Hosts planning individual portions
Multipacks make it possible to compare the calories in each inner pack. Check its weight too: a 13.1g pack and a 20g pack are different-sized portions.
Who is choosing?
Shoppers looking for maize as the main ingredient
Read the ingredients rather than relying on the snack’s shape or texture. The named Wotsits, Frazzles and Monster Munch varieties list maize first; the Skips variety lists tapioca starch first, while Quavers Cheese starts with potato starch.
Organisers serving guests with food allergies
Check the exact flavour and multipack before serving. These snacks have different declared allergens and precautionary warnings, and a vegetarian label does not establish allergen suitability.
What should you compare?
Start with the ingredient you mean by “maize snack”, then compare the calories and weight of each inner pack. Check the nutrition panel and allergen statement for the particular flavour you plan to serve.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per pack | Read the kcal figure for one inner pack, then its weight. Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per 13.1g pack; the Joybuy listing for Wotsits Really Cheesy states 82 kcal per 16.5g pack. | When I am putting out several picnic foods, I want to know what one sealed snack pack contributes. |
| Main ingredient | Check whether corn or maize appears first. The named Wotsits, Frazzles and Monster Munch varieties are maize-led; Tesco lists tapioca starch before maize flour in Skips Prawn Cocktail. | If maize needs to be the main ingredient, a snack that merely contains maize flour will not meet that preference. |
| Allergens | Read both the ingredients and any may-contain statement on the exact pack. The researched flavours have differing milk, soya, wheat and other warnings. | I need to check each guest’s requirements against the pack I will actually serve, not against a previous purchase or a vegetarian description. |
| Salt and serving size | Compare salt per pack and per 100g alongside kcal and pack weight. GOV.UK’s “Check the label” guidance explains that traffic-light labels can help compare calories, fat, sugars and salt. | Someone may take more than one pack, so I want to look beyond a single small pack’s calorie figure. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming every light-textured snack is maize-led
Walkers lists potato starch first for Quavers Cheese, while Tesco lists tapioca starch first for Skips Prawn Cocktail. Neither fits a requirement for maize as the first ingredient.
If that distinction matters, check the ingredient order on the flavour you are buying; the named Wotsits, Frazzles and Monster Munch varieties list maize first.
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Comparing kcal figures without pack weights
Tesco’s 71 kcal Skips figure applies to a 13.1g pack, whereas its 97 kcal Frazzles figure applies to a 20g pack. The figures describe different-sized portions.
Use kcal per inner pack to plan what you will put out, and compare the weights and per-100g nutrition values when portion size also matters.
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Treating vegetarian or calorie wording as an allergy check
The named Wotsits variety contains milk, Frazzles contains milk and soya, and Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy contains milk, wheat and soya. Other warnings vary by product.
Read the ingredients and precautionary allergen statement on the exact packs before offering them to guests with allergies.
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Looking only at calories in savoury snacks
Salt values and pack sizes differ between the named products. Tesco lists 0.54g salt in one 20g Frazzles pack, for example.
Check salt per pack as well as per 100g, particularly when putting out several savoury foods or expecting guests to take more than one pack.
Brand and retailer references
The details below apply to the named flavours and pack sizes, not every product carrying the same name. Tesco is included as a source of product listings, not as a snack brand.
Wotsits
Walkers Wotsits Really Cheesy 12 x 16.5g is a maize-led, individually packed cheese-flavoured snack. Its Joybuy listing states 82 kcal per pack.
- Corn (maize) is the first listed ingredient in this variety.
- It contains milk and carries additional may-contain warnings; check the pack before serving.
Frazzles
Smiths Frazzles Crispy Bacon Flavour 6 x 20g is a maize-led savoury multipack. Tesco lists 97 kcal and 0.54g salt per inner pack.
- The individual 20g packs offer a different flavour choice from the cheese-flavoured Wotsits variety.
- This product contains milk and soya; review its other allergen warnings on the pack.
Monster Munch
Walkers Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy lists maize first and provides 98 kcal per 20g pack, according to Walkers UK.
- It provides a Sweet & Spicy flavour option where maize is the first ingredient.
- The named variety contains milk, wheat and soya.
Skips
Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail 6 x 13.1g at 71 kcal per inner pack. Tapioca starch, rather than maize flour, is its first ingredient.
- Its stated kcal figure applies to a small, individually packed 13.1g portion.
- It is not a maize-first choice; check its may-contain warnings before serving.
Quavers
Walkers UK states 86 kcal per 16g pack for Quavers Cheese and lists potato starch first.
- It is an individually packed alternative when a potato-starch-based snack is acceptable.
