Maize snacks for a high-protein diet: what to compare

Who these snacks may suit

Shoppers comparing protein in savoury snacks

Graze Marmite Crunch combines broad beans and corn. Tesco lists 3.8g protein per 25g portion, making its stated portion worth comparing with smaller puff packs if protein contribution matters to you.

Buyers who prefer an individual puff pack

A small pack may suit a preference for a measured portion rather than a sharing bag. Walkers UK lists 1.0g protein in a 12g Wotsits Cheese Toastie pack, 1.2g in a 22.5g Wotsits Cheese pack and 1.4g in a 20g Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy pack.

Shoppers checking dietary suitability

Tesco lists Graze Marmite Crunch as suitable for vegans. Allergen declarations differ between snacks: Walkers UK lists milk, wheat and soya for Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy. Check the exact flavour and current pack before buying.

What to check before choosing

Start with protein per portion for the amount you expect to eat, then use the per-100g figure to compare packs of different sizes.

Priority	What to check	Your needs
Protein per portion	Compare the stated portion or pack weight and its protein figure. Tesco lists 3.8g per 25g for Graze Marmite Crunch; Walkers UK lists 1.0g per 12g for Wotsits Cheese Toastie.	I want to know how much protein is in the amount I would actually eat, not just in 100g.
Protein per 100g	Use a common weight when pack sizes differ. Tesco lists 15g per 100g for Graze Marmite Crunch; Walkers UK lists 8.0g for Wotsits Cheese Toastie, 7.0g for Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy and 5.5g for Wotsits Cheese.	A small pack suits me, but I still want to compare its protein density with other snacks.
Protein wording	Check the exact claim on the pack. The UK legislation.gov.uk annex sets a condition of at least 20% of the food’s energy from protein for a ‘high protein’ claim; Tesco describes Graze Marmite Crunch as a source of protein.	I do not want to read ‘source of protein’ as if it meant ‘high protein’.
Ingredients and allergens	Read the current ingredient list and allergen declaration for the exact flavour. Walkers UK lists milk, wheat and soya in Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy and precautionary wheat, barley and soya wording for Wotsits Cheese Toastie.	If I avoid particular ingredients, the brand name or maize base alone cannot tell me whether a flavour is suitable.
Salt and portion size	Compare salt for the portion you plan to eat, particularly when opening a sharing bag. Walkers UK lists 0.44g salt per 22.5g Wotsits Cheese pack and 0.34g per 20g Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy pack.	When I eat these snacks regularly, I want to consider the portion and salt alongside protein.

Common buying mistakes

Treating every maize puff as a protein snack

Individual packs can contribute relatively little protein: Walkers UK lists 1.2g in a 22.5g Wotsits Cheese pack and 1.4g in a 20g Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy pack.

If protein contribution is your main reason for buying, compare the grams in the portion you will eat rather than choosing by snack category alone.
Reading ‘source of protein’ as ‘high protein’

These are different descriptions. The UK legislation.gov.uk annex sets a condition of at least 20% of a food’s energy from protein for a ‘high protein’ claim.

Read the precise on-pack wording and compare the nutrition panel instead of assuming that any protein-focused name meets that condition.
Overlooking the amount eaten

A per-100g figure does not describe an individual puff pack or a chosen serving from a sharing bag. Salt and other nutrition values also change with the amount eaten.

Compare products per 100g, then return to the label’s per-portion figures for the amount you intend to serve.
Assuming flavours share an allergen declaration

Ingredient lists differ between the snacks: Walkers UK lists milk, wheat and soya for Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy, while Wotsits Cheese Toastie carries precautionary wording for wheat, barley and soya.

Check the current pack for the exact product each time. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust notes that recipes and ingredients can change.

Brand and retailer references

Graze

Graze Marmite Crunch is a broad-bean-and-corn option for comparing protein in a crunchy savoury snack.

Tesco lists 15g protein per 100g and 3.8g per 25g portion for Marmite Crunch.
Tesco describes this product as a source of protein; that wording should not be treated as a ‘high protein’ claim.

Wotsits

Cheese Toastie and standard Cheese are distinct maize-containing puffs with different ingredients and protein figures.

Walkers UK lists 39% chickpea flour and 8.0g protein per 100g for Cheese Toastie, compared with 5.5g per 100g for standard Wotsits Cheese.
A 12g Cheese Toastie pack contains 1.0g protein according to Walkers UK; its listed precautionary allergens include wheat, barley and soya.

Monster Munch

Sweet & Spicy is a conventional savoury puff to consider when flavour and an individual pack matter more than protein contribution.

Walkers UK lists 7.0g protein per 100g and 1.4g per 20g pack for Sweet & Spicy.
Walkers UK lists milk, wheat and soya among its allergens.

Quavers

Quavers Cheese is useful as a category check rather than a maize-snack alternative: Walkers UK lists potato starch and rice flour, but not maize, in its ingredients.

Walkers UK lists 2.5g protein per 100g and 0.4g per 16g pack for Quavers Cheese.

Tesco

Tesco’s Graze Marmite Crunch listing provides per-100g and per-portion figures for comparing that specific snack.

The listing states that Graze Marmite Crunch is suitable for vegans and provides 3.8g protein per 25g portion.
Use the current pack for the final ingredient, allergen and nutrition check.

Maize-containing snacks on Joybuy

These Graze options are for shoppers considering crunchy savoury snacks; compare the current pack labels before deciding how either fits your protein and ingredient requirements.

Graze Marmite Crunch 100g

For a crunchy savoury snack, compare the current pack’s protein per portion and per 100g with the amount you plan to eat. Check its ingredient and allergen statements before buying.

View on Joybuy

Graze BBQ Crunch 100g

If you prefer a BBQ-flavoured crunchy snack, compare its current protein-per-portion figure with other options. Read the pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration for your dietary requirements.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘source of protein’ mean ‘high protein’?

No. The UK legislation.gov.uk annex sets a condition of at least 20% of a food’s energy from protein for a ‘high protein’ claim. Tesco describes Graze Marmite Crunch as a source of protein; read the exact claim on the current pack.

Which of these maize-containing snacks has more protein per stated portion?

Tesco lists 3.8g protein per 25g portion for Graze Marmite Crunch. Walkers UK lists 1.0g per 12g Wotsits Cheese Toastie pack, 1.2g per 22.5g Wotsits Cheese pack and 1.4g per 20g Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy pack. The stated portions are different sizes, so also compare per 100g.

Are Quavers Cheese a maize-snack option?

Not for a comparison restricted to maize snacks. Walkers UK lists potato starch and rice flour, but not maize, in the Quavers Cheese ingredients; it lists 0.4g protein per 16g pack.

What should I check for allergens or a vegan diet?

Check the exact product’s current ingredient list, allergen declaration and suitability wording. Tesco lists Graze Marmite Crunch as suitable for vegans, while Walkers UK lists milk, wheat and soya as allergens in Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust advises reading packaged-food ingredients each time because recipes can change.