Do not choose ordinary potato crisps for their protein when planning food around a 5K: the conventional examples here list 5.1–6.9g protein per 100g, while the high-protein nutrition-claim threshold set out by legislation.gov.uk for Great Britain is 20% of a food’s energy from protein. For food close to the start, UK Sports Institute and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust guidance points towards familiar carbohydrate-led choices, with the timing affecting what suits. If a savoury protein snack is the priority after running or between meals, a crisp-style alternative is a different choice from a conventional potato crisp.
If you are deciding what to eat shortly before a 5K, timing and familiarity matter more than finding the crisp with the most protein. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust distinguishes snacks eaten 15–30 minutes before exercise from those eaten 60–90 minutes beforehand.
If protein is your priority after a run or between meals, compare the amount in a stated serving. A protein-chip or lentil-cake product is not necessarily the same food as a sliced-potato crisp.
If you prefer conventional crisps, compare the pack size, protein, fat and salt on the nutrition label. Check the ingredients and allergen statement for the exact flavour rather than relying on words such as “baked” or “lightly salted”.
Decide when you plan to eat the snack, then compare nutrition per bag as well as per 100g so differently sized packs do not obscure the choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare protein and energy for the same serving. For a high-protein nutrition claim in Great Britain, the legislation.gov.uk annex specifies that at least 20% of the food’s energy must come from protein. | I want a savoury snack with a meaningful amount of protein, not just a potato crisp that contains some protein. |
| Run timing | Check how long remains before exercise and whether the food is familiar. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises faster-acting carbohydrate for snacks 15–30 minutes before exercise; its 60–90-minute guidance includes carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat. | Close to the start, I would rather choose food I know I tolerate than assume a protein-focused crisp will suit me. |
| Portion and salt | Read the bag size alongside the per-100g figures. Seabrook lists 0.4g salt and 1.9g protein in a 31.8g bag of Sea Salted crisps; its per-100g figures are 1.3g salt and 5.9g protein. | One bag is the portion I am comparing, so I need its figures as well as the standardised label values. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the exact flavour’s ingredients, dietary statements and precautionary wording. Tyrrells lists “May contain Milk” for Lightly Sea Salted crisps. | A simple-sounding flavour does not tell me whether a particular pack meets my dietary requirements. |
Nutrition panels from KETTLE Chips, Seabrook, Walkers, Tyrrells and Pipers list 5.1–6.9g protein per 100g for the examples covered here. The high-protein nutrition-claim threshold in the legislation.gov.uk annex for Great Britain concerns the proportion of energy from protein, not whether a food contains any protein at all.
If protein is the reason for buying, compare protein and energy for the same serving rather than relying on the crisp category or pack size.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises faster-acting carbohydrate for snacks eaten 15–30 minutes before exercise. Its guidance for eating 60–90 minutes beforehand describes a different mix: carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat.
Match the food to the time before your run, and try an unfamiliar snack during training rather than immediately before an event.
Walkers says its Oven Baked Sea Salt crisps have 50% less fat than regular potato crisps, yet its label lists 1.3g protein per 22g pack. “Baked” describes neither the complete nutrition panel nor the amount of protein in a serving.
Compare the stated serving size, protein, carbohydrate, fat and salt. Read any dietary claim alongside the ingredients and allergen statement.
Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted carries a “May contain Milk” statement. A familiar flavour name cannot establish allergen suitability.
If an allergen matters to you, check the current pack for the precise product and flavour before buying or eating it.
These product-label examples help distinguish conventional potato crisps from protein-led alternatives; a brand name alone does not settle the choice.
Oven Baked Sea Salt is a baked potato-crisp option, not a protein-focused snack.
Lightly Sea Salted is a conventional potato crisp with a published nutrition panel.
Lightly Salted provides another conventional crisp label for comparing nutrients on the same per-100g basis.
Sea Salted has both per-bag and per-100g figures, making the stated portion easier to assess.
Anglesey Sea Salt is a conventional potato-crisp example for a flavour-led choice.
REAL describes its range in terms of dietary characteristics rather than as a protein-led crisp option.
This lentil-cake option is for shoppers considering a savoury alternative to potato crisps after a run or between meals, rather than choosing food immediately before a 5K.
Image unavailable
These lentil cakes offer a savoury crisp-style choice after a run or between meals, but they are not conventional potato crisps. Check the pack’s protein per serving, ingredients and allergen statement if those details determine your choice.
The conventional examples here are not a high-protein choice. Nutrition panels from KETTLE Chips, Seabrook, Walkers, Tyrrells and Pipers list 5.1–6.9g protein per 100g; the legislation.gov.uk annex sets a threshold of at least 20% of food energy from protein for a high-protein nutrition claim in Great Britain. Check the particular product’s protein and energy figures rather than assuming all crisps have the same composition.
Do not assume they are suitable last-minute fuel. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises faster-acting carbohydrate for a snack 15–30 minutes before exercise; for 60–90 minutes beforehand, its guidance includes carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat. Choose food and a portion you have already tried around running.
It is a different choice when you want a savoury protein snack after a run or between meals, rather than food close to the start. Applied Nutrition lists 15g protein per 50g bag of its Protein Chips, which it describes as made with dehydrated potato, pea protein, lentil flour and fava beans. Check the particular product’s serving size and ingredients before comparing it with ordinary crisps.
No: it does not tell you the full nutrient profile or when the crisp will suit you. Walkers states that Oven Baked Sea Salt has 50% less fat than regular potato crisps, but its label lists 1.3g protein per 22g pack. Compare the serving size, carbohydrate, protein and fat alongside your planned eating time.
Read the nutrition declaration per 100g and for the portion you expect to eat, then check the ingredients, allergens and precautionary statements for that flavour. GOV.UK explains that traffic-light labelling shows whether a food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt; it does not replace checking the protein figure when protein is your reason for buying.