High-protein crisps can be a handy savoury snack for a school lunchbox if the amount of protein per serving matters to you. Also check the ingredients, allergens and salt content, and don’t treat the crisps as a replacement for lunch. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, most people who do sport don’t need a special protein product if they eat a varied diet.
Wants to take a savoury snack along and know how much protein a serving contains. A special protein product isn’t necessarily needed: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, most people who do sport can get enough protein from a varied diet.
Wants to add a snack without swapping out vegetables, fruit, wholegrain products or suitable sandwich fillings. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, these are important building blocks for food at school.
Needs clear information about ingredients and allergens. A label such as vegan or gluten-free doesn’t, by itself, tell you which other allergens a product may contain.
First decide how the snack will fit into the lunchbox. Then compare the amount you’ll pack, the nutritional information and the current product label.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per serving | Compare the protein per 100 g and in the amount you’ll pack. Albert Heijn lists 7,4 g of protein per 23 g bag of Body & Fit Smart protein chips Original. | After exercise, I want to know how much protein the snack portion actually contains. For around 40% of consumers, protein content is the main priority. |
| Place in the lunchbox | Check that the crisps are an extra snack, not a replacement for vegetables, fruit or wholegrain products. | When putting lunch together, I don’t want to replace regular lunch items with a bag of crisps. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this kind of lunch. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, even if a product is described as vegan or gluten-free. | If certain ingredients aren’t suitable for me, the packaging needs to make that clear. For around 20% of consumers, suitability based on ingredients is the main concern. |
| Serving size and portability | Check the net weight and whether you’ll pack one bag or measure out a serving from a larger pack. | For a lunchbox, I want to take an amount that I won’t need to measure out at school. This practical serving-size choice is the main priority for around 10% of consumers. |
This figure makes it easier to compare packs, but it doesn’t show how much protein is in the portion you’re taking with you. Albert Heijn lists a 25 g serving for AH Proteïne crisps paprika and 7,4 g of protein per 23 g bag of Body & Fit Smart protein chips Original.
Check both the value per 100 g and the serving size, then compare the amount you’ll actually take with you.
More protein in a snack doesn’t make it a replacement for a varied lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products among its recommendations for food at school.
Put the lunch together first, then decide whether there’s room for a serving of crisps as an extra snack.
Albert Heijn describes AH Proteïne crisps paprika as vegan and gluten-free, but also says it may contain milk, sesame, soya and lactose. Body & Fit Smart protein chips Original contains soya and may contain gluten.
Check the current packaging before packing the snack, and take account of any school rules or arrangements about allergens.
Albert Heijn’s listing for Body & Fit Smart protein chips Original states that the product is no longer in its range.
Before buying, check that the exact pack is available and that its nutritional information is still the same.
AH Proteïne crisps paprika is a lentil snack in a 70 g pack.
Smart protein chips Original is a snack in a 23 g bag.
Lay's Naturel is included here as a comparison with regular crisps, not as an example of high-protein crisps.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, most people who do sport don’t need a special protein product if they eat a varied diet. If a snack after school or exercise is convenient, consider the serving size and what else you’ll eat that day.
No. Treat high-protein crisps as a snack, not as a replacement for lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products among its recommendations for food at school.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging. Albert Heijn describes AH Proteïne crisps paprika as vegan and gluten-free, but says it may contain milk, sesame, soya and lactose; Body & Fit Smart protein chips Original contains soya and may contain gluten.
No. Protein content alone doesn’t determine whether crisps belong in a lunchbox. Also compare the serving size, salt content and ingredients, and consider what else will be included in the lunch.
