New parents wanting a ready-to-eat snack
An individual bag with a stated calorie total makes it easier to compare the portion you intend to eat during a busy routine than a serving measured from a sharing bag.
Who this choice suits
Households checking more than calories
Salt, fat, ingredients and allergen statements matter alongside the calorie figure, particularly when choosing a flavour for someone with dietary restrictions.
Breastfeeding parents comparing occasional snacks
The NHS says breastfeeding parents do not need a special diet and describes eating a variety of foods. A crisp snack can be considered alongside, rather than in place of, usual meals.
What to check before choosing
Start with the calories and weight of the portion you expect to eat, then check the exact flavour’s nutrition and allergen information. The Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland interviewed 611 people for their Northern Ireland tracker between 16 September and 23 November 2024; its label-use finding describes those respondents, not new parents specifically.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion calories | Read calories per bag or stated serving and its weight in grams. If the label gives values per 100g, check how much is in the portion too. | I want to know the calories in the bag I plan to eat, not just in 100g. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 tracker, 49% of the 611 Northern Ireland respondents said they actively used traffic-light labels when shopping for food; that measures label use, not a preference for lower-calorie crisps. |
| Salt and allergens | Compare salt and fat for the stated portion. Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the exact flavour and pack. | A smaller calorie figure is only part of my decision if I also need to check salt or avoid particular ingredients. |
| Pack format | Check how many individual bags are in a multipack and the weight of each. For a sharing bag, check its stated serving size and number of servings. | Individual bags suit me when I want a portion ready without measuring one from a larger bag. I can decide what meets my needs before considering a promotion. |
Buying mistakes to avoid
-
Comparing only per-100g calories
Seabrook’s Sea Salted Crunchies contain 82 kcal in an 18g bag, while Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt contains 96 kcal in a 22g pack, according to their manufacturers. The lower per-bag figure also comes with a smaller portion.
Compare the calories and salt in the amount you expect to eat, and keep the portion weights beside the figures.
-
Assuming a lower-fat claim answers every question
Tyrrells states that its Lentil Crisps have 30% less fat than standard potato crisps on average. Its Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps still list 141 kcal and 0.60g salt per 30g serving; that fat comparison does not describe their calories or salt.
Decide which figure matters to your choice, then compare that nutrient for the stated serving.
-
Treating a sharing bag as one portion
Tyrrells lists five 30g servings in a 150g bag of Naked (no salt). Eating from the bag without checking the serving size makes a per-serving comparison less useful.
If you want a defined snack portion, choose an individually labelled bag or divide a larger bag according to its serving information.
-
Letting a promotion decide the snack
The Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 tracker found that around half of its Northern Ireland respondents were more likely to buy chocolate confectionery, crisps and snacks on promotion. A promotion does not indicate whether a pack meets your calorie, salt or allergen criteria.
Check the portion and label before deciding whether a promoted multipack suits you.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show why a brand name or snack format cannot stand in for the nutrition information on a particular flavour and portion.
Walkers
Oven Baked Sea Salt provides an individually labelled potato-crisp option.
- Walkers lists 96 kcal, 2.8g fat and 0.19g salt per 22g Sea Salt pack.
- Walkers also gives a may-contain allergen statement; check the exact pack, particularly when comparing flavours.
Seabrook
Its Sea Salted Crunchies and Peppa Pig Really Cheesy Lentil Puffs have stated figures for small individual bags.
- Seabrook lists 82 kcal per 18g bag for each of those two products.
- Their salt and allergen information differs: Sea Salted Crunchies list 0.30g salt per bag, while the lentil puffs list 0.15g.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps and Naked (no salt) potato crisps address different label priorities.
- Tyrrells lists 0.02g salt per 30g serving of Naked (no salt).
- That Naked serving also lists 156 kcal. Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps list 141 kcal and 0.60g salt per 30g serving.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE describes its crisps as hand-cooked and identifies dietary options across its range.
- The range includes products KETTLE describes as gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian; check which designation applies to the exact flavour.
- Its Sweet Chilli & Sour Cream product lists 505 kcal per 100g, so check the intended serving rather than judging calories by the hand-cooked description.
McCoy's
McCoy's Salted is a standard crisp reference for checking serving information.
- McCoy's publishes nutrition values for its Salted flavour.
- It lists 533 kcal and 1.3g salt per 100g, plus a may-contain allergen statement. Check the pack size to calculate the portion you intend to eat.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
REAL describes its range as vegetarian and gluten-free.
- REAL also states that its range has no added MSG.
- For a calorie-based choice, check the nutrition and serving information on the specific pack.
Joybuy multipacks with individual snack bags
These Joybuy listings are multipacks of individual savoury-snack bags, a useful format if you want to compare a labelled portion before choosing a snack. Check each flavour’s current pack label for its calorie figure, salt and allergens; the figures for other flavours and products above do not automatically apply to these listings.
No image available
PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 x 17g
Five 17g bags offer a defined portion for a quick savoury snack. Check the Sour Cream & Onion pack for calories, salt and allergens before buying.
No image available
PopChips Barbecue 5 x 17g
This Barbecue multipack contains five 17g bags. Compare its own per-bag nutrition and allergen statement with the other flavours rather than assuming they are identical.
No image available
Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack 6 x 22g
Six individual 22g bags provide labelled portions across a variety pack. Check each included flavour’s nutrition and allergens; the Sea Salt figures cited above should not be applied to every bag.
No image available
Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion 6 x 22g
Six 22g bags make the intended portion clear. Read the Cheese & Onion label for its own calorie, salt and allergen information rather than using figures for Oven Baked Sea Salt.
No image available
Wheat Crunchies Crispy Bacon 6 x 20g
This savoury-snack multipack contains six 20g bags. If considering it alongside potato crisps, compare calories and salt per bag and check the wheat-containing product’s full allergen label.
Questions about portions and labels
How can I compare the calories in two crisp bags?
Compare calories for the amount you plan to eat and check each bag’s weight. Seabrook lists 82 kcal per 18g bag of Sea Salted Crunchies, while Walkers lists 96 kcal per 22g pack of Oven Baked Sea Salt; the figures describe different-sized portions.
Does oven baked mean I can skip the rest of the label?
No. Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 96 kcal per 22g pack and carries a manufacturer lower-fat claim, but its label also gives salt and allergen information. Check the exact flavour’s nutrition panel and ingredients.
What if salt matters more to me than calories?
Compare salt for the portion you intend to eat rather than choosing by the calorie figure. Tyrrells lists 0.02g salt and 156 kcal per 30g serving of Naked (no salt), making its low salt figure a different consideration from the calories in the smaller Seabrook and Walkers packs.
Do breastfeeding parents need a special type of crisp?
The NHS says breastfeeding parents do not need a special diet and describes eating a variety of foods. For an occasional crisp snack, compare the portion and its label without treating crisps as a replacement for regular meals.
How should I check allergens when comparing flavours?
Read the statement on the exact pack and flavour you are considering. Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt and Seabrook Sea Salted Crunchies both carry may-contain statements according to their manufacturers, and a calorie figure does not establish allergen suitability.