Families packing snacks for home or days out
Individual portions can be convenient during half-term outings. If protein is the reason for choosing a crisp-style snack, compare the amount in the pack alongside its size, salt and energy declaration.
Who is this for?
Shoppers looking for protein in a savoury snack
Purpose-made protein crisps and conventional potato crisps can differ substantially per pack. Applied Nutrition and Myprotein list 15g per 50g bag and 11g per 25g serving respectively; Walkers Ready Salted lists 1.6g per 25g pack.
Families checking ingredients and allergens
Protein sources and precautionary allergen statements vary between products and flavours. Check the exact pack before buying a snack for someone who needs to avoid an ingredient.
What should you compare?
Start with the protein in the portion you intend to serve, then compare that same portion’s salt and energy declaration and its ingredient list.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per portion | Read the protein amount per bag or stated serving and its weight. Joybuy lists 15g per 50g for Applied Nutrition Original; Myprotein lists 11g per 25g for Salt & Vinegar; Walkers lists 1.6g per 25g for Ready Salted. | I want to know how much protein is in the snack I will actually serve, rather than judge it by the product name. |
| Salt and energy | Compare the figures for the portion eaten, not just per 100g. Myprotein lists 1.40g salt and 92 kcal per 25g Salt & Vinegar serving; Joybuy lists 0.65g salt per 50g bag of Applied Nutrition Original. | If I am choosing between different bag sizes, protein alone will not tell me how their full portions compare. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredient list and precautionary allergen statement for the exact flavour. Myprotein lists soya in its protein crisps and says they may also contain celery, egg, milk and mustard. | Anyone sharing the snack may need to avoid a particular ingredient, even if the product has a dietary label. |
| Pack format | Check whether the declared serving is a whole individual pack and whether a larger pack needs portioning before an outing. | For a day out, I may want a portion that is straightforward to pack and serve. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming lentil and potato crisps provide the same protein as dedicated protein crisps
The serving matters: Tyrrells lists 3.9g protein per 30g serving of Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps, while Walkers lists 1.6g per 25g Ready Salted pack. Those amounts differ from the 11g and 15g stated for the Myprotein and Applied Nutrition portions compared here.
Compare the protein declaration and serving weight on each pack before deciding whether it meets your reason for buying it.
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Letting the protein claim obscure the salt figure
Myprotein lists 1.40g salt in a 25g serving of its Salt & Vinegar Popped Protein Crisps. A protein figure does not replace the rest of the nutrition declaration.
Read the salt amount for the flavour and portion you plan to serve, particularly when comparing different pack sizes.
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Treating a dietary label as a complete allergen check
Myprotein’s soya-based crisps may also contain celery, egg, milk and mustard. Ingredients and precautionary statements need to be considered separately from a product’s broader dietary description.
For someone with an allergy, check the exact flavour and the information on the pack received before serving it.
Brands and product lines to consider
These product-line examples help compare declared portions; a figure for one flavour should not be applied to every product from the same brand.
Applied Nutrition
Its Original Protein Chips provide a purpose-made protein-crisp example in a 50g bag.
- Joybuy lists 15g protein and 0.65g salt per 50g bag of Original.
- Compare the 50g portion as a whole when considering products sold in smaller bags.
Myprotein
Its Salt & Vinegar Popped Protein Crisps provide a smaller, 25g serving for comparison.
- Myprotein lists 11g protein and 92 kcal per 25g serving.
- The same serving lists 1.40g salt, contains soya and may contain celery, egg, milk and mustard.
EatProtein
Its range includes soy-protein-based crisp-style snacks.
- EatProtein states that products in the range contain up to 11.2g protein per bag.
- The range figure is not a declaration for every flavour; compare the nutrition and ingredients on the specific pack.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps offer a different type of crisp-style snack from purpose-made protein crisps.
- Tyrrells lists 3.9g protein and 0.60g salt per 30g serving of Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps.
- Compare that 30g serving with the stated portions of any protein crisps rather than assuming the products are equivalent.
Joybuy snack options
These Joybuy options are lentil cakes and individually packed crispy seaweed for half-term snacking. Check their labelled protein per portion if a higher-protein crisp is your aim.
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Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
These lentil cakes offer a crisp-style option for a half-term snack. The 100g pack may need portioning for a day out; check protein per portion, salt and the allergen statement rather than relying on “Protein Packed” in the name.
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CJ Bibigo Crispy Seaweed Snack Bulgogi Flavour 5g x 3
Three 5g packs provide separate portions for a day out. This is a seaweed snack rather than a protein crisp, so check the protein and salt for one 5g pack, along with its ingredients, before choosing it for that purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Does more protein make a crisp an overall better choice?
Protein alone does not establish that. Myprotein lists 11g protein and 1.40g salt per 25g Salt & Vinegar serving, while Joybuy lists 15g protein and 0.65g salt per 50g bag of Applied Nutrition Original. Compare the full portion, its nutrition declaration and its ingredients for the snack you intend to serve.
What allergens should I check in protein crisps?
Check the exact flavour’s ingredients and precautionary statement. Myprotein lists soya in its Popped Protein Crisps and says they may also contain celery, egg, milk and mustard. Read the pack received before serving it to someone with an allergy.
Do HFSS promotion rules prevent parents buying crisps for half-term?
No. Department of Health and Social Care guidance describes restrictions on the promotion and placement of certain products high in fat, sugar or salt by businesses operating in and selling to England; it does not prohibit a parent buying crisps for home consumption. It also does not establish the HFSS classification of every protein-crisp flavour.
Are the rules for school-provided snacks the same as for snacks at home?
No. The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England, not a family’s snack at home or on a half-term outing. If packing food for school, check the school’s own packed-lunch arrangements separately.