.
Check the ingredients, nutritional information and any claims relevant to your allergen or ingredient requirements on the packaging. Don’t rely on the product category alone.
Crisps on their own aren’t a substitute for a meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises runners to eat something containing both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of exercise and to pay attention to fluids, too. So, think about what else you’ll have alongside the crisps.
No, a gluten-free claim says nothing by itself about milk or soya. Check the individual ingredients and allergen warnings on the packaging, even if the product is also described as lactose-free.
Use online information to compare products, but check the packaging you actually bought before eating. Ingredients, nutritional information and allergen warnings can change.
Allergens present as ingredients must be clearly identified in the ingredients list. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains this mandatory labelling for 14 allergens; also read any warnings on the label about possible traces.
