Home workers comparing calories
If crisps are a side to lunch, the pack’s kcal figure tells you about that portion, while kcal per 100g helps you compare products sold in different bag sizes.
Who is comparing these crisps?
Shoppers checking both calories and salt
A reduced-salt or no-salt name does not settle the calorie comparison. Check energy and salt separately, using the same per-100g basis across packs.
Shoppers checking allergens
Choose by the exact flavour and its ingredient and ‘may contain’ statements, not by a brand-wide description. Walkers UK lists allergen warnings for its Oven Baked Sea Salt variant.
What should you check on the pack?
Compare energy on an equal-weight basis, then look at the portion you plan to have with lunch. The survey figures below refer to 611 Northern Ireland shoppers interviewed between September and November 2024 for the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland; they do not measure demand for lower-calorie crisps.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and portion | Compare kcal per 100g across products. Then check kcal and grams for the pack or serving you intend to eat. | I want to know what my lunch portion contributes without mistaking a smaller bag for a lower-calorie-density crisp. |
| Nutrition labels | Read energy, salt and saturated fat on a consistent basis; a ‘lighter’ description does not replace the nutrition panel. | I’d rather compare the figures than rely on front-of-pack wording. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey, 49% of the 611 Northern Ireland shoppers interviewed reported actively using traffic-light labels when shopping for food. |
| Salt | Check salt per 100g and per serving alongside energy. Walkers UK lists 526 kcal per 100g for Walkers Lightly Salted; Tyrrells lists 519 kcal per 100g for Naked. | If salt matters to me as well as calories, I need to compare both figures rather than assume ‘lightly salted’ means fewer kcal. |
| Allergens | Check the exact flavour’s ingredients and ‘may contain’ declaration on the pack, including when buying a variety multipack. | I need to know whether the flavour I will eat has an ingredient or cross-contact warning relevant to me. |
| Promotions | Check each flavour’s nutrition panel and the number and size of packs before letting a promotion influence the choice. | A promoted multipack may catch my eye, but it does not answer my calorie question. In the same 2024 Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey, 49% of respondents reported being more likely to buy chocolate confectionery, crisps and snacks when on promotion. |
| Lunch accompaniment | Decide whether you want potato crisps specifically or would consider a different side; do not compare a potato snack as though it were the same product. | If I’m choosing crisps, I want a portion that fits the lunch I have planned. If I’m open to something else, I can compare other accompaniments separately. |
Common comparison mistakes
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Comparing only calories per bag
A 22g bag and a 31.8g bag represent different portions. Walkers UK lists 96 kcal for a 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt pack, while Seabrook lists 164 kcal for a 31.8g Sea Salted bag; bag size contributes to that difference.
Compare kcal per 100g first, then check the calories in the amount you expect to eat.
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Reading ‘less salt’ as ‘fewer calories’
Walkers UK lists 526 kcal per 100g for Lightly Salted, and Tyrrells lists 519 kcal per 100g for Naked despite its 0.02g salt per 30g serving.
Decide which measure matters for this purchase, then compare energy and salt as separate figures.
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Treating potato snacks as identical to crisps
Seabrook labels Sea Salted Crunchies as potato snacks, not potato crisps. Its 18g bag lists 82 kcal, while its nutrition panel lists 1.69g salt per 100g.
If you are willing to change product type, compare its portion and per-100g figures separately from potato crisps.
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Choosing a multipack by its promotion alone
A promotion tells you nothing about the calories, salt or allergens in an individual flavour. Those details matter particularly when a multipack contains different flavours.
Read the nutrition and allergen information for each flavour you intend to eat.
Brand references for this comparison
Walkers
Its Oven Baked variants provide a portioned option for shoppers comparing labelled calories; its Lightly Salted range addresses a different priority.
- Walkers UK lists 96 kcal per 22g pack and 437–438 kcal per 100g for Oven Baked Cheese & Onion and Sea Salt.
- Walkers Lightly Salted lists 132 kcal per 25g and 526 kcal per 100g. Check allergen information for the exact flavour.
Tyrrells
Its Naked potato crisps are a no-salt seasoning option rather than a lower-calorie-density alternative to the Walkers Oven Baked examples.
- Tyrrells lists potatoes and sunflower oil as the ingredients, with 0.02g salt per 30g serving.
- The same serving lists 156 kcal, and the product lists 519 kcal per 100g. Tyrrells also states that it may contain milk.
Kettle Chips
KETTLE Lightly Salted is a hand-cooked crisp option for shoppers who want that product format.
- Kettle Chips describes this product as gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Its manufacturer lists 516 kcal per 100g; ‘lightly salted’ does not describe its calorie content.
Seabrook
Its Sea Salted range includes both potato crisps and a separately labelled potato snack.
- Seabrook lists 164 kcal for a 31.8g bag of Sea Salted potato crisps.
- Sea Salted crisps list 516 kcal per 100g. Sea Salted Crunchies are labelled potato snacks, so their smaller bag is not a like-for-like crisp portion.
Pipers
Anglesey Sea Salt is a potato-crisp option for shoppers interested in that particular seasoning.
- Pipers labels Anglesey Sea Salt gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Pipers lists 532 kcal per 100g, so compare the portion you plan to eat if calories are your main criterion.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
REAL’s hand-cooked range offers another conventional crisp format to consider.
- REAL describes its range as vegetarian and gluten-free.
- Check the exact flavour’s pack for kcal per 100g and per serving before comparing it with a portioned baked option.
Joybuy product options for lunch
These options include individual packs of Walkers Oven Baked crisps and an 85g PopChips alternative. For a lunch portion, compare the amount you intend to eat rather than treating every pack as one serving.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack Crisps 6 x 22g
The individual 22g bags make it straightforward to choose one crisp portion alongside lunch.
This is a six-pack with different flavours; compare each flavour’s nutrition and allergen information rather than applying one variant’s figures to the whole pack.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion Crisps Flavour 6 x 22g
This multipack offers individual Cheese & Onion portions for a crisp side at lunch.
Walkers UK lists 96 kcal per 22g pack and 437 kcal per 100g for this flavour. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statements; Walkers lists milk ingredients for its Cheese & Onion crisp flavour.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 85g
Consider this 85g bag if you are open to a crisp alternative rather than specifically choosing potato crisps.
Decide on the portion you intend to have with lunch, then check that serving against the pack’s nutrition and allergen information.
Questions about choosing crisps
How do I compare crisp bags of different sizes?
Compare kcal per 100g to put the products on an equal-weight basis, then check the kcal in the pack or serving you will eat. Walkers UK lists 438 kcal per 100g and 96 kcal per 22g pack for Oven Baked Sea Salt; Seabrook lists 516 kcal per 100g and 164 kcal per 31.8g bag for Sea Salted potato crisps.
Does ‘less salt’ also mean fewer calories?
No. Walkers UK lists 526 kcal per 100g and 132 kcal per 25g for Lightly Salted, while Tyrrells lists 519 kcal per 100g for Naked despite its 0.02g salt per 30g serving. Compare energy and salt separately.
Does a baked crisp make the whole lunch lower in calories?
Not by itself. Walkers UK lists 96 kcal for a 22g pack of its Oven Baked Cheese & Onion or Sea Salt variants, but the amount eaten and the rest of lunch also count. If you would consider a different accompaniment, the NHS lists plain popcorn, plain rice cakes and raisins among alternatives to crisps.
What should I check if allergens matter?
Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ statement for the exact flavour on its current pack. Walkers UK says Oven Baked Sea Salt may contain milk, wheat, gluten, barley, soya, celery and mustard; Tyrrells says Naked may contain milk.