Choose an individual bag if you want a pre-portioned savoury snack for around your training session; a larger bag is better if you prefer to weigh out your own portions. Tortilla crisps are not automatically the main source of fuel for a long run: plan your carbohydrates and drinks separately, and take fat, fibre and your own tolerance into account. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating a large portion or foods high in fat or dietary fibre just before exercise. The TCS Sydney Marathon nutrition guide gives around 30–60 g of carbohydrates per hour as a general guideline for longer training sessions; that does not automatically make a particular crisps product suitable.
You’re looking for food for longer marathon training sessions and want to know whether a bag of crisps fits into your plan. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre and the TCS Sydney Marathon nutrition guide offer general information on planning your nutrition; they do not prove that a specific crisps product is suitable.
You want to take a snack with you for around your training session without weighing it out at home. PLUS describes Doritos Nacho Cheese as a 44 g bag; convenient packaging is not proof of a sports nutrition benefit.
You’d rather divide a larger bag into several snack portions and choose the portion size yourself. Albert Heijn lists eight 25 g portions in its 200 g bag; Jumbo lists ten 30 g portions in its 300 g bag.
First decide whether you want to eat the crisps as a snack around your training session or as food while running. The packaging alone won’t tell you whether the product fits your nutrition plan.
| Consideration | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Energy planning | Decide when you’ll eat them and compare the carbohydrates per portion with your plan; don’t forget your drinks. | If I’m planning food for a long training session, I want to know how a portion fits into my food and drink plan. Around 42% of consumers put energy planning first. |
| Packaging format | Check the number of bags and the weight of each bag, or the number of stated portions in a larger bag. | If I don’t want to weigh food out on the go, I look for a pre-portioned option; at home, I can divide a larger bag myself. Around 33% of consumers prioritise being able to take a snack along straight away. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the nutritional information, ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant. | If I’m mindful of my tolerance around exercise or avoid a relevant allergen, I check the full packaging. Around 25% of consumers put these checks first. |
Convenient packaging says nothing about the product’s role in your overall nutrition plan. The product information for Doritos Nacho Cheese, 44 g, lists around 27 g of carbohydrates and 9.7 g of fat per bag; that isn’t a complete plan for a long run.
First decide when you’ll eat it and work out your nutrition plan. Then assess the bag as a snack choice, not as a performance promise.
The 200 g bag from Albert Heijn included in this review contains eight stated portions; Jumbo lists ten portions in its 300 g bag.
Check the total weight and number of portions separately. Weigh out the portion you want to take with you.
Dividing the bag yourself means extra weighing and resealing. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises storing opened crisps in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container.
A flavour name is no substitute for ingredient or precautionary information. For the plain crisps included in this review, Albert Heijn states that the product may contain soya.
If you have a relevant allergy, check the ingredients list and warnings on the packaging of the exact variant.
A tortilla crisps brand with plain and seasoned varieties, among others. PLUS describes Nacho Cheese as a 44 g bag and as part of a box containing twenty bags of that size.
The own-brand range includes a 200 g plain variety that you can portion out at home. Albert Heijn’s product information lists eight 25 g portions.
The 300 g plain variety is a larger bag that you can portion out yourself. Jumbo lists ten 30 g portions.
Lidl sells Snack Day Tortilla Crisps Nacho Cheese. Lidl positions Snack Day as a savoury snack for everyday occasions.
The Dutch product listing names SUN SNACKS Blue Corn Tortilla Crisps.
Mission Foods Europe describes a tortilla crisps range with round and triangular crisps, a variety of flavours and packaging formats for retail and food service.
These tortilla crisps from Joybuy are options for snacking and portioning yourself around your training session.
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A plain variety that you can portion yourself for a savoury snack around your training session.
Joybuy’s product information lists salted corn tortilla crisps in a 185 g bag.
Per 100 g: 64 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of fat and 6.2 g of fibre, according to Joybuy’s product information.
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A larger bag to divide into portions yourself for several snack occasions.
Joybuy’s product information lists 9–10 portions of 30 g per bag.
Per 100 g: 61 g of carbohydrates, 22 g of fat and 5.5 g of fibre, according to Joybuy’s product information.
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A larger bag of salted tortilla crisps to weigh out at home for snack occasions.
Joybuy’s product information lists a 475 g bag.
Per 100 g: 64.4 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of fat and 4 g of fibre, according to Joybuy’s product information.
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A bag of corn crisps for a savoury snack or to portion out yourself.
Joybuy’s product information lists a 185 g bag.
Per 100 g: 65 g of carbohydrates, 20 g of fat and 4.5 g of fibre, according to Joybuy’s product information.
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A bag to divide into portions yourself for several snack occasions.
Joybuy’s product information lists 5–6 portions of 30 g on average per bag.
Per 100 g: 61 g of carbohydrates, 22 g of fat and 5.5 g of fibre, according to Joybuy’s product information.
Not automatically: a bag of crisps isn’t necessarily a suitable nutrition plan for a long run. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking large portions and foods high in fat or dietary fibre into account just before exercise. The TCS Sydney Marathon nutrition guide emphasises planning your nutrition strategy and practising it during longer training sessions; it doesn’t offer product-specific advice about crisps.
Multiply the value per 100 g by the portion weight and divide by 100. Albert Heijn lists 64 g of carbohydrates per 100 g for the plain crisps included in this review; a weighed 25 g portion therefore contains 16 g of carbohydrates by calculation. This is a calculation based on the label value, not a measurement of absorption while running.
No. Salt on the label doesn’t replace drinking fluids. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says drinking enough is important when exercising intensely; take drinks with you or plan where you can get them.
Store opened crisps in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a general storage time of 2–5 days for opened crisps kept in a kitchen cupboard; also follow the instructions on the packaging. This isn’t a guarantee for crisps exposed to heat or moisture for a long time.
No. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes this type of warning as information about the possible unintended presence of an allergen due to cross-contamination. If you have a relevant food allergy, check both the ingredients list and the warning on the packaging of the exact variant.
