Among the individually wrapped puffed maize snacks compared here, Wotsits Really Cheesy has the lowest stated calorie count at 82 kcal per 16.5g pack; Tesco lists Frazzles at 97 kcal per 20g pack, and Walkers lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20g pack. Choose by the exact portion you will carry, then check salt, ingredients and allergens. A small savoury packet should not be mistaken for a substantial post-workout snack.
An individually wrapped savoury snack lets you check the calories in the whole portion you plan to put in your gym bag. The maize-snack packs compared here differ in size, so use the figure for the inner packet rather than the multipack.
Calories alone will not settle the choice if salt, milk, soya or other allergen information matters to you. Compare the current labels of the particular flavours and pack sizes you are considering.
A small crisp-style packet may satisfy a preference for a savoury snack, but its calorie count does not tell you whether it meets your post-workout food needs. Check the portion and nutrition information if you are looking for more than a light snack.
Start with the complete inner packet you would carry, then check whether its ingredients and nutrition match what you want from the snack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per packet | Check the inner-pack weight and kcal, not just the per-100g figure. Joybuy lists Wotsits Really Cheesy at 82 kcal per 16.5g pack; Tesco lists Frazzles at 97 kcal per 20g pack, and Walkers lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20g pack. | I want to put one sealed packet in my bag and know the calories in that whole portion. |
| Snack base | Read the product description and first ingredients. Walkers identifies maize in Monster Munch; Tesco describes Frazzles as a corn snack. Tesco describes Skips as a tapioca snack containing maize flour, while Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese. | If I specifically want a maize or corn snack, a similar-looking potato- or tapioca-based product is a different choice. |
| Salt | Compare salt for the packet you will eat and its traffic-light label. Tesco lists 0.54g salt and a high-salt indication for a 20g Frazzles pack; Walkers lists 0.31g per 20g Monster Munch Pickled Onion pack. | When two portions have similar calories, I also want to see how their salt figures differ. |
| Allergens and portion | Check the current ingredients, highlighted allergens and may-contain statement on the physical packet. Compare protein and serving size if you need a more substantial snack rather than just a small savoury portion. | I need the flavour I carry to fit my ingredient requirements, and I do not want to mistake a light packet for a full post-workout snack. |
The snacks discussed here come in inner packets of different weights. A per-100g figure does not state the calories in the sealed packet you will eat.
Compare kcal and salt per inner packet first; use per-100g figures when you want to compare products on the same weight basis.
Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, while Tesco describes Skips Prawn Cocktail as a tapioca snack containing maize flour. Neither is directly equivalent to the maize or corn snacks in this comparison.
If the snack base matters, check the description and first ingredients before comparing calories.
Tesco lists 97 kcal for a 20g Frazzles packet but also marks its 0.54g salt content as high. Ingredients and allergen statements can also change which packet is suitable for you.
Read the salt figure and current allergen information alongside calories, particularly if you regularly carry the same snack.
Being portioned and relatively low in calories does not establish that a packet provides what you want after exercise.
If a more substantial snack is the aim, compare serving size and nutrition information rather than choosing by kcal alone.
These references describe particular flavours and pack sizes, not every product made by each brand.
The Joybuy listing for Walkers Wotsits Really Cheesy 12 x 16.5g describes a baked corn snack and gives 82 kcal per inner packet.
Walkers lists maize as an ingredient in Monster Munch Pickled Onion and gives 98 kcal per 20g pack.
Tesco describes Smiths Frazzles Crispy Bacon Flavour as a corn snack and lists 97 kcal per 20g pack.
Tesco describes Skips Prawn Cocktail as a tapioca snack containing maize flour and lists 71 kcal per 13.1g inner pack.
Walkers lists 86 kcal per 16g pack for Quavers Cheese.
These individually portioned options include Wotsits corn snacks, popcorn and a spicy corn snack. Popcorn offers a different texture from the puffed maize snacks discussed above; compare each product’s own packet label before choosing.
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For a single savoury portion in a gym bag, this multipack contains twelve 16.5g packets. Joybuy lists 82 kcal per packet and corn (maize) as the first ingredient. It contains milk; check the physical packet for current allergen information.
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Six separate 16.5g bags offer a portion to carry without opening the whole multipack. Check this Cheese product’s own calorie, salt and allergen information rather than applying figures from the 12-pack Really Cheesy listing.
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If popcorn appeals more than a puffed corn snack, this lightly sea-salted product comes in six 10g bags. Compare its own per-bag calories, salt and allergen statement when deciding which portion to carry.
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For a spicy corn snack, this multipack has six individual 20g bags. Compare the calories and salt on its own label with the other packet sizes, and check the current allergen statement before eating.
Use the kcal figure for the entire inner packet you intend to carry, then check its weight and salt. GOV.UK advises using food labels to compare calories, fat, sugar and salt; a per-100g figure answers a different question from calories in your particular portion.
Not in the same sense as the maize or corn snacks compared here. Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, while Tesco describes Skips Prawn Cocktail as a tapioca snack and lists tapioca starch before maize flour. They remain options to consider if that distinction does not matter to you.
Yes. Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and may-contain statement on the physical packet before eating; do not rely solely on an earlier product listing. Different flavours and pack sizes need their own check.
Do not judge that from a low calorie count alone. If you want something more substantial, check the packet’s serving size and nutrition information and compare it with other foods that fit what you want to eat after exercise.