Shoppers looking for protein in a snack
Check the protein in the portion you would eat. A protein-containing ingredient does not tell you how much protein is in the finished snack.
Who is this choice for?
Fans of maize-based snacks
If you want a crunchy maize snack rather than a protein-focused alternative, compare the exact flavours and pack sizes. Walkers lists 1.4g protein in a 16g pack of Wotsits Crispy Bacon.
Shoppers checking allergens
Read the ingredient and allergen statements for the exact product and flavour. Do not apply one snack’s label to another variant.
What should you check?
Start with protein per portion, then check whether the product fits your maize-snack and ingredient requirements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per portion | Compare protein per 100g with protein in the individual bag. Walkers lists 9g per 100g but 1.4g per 16g bag for Wotsits Crispy Bacon. | I want to know how much protein is in the amount I would actually eat, not just in 100g. |
| High-protein claim | The nutrition-claims annex on legislation.gov.uk sets a criterion of at least 20% of a food’s energy from protein. Check the nutrition information for the exact product rather than judging by its ingredients. | A cheese or chickpea ingredient alone would not answer my question about a high-protein snack. |
| Pack size | Check the weight of each bag and the number of bags in a multipack. Keep protein per bag separate from protein in the whole multipack. | For a multipack, I want to compare what one bag provides as well as the total quantity I am buying. |
| Maize and allergens | Read the first ingredients and the allergen statement on the exact flavour. Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, so it does not fit a strict maize-snack comparison. | I need a maize-based option and ingredient information that fits my requirements. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Assuming a protein-containing ingredient makes the snack high in protein
Walkers lists chickpea flour and maize in Wotsits Cheese Toastie, yet a 12g bag contains 1.0g protein. The ingredient list alone cannot establish the protein contribution of a portion.
Read protein per bag and the nutrition information for the exact flavour.
-
Looking only at protein per 100g
Walkers lists 6g protein per 100g for Monster Munch Pickled Onion, but 1.2g in a 20g bag. The two figures answer different questions.
Use the per-bag figure when comparing the portions you would eat.
-
Counting every puffed snack as maize-based
Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese. Including it would change the category being compared.
Check the first ingredients of the exact variety before adding it to a maize-snack shortlist.
Brand references
These product-line examples help define the comparison; brand inclusion does not describe the Joybuy selection below.
Wotsits
The Walkers Wotsits varieties considered here include maize-containing snacks with different recipes and portion sizes.
- Walkers lists 9g protein per 100g and 1.4g per 16g bag for Wotsits Crispy Bacon.
- Wotsits Cheese Toastie lists 8g per 100g and 1.0g per 12g bag; neither portion figure should be mistaken for the per-100g figure.
Monster Munch
Walkers lists maize first for Monster Munch Pickled Onion, making that variety relevant to a maize-snack comparison.
- Its published nutrition information gives protein both per 100g and per 20g bag.
- The 20g bag contains 1.2g protein; check its allergen statement if ingredients affect your choice.
Quavers
Walkers Quavers Cheese is a useful boundary for this comparison, rather than a strict maize-snack candidate.
- Walkers publishes its ingredients and protein per 100g for a direct category check.
- Potato starch is listed first, and the stated protein figure is 2.5g per 100g.
Maize snack options on Joybuy
These options cover corn puffs, popcorn and other maize snacks. Compare each exact pack’s nutrition and ingredients if protein is the reason for your shop.
No image available
Oishi Sweet Corn Puff 40g
A 40g corn-puff pack for a single-pack snack choice. Check its protein per portion and ingredients if those determine your choice.
No image available
calbee Kappa Ebisen Grilled Corn Snack 80g
An 80g grilled-corn snack pack. Use the pack’s nutrition information to compare the portion you intend to eat with smaller packs.
No image available
Propercorn Sweet & Salty 6x14g
Popcorn in six 14g bags. Compare protein per bag rather than treating the multipack’s total weight as one portion.
No image available
Nik Naks Nice Spicy Corn Snacks 6 x 20g
Spicy corn snacks in six 20g bags. Check protein and allergens for this exact flavour before choosing it for either requirement.
No image available
Smiths Frazzles Crispy Bacon Flavour 6x20g
Bacon-flavour snacks in six 20g bags. Read protein per bag on the exact pack when comparing it with other maize snacks.
Questions about maize snacks and protein
What does “high protein” mean on a food label?
The nutrition-claims annex on legislation.gov.uk sets a criterion of at least 20% of the food’s energy coming from protein for a “high protein” claim. An ingredient such as chickpea flour does not establish that the finished snack meets it.
Is Wotsits Crispy Bacon high in protein?
It does not meet that 20%-of-energy criterion. Walkers lists 9g protein and 474 kcal per 100g, giving approximately 7.6% of energy from protein; a 16g bag contains 1.4g protein.
Which Walkers maize snack has the most protein in this comparison?
By the published per-100g figures, Wotsits Crispy Bacon leads the Walkers varieties compared here at 9g. Walkers lists 8g for Wotsits Cheese Toastie, 6g for Monster Munch Pickled Onion and 5.5g for Wotsits Cheese; these figures do not make Crispy Bacon a high-protein snack.
Do Quavers Cheese belong in a maize-snack comparison?
No, not in a strict maize-based comparison. Walkers lists potato starch, followed by sunflower oil, at the start of the Quavers Cheese ingredient list.
What should I check if allergens affect my choice?
Read the ingredient and allergen statements on the exact flavour and pack. Walkers lists milk and barley in its Quavers Cheese allergen information; another snack or flavour needs its own check.