- It does not meet a maize-first requirement; check the milk, soya, barley and wheat declarations for this variety.
Tesco
Tesco’s product listings give pack sizes, ingredient lists and nutrition figures for the Skips Prawn Cocktail and Frazzles multipacks discussed here.
- Its listings allow comparison of the stated inner-pack portions.
- Ingredients and allergen information can change; check the delivered pack before serving.
Declared calories per picnic pack
This composite list orders four named products by declared kcal per individual pack using Tesco, Joybuy and Walkers UK product information; it is not an external publisher’s league table. Pack weights differ, and a maize-containing snack is not necessarily maize-led.
| Rank | Snack | Main specifications | Why consider it | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skips Prawn Cocktail 6 x 13.1g | 71 kcal per 13.1g pack; tapioca starch first, with maize flour later in the ingredients. | Tesco lists the lowest kcal per pack in this four-product comparison, but this is the smallest pack and is not maize-led. | Tesco |
| 2 | Walkers Wotsits Really Cheesy 12 x 16.5g | 82 kcal per 16.5g pack; corn (maize) first. | The Joybuy product information makes this the lowest-kcal maize-led entry in this four-product comparison. Check its milk declaration and other allergen warnings. | Joybuy |
| 3 | Smiths Frazzles Crispy Bacon Flavour 6 x 20g | 97 kcal per 20g pack; corn (maize) first. | Tesco lists a maize-led option in a larger inner pack than the first two entries. It also lists 0.54g salt per pack. | Tesco |
| 4 | Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy 20g | 98 kcal per 20g pack; maize first. | Walkers UK lists a maize-led Sweet & Spicy alternative. Its pack is the same stated weight as the Frazzles entry, with a different flavour and allergen declaration. | Walkers UK |
Joybuy picnic snack options
These Joybuy options include portioned Wotsits and Frazzles savoury snacks, plus sweet popcorn and larger corn-snack packs. Their different flavours and pack sizes make the inner-pack label worth checking before choosing for the picnic.
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Walkers Wotsits Really Cheesy 12 x 16.5g
For a maize-first picnic snack in individual portions, this variety lists corn (maize) first and states 82 kcal per 16.5g pack. The multipack contains 12 packs; check its milk declaration and may-contain warnings before serving.
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Walkers Wotsits Cheese 6 x 16.5g
This six-pack provides individual 16.5g cheese-flavoured portions for a picnic. Check this variant’s kcal figure, ingredients and allergen statement on its own pack rather than assuming they match the Really Cheesy 12-pack.
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Smiths Frazzles Crispy Bacon Flavour 6 x 20g
For a maize-led savoury option with a different flavour, the named Frazzles variety provides six individual 20g packs. Tesco states 97 kcal and 0.54g salt per pack; it contains milk and soya, so check the full allergen statement.
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Butterkist Crunchy Toffee Popcorn Snack Packs 6 x 20g
This is a sweet toffee popcorn option rather than a savoury crisp. The pack contains six 20g portions; check the nutrition and ingredient labels if comparing it with the savoury maize snacks.
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Love Corn Salt & Vinegar 10 x 45g
These salt-and-vinegar corn snacks come in ten 45g packs, a larger stated portion than the 16.5g and 20g packs above. Compare calories for the whole 45g pack, and check its ingredient and allergen information before serving.
Questions about picnic snacks
Which compared snack has the fewest calories per inner pack?
Tesco lists Skips Prawn Cocktail at 71 kcal per 13.1g pack, the lowest stated figure among the four products in the table. Tapioca starch comes before maize flour, so it is not the maize-first choice.
Which compared pack has maize first and the lowest calorie figure?
Walkers Wotsits Really Cheesy 12 x 16.5g has the lowest stated kcal figure among the maize-led packs compared here: Joybuy lists 82 kcal per inner pack and corn (maize) as the first ingredient. Check the exact variety’s label when buying a different multipack.
Are Quavers Cheese a maize-first snack?
No. Walkers UK lists potato starch first for the named Quavers Cheese 16g pack, which it states contains 86 kcal. It can be considered as a different snack, but not when maize must be the first ingredient.
Does “baked” or “under 100 calories” settle allergen suitability?
No. The named Wotsits, Frazzles and Monster Munch varieties have different milk, soya or wheat declarations, and the Skips variety has may-contain warnings. Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information for each guest who needs to avoid particular ingredients.
What should I check when packing snacks for a summer picnic?
Follow the storage instructions on each snack pack and check that its packaging remains intact. If the picnic also includes foods you normally refrigerate, Food Standards Agency picnic guidance for England, Northern Ireland and Wales says to keep those foods cool, using a cool bag or cool box with ice or frozen gel packs.