If you’d like to enjoy crisps now and then during marathon training while keeping an eye on calories, compare the energy per 100 g and decide how much you want to eat. Albert Heijn lists 428 kcal per 100 g for Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel and 461 kcal per 100 g for AH Ribbelchips naturel minder vet; Pringles lists 528 kcal per 100 g for Original. Keep this snack separate from your fuelling plan for a long run: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, prolonged, intensive exercise calls for careful attention to fluids and carbohydrates.
You’d like to enjoy crisps now and then during your marathon training without losing sight of your planned portion. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, then decide how much you want to eat; a label such as ‘less fat’ doesn’t tell you how many kcal are in your portion.
You fancy something savoury, but want to avoid a large or fatty snack too close to your training. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods just before exercise; try a different mealtime first on a routine training day.
You’re planning longer runs and want to think of crisps as a snack, rather than counting them as fuel during your run. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre treats fluids and fast-absorbing carbohydrates as separate considerations for prolonged exercise.
Choose crisps for a separate snack, not as a solution for fuelling a long run. For that snack, compare kcal per 100 g first, then consider how much you’ll actually eat.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and portion size | Compare kcal per 100 g and decide how many grams you want to eat; don’t estimate the energy in a portion based only on ‘less fat’. | If I want to eat crisps without losing sight of my planned amount, I want to know how much energy that amount provides. For around 45% of consumers, calories and portion size would be their main concern when buying. |
| When you eat | Take your training time into account and avoid a large, high-fat portion just before running, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises. | Just before a run, I don’t want to choose a snack that could feel heavy on my stomach. Timing and stomach comfort would be the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Fuelling for long runs | For prolonged, intensive exercise, make a separate plan for fluids and carbohydrates; treat crisps as a snack. | Before a long run, I don’t want to confuse my fuelling plan with a snack of crisps. Around 22% of consumers would see this distinction as their top priority. |
A fat claim doesn’t tell you the whole story about a product’s energy content. Albert Heijn lists 428 kcal per 100 g for Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel and 461 kcal per 100 g for AH Ribbelchips naturel minder vet; Pringles lists 528 kcal per 100 g for Original.
Compare the same quantity, preferably per 100 g, then work out the energy content for the portion you want to eat.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, large portions and high-fat foods can stay in your stomach for longer if you eat them just before exercise. For prolonged, intensive exercise, fluids and carbohydrates need to be considered separately.
Plan to eat crisps at another time, and try any changes to what you eat before training on a routine training day first.
Albert Heijn lists an average portion of 30 g for Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel and a 25 g portion for AH Ribbelchips naturel minder vet. This means the kcal per listed portion are based on different weights.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g first, then serve yourself the amount you want to eat.
If you have allergies, the product name and flavour aren’t enough to assess the ingredients. Pringles lists wheat for Original, and says it may contain milk and soya; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information on the labels of pre-packed foods.
Before eating, check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack you’ve bought.
The Oven Baked range is worth considering when comparing the nutritional value of crisps. The figures for Naturel apply to that specific flavour, not automatically to other flavours.
AH Ribbelchips naturel minder vet is a specific own-brand product you can compare with a branded option, as long as you compare the same quantity.
In this comparison, Pringles Original is a standard flavour to compare with, rather than a calorie-conscious alternative.
These Joybuy products are crisps for anyone planning a snack separately from their running training. Before choosing, check the nutritional information per 100 g for the flavour in question and decide on your own portion; the values for Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel don’t automatically apply to Mediterranean Herbs.
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An option if you’d like to keep crisps for a separate snack and decide on your own portion. The bag contains 125 g; check the nutritional information on the pack before deciding how much to eat.
Don’t use crisps as a substitute for your plan for fluids and carbohydrates during a long run. If you have allergies, check the packaging for this flavour.
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An option if you want to check the nutritional information for a specific flavour of crisps for a planned snack. The bag contains 150 g; decide on your portion separately from the total weight of the bag.
Don’t assume the nutritional values for Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel apply to Mediterranean Herbs. Check the allergens on the pack too, especially if you need to avoid milk.
Not as your main fuel while running. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, consuming 30 to 60 g of fast-absorbing carbohydrates per hour during endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours may improve performance; for prolonged, intensive exercise, you should also plan your fluid intake. Treat crisps as a separate snack.
A large portion of crisps just before a run doesn’t fit with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to avoid large portions and high-fat foods shortly before exercise. Choose when to eat with your training in mind, and try any changes on a routine training day first.
Don’t rely on crisps alone as a meal after a hard training session. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises eating something containing carbohydrates and protein after exercise, for example as part of a meal; treat any crisps you have as a separate snack.
Check the allergen information on the packaging of the flavour you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the allergen labelling requirements for pre-packed foods; Pringles lists wheat for Original and says it may contain milk and soya.
