Snackers taking one portion in their gym bag
Want to pop a sealed bag in your gym bag without portioning out the crisps at home? A pack with a clearly stated number of bags and weight per bag, such as 20 x 40 g, makes choosing easy.
Which pack size is right for you?
Shoppers looking to share or stock up
If you’re buying for several snack occasions or to share at home, the total weight matters more than having one bag that’s ready to take with you. Check how many individual bags are included, or choose a sharing bag that you can portion out yourself.
Label checkers
If ingredients, allergens or nutritional information guide your choice, look beyond the flavour name. Compare the information per 100 g and per portion on the packaging of the product you’re buying.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want a sealed bag to take with you or prefer to portion the crisps out at home. Then check the amount in each pack and the label for the variety you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed portion to take with you | Check the number of bags and the weight per bag. A description such as 20 x 40 g tells you there are individual portions; the word ‘multipack’ on its own doesn’t. | I want to be able to take one sealed bag out of my gym bag after a workout, without decanting anything beforehand. Around 42% of consumers prioritise having a portion ready to take with them. |
| Label and ingredients | Compare the ingredients, highlighted allergens and nutritional information per 100 g or per portion. Don’t assess a fat claim without considering the rest of the label. | When choosing, I want to compare nutritional values and ingredients, and check for any allergens. Around 33% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
| Sharing and stocking up | Check the total weight and whether the pack contains individual bags or one sharing bag. If you’re buying a mix, check which flavours it contains too. | When buying for several occasions or people, I want to be able to share the crisps or spread them across different occasions. This is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a large bag contains individual portions
You can divide a 300 g bag between several snack occasions, but that doesn’t make it a pack of individually wrapped snacks for your gym bag.
Look for both the number of bags and the weight per bag on the packaging. Choose a sharing bag only if you’re happy to portion it out yourself.
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Assuming a product page guarantees availability
Albert Heijn listed its paprika 20-pack as discontinued. ALDI warns that promotional products may sell out.
Check current availability before relying on a specific pack size, and decide which alternative size would work for you.
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Assuming paprika flavour tells you about allergens
The flavour name doesn’t tell you which allergens a product contains. For example, Jumbo lists milk and sulphur dioxide/sulphites in Smiths Sticks Paprika.
If you have an allergy or intolerance, check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging, even if you already know the brand.
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Using a fat claim to judge the product’s overall nutrition
A comparison of fat content covers just one part of the nutritional information. Energy, salt, ingredients and how much you eat are separate things to consider.
Compare the nutritional information for the exact packs, looking at both the values per 100 g and the values for your portion.
Brands compared
Lay's
At Jumbo, Lay's Paprika is available in a 20 x 40 g pack; there’s also a larger bag if you’d rather portion it out yourself. Lay's also has an Oven Baked paprika variety.
- The 20 x 40 g format makes it clear that the pack contains individual bags.
- Don’t assume the Oven Baked variety is sold in the same multipack size; check the pack you’re considering.
AH
Albert Heijn’s product information describes a paprika 20-pack containing 20 x 40 g.
- The number of bags and the amount in each bag are clearly stated.
- Albert Heijn marked this 20-pack as discontinued. Check whether the size you want is currently available.
Sun Snacks
ALDI lists Sun Snacks paprika crisps in a 250 g bag, a size suited to sharing or portioning out yourself.
- The stated total weight is useful if you’re looking for a sharing bag.
- A 250 g bag doesn’t mean it contains individual bags to take with you.
Kraax
ALDI lists Kraax as its own brand, with both regular paprika crisps and ridged paprika crisps.
- Within the range listed, you can choose between regular crisps and ridged crisps.
- If you want a set portion for your gym bag, check whether the pack contains individual bags.
Smiths
Smiths Sticks Paprika 100 g is a potato and corn snack in stick form, rather than classic paprika crisps in individual gym bag-sized bags.
- The stick shape offers a different kind of snack if you’re not specifically looking for classic potato crisps.
- Jumbo lists milk and sulphur dioxide/sulphites in this product; if you have an allergy or intolerance, always check the current packaging.
Joybuy products for different needs
These products suit different ways of taking crisps with you: individual bags of paprika crisps, a mix to share, and a bag of Oven Baked paprika crisps that you can portion out yourself. If you’re considering a mix, check that it contains the paprika flavour you want and that the amount in each bag suits your needs.
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Pringles Red Pepper Flavoured Potato Chips, 12 x 40 g
For anyone who wants to pop an individual bag with paprika flavour in their gym bag. The pack is marked 12 x 40 g; check the current packaging for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
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Croky Sharing Mix, 180 g
For anyone who wants to take or share a range of flavours rather than just paprika. The pack states 180 g; check how many bags contain paprika flavour and how many grams are in each bag. If you have a soya allergy, check the current packaging.
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Lay's Oven Baked Paprika, 150 g
For anyone who wants to compare the Oven Baked paprika variety and pack a portion for their gym bag themselves. This is a 150 g bag; compare the full nutrition table and check the current packaging if you have a milk allergy.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pack of 20 x 40 g more convenient for my gym bag than a large bag?
Yes, if you want to take one sealed portion with you without decanting anything at home. Jumbo lists Lay's Paprika in a pack of 20 bags of 40 g each; a large bag is better if you want to portion it out yourself or share it at home.
Can I use the nutritional values for average crisps for my bag of paprika crisps?
Use the nutritional information for the exact product when making your choice. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives average values for crisps per 40 g as 215 kcal and 0,53 g salt, but these averages don’t represent the nutritional values of every paprika crisp variety.
Is an online allergen statement enough?
If you have an allergy or intolerance, check the current packaging before eating the product too. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of prepacked foods; online information may differ from the packaging you receive.
Are Oven Baked paprika crisps automatically a better gym bag snack?
No. Your choice also depends on the pack size and the nutritional information that matters to you. According to its own research, Lay's says Oven Baked Roasted Paprika has 50% less fat than regular potato crisps; this brand claim says nothing about the other nutritional values or whether it’s available as a multipack.
What information on a bag of crisps is useful to check before buying?
For a gym bag snack, pay particular attention to the net quantity per bag, ingredients, allergens, best-before date, any storage instructions and nutritional information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists these details, where applicable, as information required on prepacked food labels.