For a school holiday lunch, compare the calories on the exact bag you will pack rather than choosing by brand or a word such as ‘baked’. Seabrook states 75 kcal for a 17g Lentil Hoops bag and 81 kcal for an 18g Crunchies bag, while Walkers states 96 kcal for a 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt pack; those different weights matter, and salt and allergens need checking too. NHS Healthier Families advises cutting down on how often crisps appear in lunchboxes.
If a crunchy snack is part of the lunch, compare the calories for the bag being packed rather than assuming crisp packets are equivalent. NHS Healthier Families also advises reducing how often crisps are included.
Individual bags make the portion clear, but a 17g bag and a 30g serving are different amounts of food. Check both the weight and the stated calories.
Read the ingredients and precautionary allergen statements for the exact flavour and current pack. A lower calorie figure does not establish allergen suitability.
Start with the portion that will go into the lunchbox, then use the rest of its label to compare products that meet your child’s needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per portion | Read kcal per bag or stated serving and its weight in grams. Use per 100g figures to compare the same amount of different products, not as a substitute for the calories in the bag you will pack. | I’m packing one bag, so I want to know its calories and size. Seabrook lists 75 kcal per 17g Lentil Hoops bag and 81 kcal per 18g Crunchies bag; Walkers lists 96 kcal per 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt pack. |
| Fat and salt | Check fat, saturates and salt alongside calories on the same label. Where traffic-light labelling is shown, GOV.UK and Food Standards Agency guidance explains that the colours indicate low, medium or high amounts of the labelled nutrients. | A lower calorie figure isn’t my only consideration. I want to compare the other labelled nutrients for the portion my child will eat. |
| Snack variety | Decide whether this lunch calls for crisps at all. NHS Healthier Families advises cutting down on crisps in lunchboxes and suggests alternatives including plain popcorn and plain rice cakes. | Some days a child may want a crisp-style snack; on others, I’d rather pack a different option, such as fruit or vegetable sticks. |
| Allergens | Check the current ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statement for the exact flavour. A vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free description does not answer every allergen question. | If my child has an allergy or dietary exclusion, the product must fit those requirements regardless of its calories. |
That figure describes an equal weight of each product, not necessarily the contents of one lunchbox bag. The manufacturer figures here cover bags or servings of 17g, 18g, 22g and 30g.
For one packed bag, read its stated kcal and weight first; use per 100g figures when you want an equal-weight comparison.
These words describe a product or its seasoning, but do not specify its calories. Tyrrells lists 140–141 kcal per 30g serving for two Lentil Crisps flavours, while KETTLE lists 516 kcal per 100g for Lightly Salted Chips.
Check the exact flavour’s serving size, calories, fat and salt rather than deciding from the front-of-pack wording alone.
A bag can have fewer stated calories than another and still carry an ingredient or precautionary allergen statement that matters to your child.
Read the current pack’s ingredients and ‘may contain’ information. For a child with an allergy, follow their clinical advice when assessing suitability.
NHS Healthier Families advises reducing how often crisps are included in lunchboxes, rather than treating them as an everyday requirement.
When planning holiday lunches, alternate crisp days with other snacks your child will eat, such as fruit, vegetable sticks, plain popcorn or plain rice cakes.
Compare a specific product and pack size within each range; a brand name alone does not tell you the calories in a lunchbox portion.
Walkers UK lists 96 kcal for a 22g pack of Oven Baked Sea Salt crisps.
Seabrook lists 75 kcal per 17g bag of Sour Cream & Chive Lentil Hoops and 81 kcal per 18g bag of Salt & Vinegar Crunchies.
Tyrrells lists 140 kcal per 30g serving of Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper Lentil Crisps and 141 kcal per 30g serving of Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps.
KETTLE Chips lists 516 kcal, 29.5g fat and 0.7g salt per 100g for Lightly Salted Chips.
McCoy’s lists 533 kcal, 32g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g for its Salted crisps.
REAL describes its crisp range as vegetarian and gluten-free, with no added MSG.
These multipacks offer individually portioned crisps or crisp-style savoury snacks for a school holiday lunch. Compare the nutrition and allergen information for the particular bag before choosing.
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Six individually portioned 22g bags offer a crisp option for packed lunches. Check the calories and allergen information for the particular flavour; the Oven Baked Sea Salt figures elsewhere in this article should not be assumed to apply to every bag in the variety pack.
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Six 23g bags provide a portioned cheese and onion snack for lunches. Read the current bag’s calorie figure, ingredients and allergen statement before comparing it with potato crisps or other savoury snacks.
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This crisp-style alternative comes in six 20g bags. If the child expects potato crisps, check that this snack suits their preferences, and read its calorie and allergen information on the current pack.
Read the kcal and weight for the exact bag or serving you will pack, then compare fat, saturates, sugars and salt on the same label. Traffic-light colours, where shown, describe labelled nutrient levels; two bags with different weights are not equal-sized portions.
No: ‘baked’ alone does not give a calorie figure. Walkers UK lists 96 kcal per 22g pack for Oven Baked Sea Salt, but check the weight and nutrition label of the exact baked product or flavour you are considering.
No. Seabrook lists 75 kcal per 17g bag of Sour Cream & Chive Lentil Hoops, while Tyrrells lists 140–141 kcal per 30g serving for two Lentil Crisps flavours. Compare the portion weights as well as the calorie figures, then check salt and allergens for the chosen flavour.
NHS Healthier Families advises cutting down on how often crisps appear in lunchboxes. If you want to vary the snacks across the holidays, its suggested alternatives include plain popcorn and plain rice cakes; fruit and vegetables are other options.
Read the ingredients and any precautionary ‘may contain’ statement on the current pack for the exact flavour. Do not treat a lower calorie figure or a vegetarian or gluten-free description as proof that the product meets your child’s allergen requirements; follow their clinical advice.