Choose a multipack of crisps if you want to take a pre-packed savoury snack with you. A small bag helps you control the amount, but it doesn’t automatically make crisps suitable just before exercise. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods immediately before exercise, so check the timing and nutritional information as well as the pack size.
If you want to take something with you shortly before a training session, timing and portion size matter more than the ‘pre-workout’ label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating a large portion or food high in fat, protein or fibre immediately before exercise.
An individual bag is easier to fit into a lunchbox or gym bag than an opened large bag. Multipacks described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo show that individual packs range from 22 g and 27.5 g to 40 g each.
Each type of snack in a flavour mix may have a different ingredients list. Check each type of bag separately, especially if you have allergies. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens must be listed on the label of pre-packed foods.
First decide when you want to eat the snack and how much you want to take with you. Then compare the individual packs, ingredients and nutritional information: the total weight of the box doesn’t tell you how much you’ll have at one snack break.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Timing before training | Consider how much time there is between eating the snack and exercising, and compare the portion size and fat content on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large, high-fat portions immediately before exercise. | If I’m eating shortly before setting off, I don’t want to take a large portion. Around 37% of consumers put timing and quantity first. |
| Portion and packaging | Compare the number of individual packs and the weight of each one. Multipacks described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo include 22 g and 27.5 g bags, and 40 g tubes. | I want to be able to prepare a set amount for my lunchbox or gym bag; around 27% of consumers prioritise individual portions. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check the allergens for each flavour and compare fat and salt per 100 g and per portion. A mix may contain different types of snacks. | If I need to consider ingredients or allergens, I can’t rely on the name of the mix. Around 27% of consumers are expected to put these checks first. |
| Flavour variety | Check which snacks and flavours are in the box, and whether you’ll actually want to use each individual pack. | If I’m spreading the snacks over several occasions, I want the flavours to suit my preferences; around 9% of consumers place the most importance on variety. |
Individual bags make snacks easier to carry and portion out, but they don’t change what crisps are made of. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods immediately before exercise.
Choose a pack size for convenience, then consider separately whether the timing and amount suit your plans.
A box may combine potato crisps, corn snacks and different flavours. Ingredients and allergens can therefore vary between individual products.
If you have an allergy, check the current information for each type of bag, including any statements about the possible presence of allergens.
Albert Heijn lists Lay's Oven Baked Natural as containing 13 g of fat per 100 g, compared with 30 g per 100 g for the Lay's Natural described. That difference in one nutritional value doesn’t determine whether a product is suitable before exercise.
Also compare portion size, energy and salt on the current packaging, and take the timing before your training session into account.
With a large bag, the amount for one snack break isn’t pre-set, even though that may be exactly why you’re looking for a multipack.
Check that the pack really does contain individual portions and that the weight of each one suits what you want to take with you.
Worth considering if you want to compare small individual bags, flavour mixes or an oven-baked option.
Worth considering if you’d rather take an individual 40 g tube than a small bag.
Worth considering if you also want to compare standard own-brand bags with individually packed snacks.
Lidl’s own crisps and snacks brand is worth considering if you want to explore other flavours and pack formats too.
This selection includes mixed boxes, 40 g bags and 40 g tubes. For a snack on the go, compare the amount in each individual pack; with a mix, you’ll also need to check each type of snack.
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A mix for anyone who wants to spread individual snacks across several trips out.
The product name lists 20 pieces. Check the ingredients and weight of each individual pack for each type of snack before choosing a portion to eat just before exercise.
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A mix for anyone who wants to prepare individual snacks for a bag or lunchbox in advance.
The product name lists 15 pieces. Check the ingredients and nutritional information for each snack separately; a small pack alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable just before a training session.
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For anyone who wants to take one pre-packed portion per snack break and finds a 40 g bag suitable.
According to the product name, this multipack contains ten 40 g portions. Each one is larger than the 27.5 g bags in the Lay's Party Mix described by Jumbo, so bear that difference in mind if eating shortly before exercise.
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For anyone who wants to take an individual tube and is happy with 40 g per snack break.
The product name lists twelve 40 g portions. If you have allergies, check the current label; Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for the Pringles Original 12-pack described, and says it may contain milk and soya.
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A mix to consider if you want to spread different snacks across several occasions.
The product name gives the weight of the whole pack as 180 g. Check the weight of each individual portion and the ingredients for each flavour if you want to take the mix in a lunchbox or gym bag.
Not necessarily: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods immediately before exercise. If you still want to eat crisps, consider the timing, amount and nutritional information for the specific product.
No. A small bag only sets the amount in the pack in advance. The snack’s ingredients and the time between eating and exercising also matter.
Fat content depends on the specific product. Albert Heijn lists Lay's Oven Baked Natural as containing 13 g of fat per 100 g, and the standard Lay's Natural described as containing 30 g per 100 g. Also compare energy, salt and portion size on the current label.
Check the allergen information for each type of snack on the current packaging, not just the name on the box. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens must be listed on the label of pre-packed foods.
