If you want to take organic crisps with you for a quick morning snack, first check the organic certification on the packaging. Then choose a type of crisp that suits what you want to compare: a simple potato crisp, a lentil crisp or a vegetable crisp. Compare the serving size, ingredients and nutritional values on the current label. A bag of crisps on its own is not a complete breakfast.
For a quick morning snack, you don’t want to rely solely on words such as ‘natural’ or ‘pure’. According to the European Commission, for pre-packed organic food from the EU you can look for the EU organic logo, the code of the control body and the indication of origin.
You’re looking for something savoury that you can grab and take with you, but you also want to know how much you’re eating. So compare the stated serving size with the contents of the bag and check the nutritional values per serving.
You want to see how lentil or vegetable crisps compare with potato crisps in terms of ingredients, fibre, protein and salt. The fact that they’re made from vegetables or pulses alone doesn’t tell you about their nutritional value.
Choose a type of crisp based on its flavour and the nutritional values that matter to you. Check the organic certification and serving size for each type separately.
When: You want a savoury potato crisp with a short ingredients list. Jumbo lists potato, sunflower oil and sea salt for its organic ready-salted crisps.
Trade-off: Even a simple ingredients list doesn’t make crisps a complete breakfast.
When: You want to compare the protein content of a different type of crisp. Jumbo lists 12 g of protein per 100 g for BioToday Lentil Crisps Sea Salt.
Trade-off: Also compare salt and energy: the same variety lists 1.7 g of salt and 442 kcal per 100 g.
When: You’re looking for variety in ingredients and flavour. Jumbo lists beetroot, parsnip, sweet potato and potato in its vegetable crisps.
Trade-off: Having vegetables in the name doesn’t mean the crisps are lighter. Compare the nutritional values of the specific products.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | For a pre-packed organic product from the EU, check for the EU organic logo, the code of the control body and the indication of origin. | If I’m specifically looking for organic crisps, I want to be able to check the certification on the pack. Around 40% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Portion for the journey | Check the serving size, the number of servings per bag and the nutritional values per serving. | When I’m on the go, I want to be able to grab something quickly without treating the whole bag as one serving. That’s why around 30% of consumers prioritise the portion size. |
| Ingredients and nutrition | Compare ingredients, energy, salt, fibre and protein per 100 g and per serving. | If crisps are part of my breakfast, I want to know what nutrients my chosen type provides. For around 30% of consumers, ingredients and nutrition are the first things they consider. |
The EU organic logo indicates organic certification, not nutritional value. Crisps are still a snack, even when they’re organic.
Check the organic certification separately from the nutrition label, and include other foods as part of breakfast. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre uses the Wheel of Five as a guide to putting meals together.
According to Jumbo’s product information, its organic vegetable crisps with potato contain 491 kcal and 27.8 g of fat per 100 g. Jumbo’s organic ready-salted crisps list 461 kcal and 22.1 g of fat per 100 g. These are two specific products, not a statement about all vegetable crisps.
Compare the labels of the varieties you’re considering, using the same quantity and the serving size you plan to eat.
Jumbo’s product pages list five servings for the bag of ready-salted crisps and three for the bag of BioToday Lentil Crisps Sea Salt.
Decide how much you want to take with you and check the nutritional information for that amount, not just for the whole pack.
Lidl lists its organic vegetable crisps as an in-store-only product.
Check how the product is currently sold before counting on being able to order it online.
Albert Heijn has individual product pages for various crisps in its AH Biologisch range, including ready-salted, paprika and vegetable crisps.
Jumbo provides product information for organic ready-salted and vegetable crisps, as well as BioToday lentil crisps.
Lidl lists its organic vegetable crisps in a 100 g pack as an in-store product.
For pre-packed organic food from the EU, look for the EU organic logo, the code of the control body and the indication of origin of the agricultural raw materials. According to the European Commission, the logo may only appear on products that have been certified as organic in accordance with the applicable requirements.
No. Organic certification doesn’t make crisps a complete breakfast. Consider their nutritional value separately and include other foods as part of breakfast; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre uses the Wheel of Five as a guide.
Use both: comparing products per 100 g gives you a like-for-like basis, while the serving size shows what’s in the amount you plan to eat. Also check how many servings are in the bag.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and seal the bag well after opening. Jumbo says to store its organic ready-salted and vegetable crisps in a cool, dark, dry place. For BioToday Lentil Crisps, the product information says to store them in a cool, dry place in a sealed pack.
No. Check how the specific product is sold. Lidl lists its organic vegetable crisps as available in store only, while stocks last.
