The portion-conscious snacker
You fancy tortilla chips in the afternoon and want to know exactly how many kcal your snack contains. Weighing out a portion in advance helps you avoid absent-mindedly eating more straight from the bag.
Who might find these choices useful?
The label checker
You look beyond kcal, comparing tortilla chips for salt, saturated fat, sugars and ingredients too. Values per 100 g make it easier to compare different packs.
The flavour seeker who checks allergens
You want to choose a flavour, but first need to check the ingredients and allergen information. It’s sensible to do this even with a product you’ve bought before: plain and flavoured varieties can differ.
What should you look for when choosing?
Decide how much you want to eat for your afternoon snack first. Then compare the nutritional information for your chosen tortilla chips on a like-for-like basis, and always check the current packaging if you have an allergy.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and portion size | Compare kcal per 100 g and work out how much that is for the amount you’ll actually eat. | When I snack from a bag, I want to choose a portion beforehand that suits the occasion. Around 50% of consumers would consider calories per portion their main priority. |
| Salt, fats and sugars | Compare salt, saturated fat and sugars per 100 g; use the same portion size when comparing per-portion values. | I want to compare flavours without looking at kcal alone. Around 30% of consumers would prioritise other nutritional information. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the current ingredients list and check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the allergen information determines whether I can choose a variety. For around 10% of consumers, this would be their main concern when buying. |
| Flavour and dips | Choose a flavour that suits how you eat your chips, and count any dip or topping separately. | I mainly want chips I enjoy, on their own or with a dip, but I want to be able to assess the whole snack. Flavour and how the chips are eaten would be the top priorities for around 10% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘plain’ means ‘low in calories’
‘Plain’ describes the flavour, not the energy content. Jumbo lists 141 kcal for Doritos Original and 144 kcal for Jumbo Plain Tortilla Chips per 30 g portion.
Serve yourself a portion in a bowl first, then compare the kcal per 100 g and per equal-sized portion.
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Comparing flavoured varieties on kcal alone
According to Joybuy’s product information, g’woon Sweet Chilli contains 456 kcal and 7.0 g of sugars per 100 g; g’woon Plain contains 480 kcal and 1.0 g of sugars per 100 g. So here, fewer kcal doesn’t also mean less sugar.
Compare energy, sugars, salt and saturated fat on the same basis before choosing between varieties.
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Skipping the allergen information when trying a new flavour
Albert Heijn states that Doritos Nacho Cheese contains milk and may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat. Don’t assume the same information applies to other flavours or packs.
Before buying, check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
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Leaving an opened bag unsealed
For opened plain tortilla chips, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing them in a kitchen cupboard for 2–5 days. An open bag can also cause the chips to lose their crunch.
Seal the pack properly and store the chips somewhere cool, dry and dark.
Brands compared
Doritos
Plain and flavoured tortilla chips to compare by specific variety.
- Jumbo lists 141 kcal and 0.21 g of salt per 30 g portion for Doritos Original.
- Albert Heijn lists milk as an allergen for Doritos Nacho Cheese, and warns that it may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat. Check the specific flavour you choose.
Jumbo huismerk
A plain variety to assess by portion size and ingredients.
- Jumbo lists maize, sunflower oil and salt as ingredients for its 300 g pack of Plain Tortilla Chips, with 144 kcal per 30 g portion.
- Jumbo lists ten portions per pack; if you want a single afternoon snack, you can set aside your portion in advance.
g’woon
Plain and Sweet Chilli show why it’s worth comparing flavoured varieties on more than just kcal.
- Joybuy lists 480 kcal per 100 g for g’woon Plain and 456 kcal per 100 g for g’woon Sweet Chilli.
- Joybuy lists 7.0 g of sugars per 100 g for this Sweet Chilli variety, compared with 1.0 g per 100 g for the Plain variety mentioned.
SUN SNACKS
An ALDI own-brand range with tortilla chips in a variety of flavours.
- ALDI lists plain, cheese and sweet chilli varieties in 300 g packs.
- Compare the nutritional information and allergens on the specific pack before choosing a flavour.
Tortilla chips on Joybuy
These two 185 g packs are suitable if you want to enjoy a measured portion of tortilla chips as an afternoon snack. The name or packaging alone won’t tell you how many kcal are in your chosen portion; check the current nutritional information for that.
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Doritos Dippers Original 185 g
If you fancy plain tortilla chips, serve yourself the amount you want from the bag first. Check the current packaging for the nutritional information for that portion and the allergen details.
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Santa Maria Original Nacho Chips 185 g
For a measured afternoon snack, set aside the amount you want from this pack. Compare the current nutritional information per 100 g, and check the ingredients and allergens before choosing.
Frequently asked questions
Are tortilla chips a low-calorie afternoon snack?
Not necessarily: how much you eat partly determines how many kcal you consume. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 62 kcal for a handful of plain tortilla chips weighing 13 g; Jumbo lists 141 and 144 kcal per 30 g portion for the plain Doritos and Jumbo varieties mentioned.
What should I compare besides calories?
For tortilla chips, compare salt, saturated fat, sugars and ingredients too, ideally per 100 g or for equal-sized portions. If there’s a Nutri-Score on the pack, use it only as an additional way to compare products within the same category; check the nutrition table as well.
Should I check the allergens again when choosing a different flavour?
Yes, check the allergen information for the specific flavour on the current packaging. For example, Albert Heijn states that Doritos Nacho Cheese contains milk and may contain cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat; this doesn’t automatically tell you anything about another variety.
How should I store opened tortilla chips?
Seal the pack properly and store the chips somewhere cool, dry and dark. For opened plain tortilla chips, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing them in a kitchen cupboard for 2–5 days; check the chips before eating them too.