Protein-focused desk snackers
If protein is the reason for your mid-morning snack, compare the amount in the pack you would eat. A crisp-like format or a protein-sounding name does not tell you the pack’s contribution.
Who is choosing these snacks?
Shoppers changing from standard crisps
Lentil and potato crisps can serve a similar snacking occasion, but their protein figures differ by product and serving size. Compare the labelled portion before treating one as a substitute for another.
Shoppers checking salt or allergens
Protein is only one part of the choice. Read the salt figure for the bag you plan to eat and the allergen declaration for the exact flavour.
What should you compare?
Start with protein per pack, then compare the portion’s calories and salt and check whether its ingredients suit you.
Dedicated protein crisps
Consider when: Protein per bag is your main reason for choosing a crisp-style snack; Applied Nutrition declares 15g per 50g bag and Myprotein 11g per 25g bag.
Check alongside it: Myprotein lists 1.40g salt per 25g bag, so its protein figure does not settle the salt question.
Lentil crisps
Consider when: You want a lentil-based crisp serving and its labelled protein amount suits your plan; Tyrrells lists 3.9g per 30g serving of Sour Cream & Onion.
Keep in mind: That serving provides less protein than the Applied Nutrition and Myprotein packs cited here; compare the serving sizes as well as the grams.
Potato crisps
Consider when: You want a conventional crisp and protein is not the deciding feature; Walkers lists 1.6g protein per 25g Ready Salted pack.
Keep in mind: The Walkers pack provides less protein than the dedicated protein-crisp packs cited here.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare grams per whole pack and the portion you expect to eat. For a UK “high protein” claim, the Food Standards Agency states that protein must provide at least 20% of the food’s energy. | I’m choosing this snack chiefly for protein, so I need a meaningful amount in the portion I will actually eat. |
| Calories and salt | Read both figures per bag, then use per-100g values when comparing products on the same basis. Myprotein lists 92 kcal and 1.40g salt per 25g bag; Applied Nutrition lists 210 kcal and less than 1.8g salt per 50g bag. | A protein figure alone does not answer my questions about the rest of the pack’s nutrition. |
| Ingredients | Check the current ingredient and allergen panel for the exact flavour. Confirm any vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free statement on that product rather than applying it across a brand. | If I avoid an ingredient, I need to check the particular bag before buying, even when I know the brand. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming lentil or lower-fat crisps are high in protein
Tyrrells lists 3.9g protein per 30g serving of its Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps, compared with 11g or 15g per bag for the dedicated protein crisps cited here. A lower-fat comparison does not establish a high-protein claim.
If protein drives your choice, compare the whole portion and check a “high protein” claim against the Food Standards Agency’s condition that protein supplies at least 20% of the product’s energy.
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Comparing only per-100g figures
The cited Myprotein bag is 25g and the Applied Nutrition bag is 50g. Their pack sizes affect how much protein, energy and salt you consume if you eat the whole bag.
Compare the figures for the amount you expect to eat; use per-100g figures as a separate, like-for-like comparison.
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Assuming every flavour has the same ingredients
An ingredient or suitability statement for one flavour does not describe every product in a crisp range.
Read the current allergen panel for the exact flavour and pack format you are buying.
Brand and product-line references
Walkers
A conventional potato-crisp reference when comparing a portioned pack with protein-focused alternatives.
- Walkers UK lists 1.6g protein and 0.34g salt per 25g Ready Salted pack.
- Those figures describe Ready Salted; check other flavours separately.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps offer a pulse-based point of comparison with conventional potato crisps.
- Tyrrells lists 3.9g protein per 30g serving of Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps.
- That is less protein per stated serving than the dedicated protein-crisp packs cited above.
Kettle Chips
A potato-crisp reference for comparing nutrition figures on a per-100g basis.
- KETTLE lists 6.5g protein per 100g of Lightly Salted chips and describes that product as suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- The same product lists 516 kcal and 29.5g fat per 100g; check your pack size to assess a portion.
Seabrook
A conventional crisp option with nutrition information for a single bag.
- Seabrook Crisps lists 0.4g salt per 31.8g bag of Cheese & Onion.
- Its listed protein figure is 6.4g per 100g, a different measurement basis from the per-bag protein figures above.
McCoy's
A potato-crisp reference for shoppers comparing flavour-led snacks with protein-focused packs.
- McCoy's lists 6.6g protein per 100g of its Salted flavour.
- The same per-100g declaration lists 1.3g salt; use the pack size to work out what a serving represents.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
A conventional crisp range where the exact flavour matters to the comparison.
- REAL lists 6.2g protein per 100g of Ham & Colman's Mustard crisps.
- The same flavour lists 1.9g salt per 100g; check the bag’s portion information before comparing it with a single-pack snack.
Joybuy crisp-style snack option
This lentil-cake option offers a crisp-style format for a mid-morning break. It is not a potato crisp; check how many cakes make up the portion you intend to eat.
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Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
These lentil cakes are a crisp-style alternative for a mid-morning snack rather than a traditional potato crisp. Compare the protein for the number of cakes you plan to eat, and check the pack’s current allergen declaration.
Questions about protein crisps
What does “high protein” mean on a crisp product in the UK?
The Food Standards Agency states that a “high protein” claim requires at least 20% of the food’s energy to come from protein. Grams of protein alone do not establish whether a product meets that condition; read the claim and nutrition panel for the exact product.
Are lentil crisps automatically high in protein?
No. Being made with lentils does not establish a “high protein” claim. Tyrrells lists 3.9g protein per 30g serving of its Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps; compare the portion’s protein with other packs and check any claim against the Food Standards Agency’s energy-based condition.
Should I check salt on a protein-crisp pack?
Yes. Myprotein lists 1.40g salt per 25g bag of its Popped Protein Crisps, while Applied Nutrition lists less than 1.8g per 50g bag of its Protein Chips. Compare the salt for the amount you expect to eat rather than assuming a protein claim tells you about salt.
Do the same school-food rules apply to crisps across the UK?
Do not apply one school-food guide across every UK nation. The Department for Education’s school food standards guidance applies to England; if you are choosing snacks for a school, check the rules applicable to that school and setting.