For gluten avoidance, choose crisps with an explicit gluten-free statement and check the current pack for other relevant allergens; Seabrook makes this claim for its cited range, while Kettle Chips and REAL make it for the cited product or range. Treat crisps as a savoury snack around training, not the main plan for fuelling a long run: World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for endurance events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours.
The right pack depends on which allergens you avoid and whether you want a snack around training or food to carry during a run.
Look for an explicit gluten-free statement on the current pack rather than assuming a potato-based crisp is suitable. Coeliac UK notes that seasonings can contain wheat flour or barley malt extract and that cross-contact can lead to a “may contain gluten” statement.
Compare the carbohydrate, fat and salt in the portion you would eat. A portable bag of crisps can be a snack before or after a session, but its nutrition panel should not be mistaken for a complete long-run carbohydrate and fluid plan.
A gluten-free statement does not answer questions about milk, soya, mustard or other allergens. If salt also matters to your choice, compare it per serving while checking the full allergen declaration for that exact flavour.
Start with the allergen declaration, then compare the amount in the pack with how and when you intend to eat it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten suitability | Look for an explicit gluten-free statement on the exact pack. Read its ingredients and precautionary allergen advice, especially for flavoured crisps. | If I need to avoid gluten, I want a current label I can assess rather than an assumption based on the main ingredient. |
| Carbohydrate per pack | Check the pack size and carbohydrate per serving, not just per 100 g. World Athletics lists 30–60 g per hour for endurance events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. | For a long session, I need to plan carbohydrate and fluids across the run; a crisp pack alone should not determine that plan. |
| Other allergens | Read the full ingredient and “may contain” information for allergens relevant to you. A gluten-free claim does not establish suitability for other allergen restrictions. | I may need to avoid milk or another ingredient as well as gluten, so I need the declaration for the particular flavour. |
| Fat and salt | Compare fat and salt for the portion you would actually eat. Keep the serving size consistent when comparing different bags. | For a snack close to training or one chosen with salt in mind, I want to know what a whole serving contains. |
Coeliac UK notes that seasonings can contain wheat flour or barley malt extract, while cross-contact can lead to a “may contain gluten” statement.
For gluten avoidance, check for an explicit gluten-free statement and read the current ingredients and allergen advice for the exact flavour.
World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for endurance events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. Walkers states that a 25 g Ready Salted pack contains 13 g of carbohydrate and 7.7 g of fat; that pack is not a standalone hourly fuelling plan.
Plan and practise carbohydrate and fluid choices for the run separately. Consider crisps, if suitable for your dietary requirements, as an optional savoury snack around training.
Other allergen statements still matter. Tyrrells Naked (no salt) says “May contain milk”, while McCoy’s Salted says it may contain milk, soya, gluten and mustard.
Check every allergen relevant to you on the particular pack, even when it carries a gluten-free statement.
Per-100 g figures help compare products, but they do not tell you what a smaller bag supplies. Seabrook states that a 31.8 g Sea Salted bag contains 16.7 g of carbohydrate and 0.4 g of salt; Walkers lists 13 g of carbohydrate and 0.34 g of salt for a 25 g Ready Salted pack.
Use the serving or pack size you expect to eat when deciding where a snack fits around training.
These statements concern the cited ranges or products, not every flavour made by each brand.
Seabrook states that its gluten-free crisps and snacks are Coeliac UK accredited. Its Sea Salted page also describes that product as gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Kettle Chips describes its Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar product as gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
REAL states that its whole crisp range is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Tyrrells lists potatoes and sunflower oil as the ingredients of Naked (no salt).
Walkers’ Ready Salted page says the product is made in a factory that also handles wheat, gluten and barley.
McCoy’s Salted product page carries a “May contain Milk, Soya, Gluten, Mustard” statement.
These are lentil, hummus, cassava and plantain chip options for a savoury snack around marathon training. Check each current pack for an explicit gluten-free statement and any other allergen information you need; none should stand in for a long-run fuelling plan.
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A lentil-based savoury snack to consider around training. Check the current pack’s gluten-free statement, other allergen advice and serving nutrition before choosing it.
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A flavoured hummus-chip option for a savoury snack outside a run. Check the exact pack for gluten and other allergen statements, as well as the nutrition in the portion you plan to eat.
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The unsalted variant may be worth examining if added salt matters to your snack choice. Confirm its current gluten-free and allergen information, then compare its per-serving nutrition with other options.
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A chilli-flavoured cassava snack to consider if that flavour suits your plans around training. Check the current pack’s gluten-free claim, full allergen declaration and serving size before buying.
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This no-salt plantain-chip variant offers another savoury snack choice. Check the current gluten-free statement and other allergen advice, and read the portion nutrition rather than relying on the variant name alone.
Do not rely on crisps as the planned primary carbohydrate source for a long run. World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for endurance events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours; for context, Walkers lists 13 g of carbohydrate and 7.7 g of fat in a 25 g Ready Salted pack. Practise a carbohydrate and fluid plan that fits the event.
The Food Standards Agency defines “gluten-free” as no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg of food as sold to the final consumer. The statement does not mean the product is free from milk, soya, mustard or every other allergen; read the full declaration too.
No. Coeliac UK explains that crisp seasonings can contain wheat flour or barley malt extract and that cross-contact can lead to a “may contain gluten” statement. Check the gluten-free statement, ingredients and allergen advice on the exact current pack.
Seabrook says its gluten-free crisps and snacks are Coeliac UK accredited; Kettle Chips describes its Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar product as gluten-free, and REAL says its crisp range is gluten-free. Those statements do not establish the allergen position of every product from those brands, so check the flavour you buy.
Yes. Check the current pack’s ingredients, gluten-free statement and precautionary allergen advice each time suitability matters. A familiar product name is not a substitute for the declaration on the pack you intend to eat.