Shoppers comparing individual portions
Multipack bags give you a stated portion to compare for lunches or snacks at home. Read the kcal figure alongside the weight of that particular bag.
Who should compare these snacks?
Shoppers looking for maize-first ingredients
Ingredient order matters if you mean a snack based primarily on maize or corn. Walkers UK and Tesco Groceries list maize or corn first for the Wotsits, Monster Munch, Frazzles and Tesco Cheese Puffs reviewed here, but not for Quavers Cheese or Skips Prawn Cocktail.
Shoppers who need an exact delivered product
If a particular portion size, recipe or allergen declaration matters, check the substitution preference when ordering and read the label on the pack that arrives.
What should you check before ordering?
Start with the calories in the individual bag you intend to eat, then check whether its ingredients and delivery arrangements meet your requirements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per bag | Compare the stated kcal and gram weight of each individual bag. Use per-100g figures separately if you want to compare products at the same weight. | I plan to eat one whole bag, so its stated portion total matters more to me than the multipack size. Tesco Groceries lists 82 kcal per 16.5g Wotsits bag and 86 kcal per 17g Tesco Cheese Puffs bag; its Frazzles listing gives 97 kcal per 20g bag, while Walkers UK gives 98 kcal per 20g Monster Munch bag. |
| First ingredient | Look for maize or corn first in the ingredient list if that is your requirement. Check the exact flavour rather than relying on a familiar snack name. | For a maize-first snack, I would set aside the reviewed Quavers Cheese and Skips Prawn Cocktail: Walkers UK lists potato starch first for Quavers, and Tesco Groceries lists tapioca starch first for Skips. |
| Dietary details | Read the current ingredients, allergen declaration and any may-contain statement for the exact product. Check the received pack again before eating. | I need the allergen information for the snack actually delivered, not an assumption based on another flavour or a similar-looking product. |
| Substitutions | Review the retailer’s substitution setting before checkout. If an alternative arrives, compare its bag weight, kcal figure, ingredients and allergen declaration. | I would decline a different snack if changing the portion or recipe would defeat the reason I chose the original. Tesco’s grocery terms say it may attempt a substitute when an item is unavailable unless the customer has asked otherwise. |
What can make the comparison misleading?
-
Assuming “baked” tells you the calories
A preparation description does not tell you the total for the bag you will eat. Tesco Groceries lists its reviewed Wotsits bag at 82 kcal for 16.5g and its baked Frazzles bag at 97 kcal for 20g; Walkers UK lists Monster Munch at 98 kcal for 20g.
Compare each individual bag’s kcal and weight first. Use per-100g information when comparing equal quantities rather than differently sized bags.
-
Assuming every puffed snack is maize-first
Walkers UK lists potato starch first in Quavers Cheese. Tesco Groceries describes Skips Prawn Cocktail as a tapioca snack and lists tapioca starch before maize flour.
If maize is essential to your choice, check the first ingredient on the exact product.
-
Accepting a similar-looking substitute without checking it
A replacement can have a different bag weight, recipe or allergen declaration. Tesco’s grocery terms say it may attempt a substitute for an unavailable item unless the customer has asked otherwise.
Set your substitution preference before ordering and inspect any replacement against the requirements that mattered to you.
Which brands appear in the comparison?
Walkers
The reviewed Walkers lines include maize-first Wotsits Cheese and Monster Munch Pickled Onion, alongside potato-starch-first Quavers Cheese.
- Tesco Groceries lists Wotsits Cheese at 82 kcal per 16.5g bag; Walkers UK lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20g bag.
- Walkers UK lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, so that reviewed product does not meet a maize-first requirement.
Smiths
Frazzles Bacon Multipack is the reviewed bacon-flavour corn snack in this comparison.
- Tesco Groceries lists corn (maize) first and gives 97 kcal per 20g bag.
- Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration if dietary details affect your choice.
KP Snacks
Skips Prawn Cocktail is relevant when comparing individual bag totals, but it is not a maize-first option.
- Tesco Groceries lists 71 kcal per 13.1g bag.
- Tesco Groceries describes it as a tapioca snack and lists tapioca starch first, with maize flour later in the ingredients.
Tesco
Tesco Cheese Puffs 10 Pack is the reviewed own-label, maize-first cheese-puff multipack.
- Tesco Groceries lists maize first and gives 86 kcal per 17g bag.
- For a delivered order, check whether a substitution has changed the product you receive.
Joybuy snack options
These Joybuy listings offer different flavours and pack formats to consider alongside the grocery multipacks discussed above. Check each listing and pack for its current nutrition and ingredient details before comparing calories or choosing a maize-first snack.
Image unavailable
Propercorn Sweet & Salty 6x14g
Six 14g bags provide individual portions. Check the listing’s kcal figure and ingredient order if either determines your choice.
Image unavailable
Organix Barbeque Gruffalo Claws Corn Puffs 12+ Months 4x15g
This four-pack contains 15g bags and is labelled for toddlers aged 12 months and over. Check the pack information for the stated calories and ingredients.
Image unavailable
Nik Naks Nice Spicy Corn Snacks 6 x 20g
Six 20g bags offer a spicy-flavour alternative. Compare the stated kcal per bag with other 20g portions, and check the current allergen declaration.
Image unavailable
Doritos Chilli Heatwave 5 x 30g
The five individual bags are 30g each. Read the kcal figure for a whole bag before comparing it with the smaller portions elsewhere in this article.
Image unavailable
Propercorn Lightly Sea Salted 70g
This is a single 70g bag rather than a multipack of individual portions. Check the stated serving size and measure a portion if you want to compare it with one ready-portioned bag.
Frequently asked questions
Which compared maize-first multipack has the fewest calories per bag?
Wotsits Cheese has the smallest stated per-bag total among the four maize-first savoury multipacks compared here: Tesco Groceries lists 82 kcal per 16.5g bag. Tesco Cheese Puffs has 86 kcal per 17g bag, Frazzles has 97 kcal per 20g bag, and Walkers UK lists Monster Munch Pickled Onion at 98 kcal per 20g bag. The bag weights differ.
Are Quavers Cheese a maize-first snack?
No, not under a first-ingredient definition. Walkers UK lists potato starch first for the reviewed Quavers Cheese, which has 86 kcal per 16g pack.
Do Skips Prawn Cocktail count as maize-first?
No. Tesco Groceries lists tapioca starch first and maize flour later for Skips Prawn Cocktail. Its stated 71 kcal applies to a 13.1g bag, but that portion figure does not change its ingredient order.
Should I allow a grocery substitution?
Ask not to receive a substitute if the exact bag size, ingredients or allergen declaration is essential. Tesco’s grocery terms say it may attempt to substitute an unavailable item unless the customer has asked otherwise; check any replacement before deciding whether it meets your requirements.
Is the online allergen listing enough to make a choice?
Use the current listing to compare products, then check the label on the pack delivered, particularly if an allergy affects your choice. Ingredients and allergen declarations differ between the snack varieties discussed here, so one flavour’s information should not be applied to another.