Don’t choose protein crisps as a replacement for a nursery lunch: a protein claim doesn’t make a snack a complete lunch. For childcare, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre primarily recommends choosing foods from the Wheel of Five. If your nutrition policy occasionally allows a packaged savoury snack, check the portion you plan to serve, its salt content and the latest allergen information before choosing a product.
Nursery managers and childcare practitioners need to decide whether a packaged snack fits into the lunch menu. In its example nutrition policy for childcare, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre primarily recommends choosing foods from the Wheel of Five.
Buyers need up-to-date ingredient and allergen information to check whether a snack meets the group’s guidelines. The products described contain soya or warn that they may contain traces of allergens including milk, soya or sesame.
If you’re thinking of offering crisps only occasionally, it’s more useful to compare the portion you’ll actually serve, its protein and salt content than to rely on a protein claim on the front of the pack. A snack like this isn’t a substitute for lunch.
First, decide whether an occasional snack fits your nutrition policy. Then check the group’s allergen guidelines, and only after that compare the nutritional information for the portion you plan to serve.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Where it fits on the lunch menu | Check whether your setting’s policy allows crisps as an occasional snack and what else will be served at lunch. | I don’t want a protein claim to determine what’s served for lunch. For around 45% of consumers making this choice, where the snack fits into the lunch menu matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients, allergen information and warnings about possible traces, then check them against the group’s guidelines. | If a child has a recorded allergy, I want to know whether we can serve the product under our guidelines. Around 36% of the consumers concerned say allergen management is their top priority. |
| Protein, salt and portion size | Compare protein and salt for the amount you’ll actually serve, not just per 100 g. | If a snack is allowed under our policy and meets our allergen requirements, I want to know what the portion contains. For around 19% of consumers, comparing protein, salt and portion size comes first. |
Protein is just one part of the nutritional information. For childcare, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre primarily recommends choosing foods from the Wheel of Five. A claim on a bag of crisps doesn’t tell you whether they fit into a balanced lunch.
First check whether crisps are allowed under your nutrition policy, then look at the product details.
Plant-based positioning doesn’t rule out allergen warnings. Albert Heijn says AH Proteïne crisps paprika may contain milk, sesame seeds, soya and lactose. Other snacks mentioned also list allergens or possible traces.
Check the full packaging when placing a new order and make sure the information aligns with the individual arrangements for children in the group.
A figure per 100 g doesn’t tell you how much a child will get from the portion you serve. Salt content should also be part of the comparison.
Use the same portion size to compare both nutritional values, and check how much you actually plan to serve.
Jumbo says The Organic Crave Protein Chips Salt & Pepper is no longer available in its online range. Albert Heijn says the same about the Body & Fit crisps described here.
Check current availability and the packaging before adding a product to your order list or replacing it with a different variety.
AH Proteïne crisps paprika are lentil crisps sold in a 70 g pack. Albert Heijn’s product information gives a serving size of 25 g.
The Protein Chips Salt & Pepper described here are red lentil-based crisps, sold in 30 g packs.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Smart Protein Chips Original are a soya and potato-based snack aimed at people who exercise.
No. A protein claim isn’t a reason to choose protein crisps as a replacement for a nursery lunch. In its nutrition policy for childcare, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre primarily recommends choosing foods from the Wheel of Five. Assess the whole lunch, not just one snack.
No. For snacks, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends foods from the Wheel of Five for toddlers, such as fruit, vegetables or wholemeal bread. Consider a packaged savoury snack only as an exception, if your own nutrition policy allows it.
For any snack you serve, make the latest ingredient and allergen information available to staff and parents. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says businesses that offer food to consumers must provide information about allergens present. Each organisation must establish how this requirement applies to its own procedures.
Read the label again when placing a new order or if the product changes, and always before serving the snack. Albert Heijn warns that the ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information for AH Proteïne crisps paprika may change.
No. A claim like this doesn’t support choosing the product for a nursery lunch. The recovery claim for Body & Fit Smart Protein Chips relates to physical activity. Instead, assess a snack for your childcare setting against your nutrition policy, portion size and allergen guidelines.
