When choosing crisps for your gym bag, don’t rely on words such as ‘light’ or ‘oven-baked’: compare the fat, saturated fat, salt and energy per 100 g on the current label, as well as for the portion you’re taking with you. Lay’s says its Oven Baked crisps contain 50% less fat than regular potato crisps; that comparison alone tells you nothing about the salt content or energy per portion.
You want to pack something savoury and compare crisps by their fat content. Lay’s says its Oven Baked crisps contain 50% less fat than regular potato crisps. Also check the rest of the nutritional information on the pack.
You want to decide in advance how many crisps to put in your gym bag. So don’t just check the values per 100 g: also look at the serving size on the label and how much you’re packing.
Don’t assume that a lower fat content means less salt or that the ingredients list is right for you. Check the nutritional information and, if relevant to your choice, the allergens on the current packaging.
First decide what matters most to you: fat content, a measured portion, other nutritional values or the ingredients. Then compare products on the same basis.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Less fat | Compare the fat content per 100 g and check what a ‘less fat’ claim is comparing the product with. | I want to take potato crisps with me, but fat content is the main reason I’d choose a different variety. For around 33% of consumers, demonstrably lower fat comes first. |
| Portion size and taking them with you | Check the serving size on the label and decide how much you’ll actually pack. | If I want something savoury while I’m out, I’d rather take a measured amount than a whole bag. Around 27% of consumers prioritise portion control for this reason. |
| Salt and other nutritional values | Compare energy, saturated fat and salt per 100 g and for the portion you eat. | I want to know what else a lower-fat variety contains nutritionally before choosing it. For around 27% of consumers, salt and other nutritional values matter most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging. | If particular ingredients or allergens determine my choice, the pack must meet those requirements first. That’s the top priority for around 13% of consumers. |
That kind of claim doesn’t tell you how much salt, energy or saturated fat is in the portion you’ve chosen.
Compare the same nutritional values per 100 g on both packs, and also take into account how much you’re taking with you.
Albert Heijn lists a 30 g serving of Lay’s Oven Baked Naturel and five servings per bag. So the nutritional values for one serving don’t describe the whole pack.
Check the number of servings on your pack and put the amount you want into a separate container before you leave.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
When ingredients or allergens matter to your choice, check the current packaging when you buy the product.
Lay’s offers products including Oven Baked Naturel and Light Naturel, which you can compare with regular potato crisps.
Albert Heijn lists products including AH Light chips naturel and AH Ribbelchips naturel minder vet.
Jumbo’s range of plain crisps includes products such as Lay’s Oven Baked, Lay’s Light and Jumbo-chips naturel.
Pringles’ Dutch product page shows a range of flavours of stackable crisps.
Lidl presents Snack Day as its own brand of crisps and other savoury snacks.
These two packs contain oven-baked crisps to consider if you want to take something savoury in your gym bag. Check their current labels before choosing based on fat content or portion size.
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An option if you want to take oven-baked potato crisps with you and measure out a portion from the bag.
Check the nutritional values and serving size on the current packaging before deciding how much to put in your gym bag.
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An oven-baked crisp variety with sea salt to compare with other crisps when you want something savoury to pack.
The bag contains 125 g. Check the serving size on the current label and compare fat, saturated fat, salt and energy on the same basis as your other choice.
No. A lower fat content alone doesn’t tell you whether crisps are suitable as a regular snack around exercise. Also compare the portion, energy, saturated fat and salt. According to the Voedingscentrum, snacks can be high in energy, salt, sugar or saturated fat.
Compare energy, fat, saturated fat and salt per 100 g and for the amount you’re taking with you. As a reference, the Voedingscentrum gives average values of 216 kcal, 13,4 g fat, 3,6 g saturated fat and 0,45 g salt for a 40 g bowl of plain crisps; the values for a specific product may differ.
Check the current packaging of the product you’re buying. Albert Heijn warns that online product information about ingredients and allergens can change; Lidl also refers shoppers to the packaging for this information about its food products.
