If you want to choose a portion in advance for a late-night snack, start by checking the weight per bag: a multipack of small bags gives you a different amount each time from a 40 g pack. Then choose between a variety of flavours, one favourite flavour or mini tubes. If you’re buying a mix, check the ingredients of every item; a smaller bag doesn’t change the nutritional value of the crisps themselves.
If you’d rather not eat from a large, opened bag, an individual bag lets you see the amount you’ve chosen in advance. Jumbo lists multipacks with bags of 25 g and 40 g, among other options, so the amount varies from pack to pack.
If you fancy a different flavour on different evenings, you can choose a variety box without opening several large bags. The selection may include more than just potato crisps: the Lay’s Party Mix listed by Jumbo also contains Bugles Nacho Cheese.
If you’re buying bags for several snacking occasions, both the number of bags and the total weight matter. For example, Jumbo lists a sharing bag with 15 bags of 25 g; Lidl lists a multipack with 15 bags that is available in store only.
First decide how much you want for each snack break. Then compare what’s in the box and, if it contains different flavours or types of snack, check the labels on each product.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Compare the number of grams per bag; multipacks with bags of 25 g and 40 g don’t give you the same amount each time. | If I fancy a snack late at night, I want to choose in advance how much is in my bag. Portion size is the most important factor for around 33% of consumers. |
| Variety | Check which flavours and types of snack are in the box, and how many bags of each you get. | I want to switch things up on different evenings without opening a large bag each time. Around 27% of consumers say variety is their top priority. |
| What’s in the box | Compare the number of bags and the total weight; check whether you need to buy the pack in store. | If I’m stocking up for several snack breaks, I want to know how many individual portions I’ll have at home. For around 20% of consumers, what’s in the box is the deciding factor. |
| Label | If you’re buying a mix, read the ingredients and allergen information for each item. Compare nutritional values on the same basis, such as per 100 g. | If ingredients matter to me, I want to be able to check every flavour before choosing a mix. For around 20% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
A mix can combine potato crisps with other snacks. For example, the Lay’s Party Mix listed by Jumbo also contains Bugles Nacho Cheese, so one ingredients list won’t necessarily apply to the whole box.
Read the ingredients and allergen information for every item, even if you usually only choose one of the flavours.
Fifteen bags of 25 g contain less in total than twenty bags of 40 g. So the number of packs alone tells you little about how many crisps are in the box.
As well as the number of bags, check the weight per bag and the total weight.
An individual bag helps you choose an amount, but it doesn’t tell you about the nutritional content of the crisps. The Voedingscentrum gives average nutritional values for a 40 g bowl of crisps; the values for a specific variety may differ.
Compare the nutritional information for the exact variety, paying particular attention to salt, saturated fat and energy.
Ingredients and allergens can vary by recipe or packaging. This is especially important when a box contains several products.
Before eating, check the label on the pack you actually have, especially if an allergen is relevant to you.
Lay’s is worth considering if you’re choosing between a variety box and bags of one flavour. Jumbo lists Party Mix with 15 bags, as well as a 20 × 40 g pack of Ready Salted.
Pringles Original is an option if you’re looking for one flavour in individual 40 g packs. Albert Heijn lists a 12-pack.
Smiths is included here as a reference if you’re also considering a single pack: Jumbo lists 100 g packs of Sticks Paprika and Sticks Barbecue.
Jumbo’s own-brand range is worth considering if you want to compare paprika and ready salted bags in one sharing pack.
Albert Heijn is a retailer to consider when comparing different pack formats, including the Lay’s Mega Box and Pringles Original 12-pack.
Snack Day is Lidl’s snack brand. Lidl lists a multipack with 15 bags if you’d like to look at a sharing pack in store.
These products offer a few ways to choose an individual pack for a late-night snack: variety boxes of bags, bags of one flavour and Pringles mini tubes. When choosing, focus on the amount in each pack and the ingredients of the variety you want to eat.
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A variety box that lets you choose an individual pack for a snack break.
The product name lists 15 pieces. Check the pack to see which snacks are included, and check the ingredients for each type.
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This mix is ideal for snack breaks when you want to choose between different products.
The product name lists 20 pieces. As the box combines several types of snack, it’s worth checking the contents and allergens for each item.
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An option if you want the same flavour each time and 40 g per bag suits the portion you’ve chosen.
According to the product name, the multipack contains ten 40 g bags. Check the label for ingredients and allergens for this variety.
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If you’re looking for one flavour in individual mini tubes, this multipack offers 40 g packs.
The product name lists twelve packs. A 40 g tube contains more than a 25 g bag, so choose the portion size you want.
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A variety box for anyone who wants to choose from individual packs for a late-night snack.
The product name lists twelve pieces. Check the weight per bag and the labels on the different products if portion size or ingredients are important to your choice.
No. A smaller bag doesn’t change the nutritional value per 100 g of the same crisps, but it does give you a set amount. For a 40 g bowl of crisps, the Voedingscentrum gives average values of 215 kcal, 13.1 g of fat and 0.53 g of salt. Check the label for the values of the variety you buy.
Choose a box that shows how many bags of each flavour it contains. The Lay’s Party Mix listed by Jumbo contains five bags of paprika, five of ready salted and five of Bugles Nacho Cheese; the Lay’s Mega Box listed by Albert Heijn combines several types of snack. Also check that the ingredients of each item are suitable for everyone who’ll be eating them.
Check the allergen information on the crisps mix packaging and look at each item individually. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be clearly listed on food labels. In a box containing different snacks, the ingredients may vary between items.
Compare the number of bags, the weight per bag and the total weight. A pack of 15 × 25 g contains a different amount from a pack of 20 × 40 g. Then consider which flavours you actually want to eat and whether the pack is available to you.
