Shoppers looking for less fat
If fat content is your priority, compare nutrition values for the exact product. Tyrrells lists 19–20g fat per 100g for its lentil crisps, but switching to them means switching away from potato crisps.
Who is choosing a pre-workout snack?
Potato-crisp fans training after work
A small pack may suit a preference for crisps, but a less-salt claim does not answer a lower-fat question. Check the pack’s fat and carbohydrate values against the amount you plan to eat.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
Read the ingredients, allergen declaration and dietary claims on the exact flavour. A declaration for one crisp variety should not be assumed to apply to another.
What should you check first?
Decide whether potato crisps are essential, then compare the exact snack’s nutrition panel with the serving you expect to eat before training.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and snack type | Compare fat per 100g on the same basis, then check the serving size. Confirm whether the product is made from potato or another ingredient: Walkers UK lists 31g fat per 100g for Lightly Salted potato crisps, while Tyrrells lists 19–20g per 100g for its lentil crisps. | I want a lower-fat choice, but I need to decide whether a lentil or other non-potato snack still meets what I am looking for. |
| Training plans | Check carbohydrate per serving, when you will eat and what you tolerate. The UK Sports Institute notes that carbohydrate needs increase with exercise intensity and duration; a crisp pack should not be assumed to cover every session’s needs. | For a longer or harder session, I want to know what the snack contributes rather than relying on its pre-workout label. |
| Salt and ingredients | Read salt per serving separately from fat, and check the exact flavour’s ingredients and allergen declaration. Walkers UK lists 0.17g salt per 25g pack for its 45% Less Salt Lightly Salted crisps; that claim concerns salt, not fat. | If I am choosing for an allergy or dietary restriction, I need the declaration for the pack I will actually eat. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “less salt” as “less fat”
Walkers UK lists 31g fat per 100g for its 45% Less Salt Lightly Salted crisps. The percentage describes a salt comparison, not a fat reduction.
Read the fat and salt lines separately, first per 100g and then for the portion you expect to eat.
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Overlooking a change from potato to lentils
Tyrrells’ lower-fat comparison applies to lentil crisps. They may be an option if you want a crisp-like snack, but they do not meet a strict potato-crisp requirement.
Check the main ingredient before comparing a lower-fat claim with potato crisps.
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Assuming one small pack will fuel every session
Walkers UK lists 13g carbohydrate in a 25g pack of Lightly Salted crisps. The UK Sports Institute says carbohydrate needs rise with exercise intensity and duration, so the pack’s contribution needs to be considered alongside the planned session.
Check carbohydrate per pack and choose an amount and timing that work for your session and tolerance.
Relevant brand references
These named products illustrate why the exact variety matters; a brand’s range cannot be judged from one flavour.
Walkers
Its Lightly Salted potato crisps carry a 45% less-salt claim against the average salt value of regular potato crisps, according to Walkers UK.
- Walkers UK lists 0.67g salt per 100g for this variety.
- The same panel lists 31g fat per 100g; the salt claim is not a lower-fat claim.
Tyrrells
Tyrrells lists 19–20g fat per 100g for its lentil crisps.
- Tyrrells describes them as 30% lower in fat than an average of standard potato crisps it reviewed in March 2021.
- The claim concerns lentil crisps, not a reduced-fat Tyrrells potato crisp.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE describes its Lightly Salted potato crisps as vegan and gluten-free.
- The product page lists potatoes, vegetable oils and sea salt.
- KETTLE lists 29.5g fat per 100g for this variety; “lightly salted” does not describe its fat content.
Seabrook
Seabrook labels its Sea Salted potato crisps gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The dietary declarations apply to the named Sea Salted variety.
- Seabrook lists 30.4g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g for it.
Pipers
Pipers’ Anglesey Sea Salt is a potato crisp labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Its product information gives nutrition values for comparing the exact variety.
- Pipers lists 30.7g fat per 100g, so this variety does not establish a lower-fat choice.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
REAL describes its range as vegetarian and gluten-free; its Sea Salt variety contains potatoes, vegetable oils and sea salt.
- REAL lists ingredients and nutrition values for Sea Salt.
- That variety lists 30.0g fat per 100g, rather than a demonstrated fat reduction.
Joybuy snack options
These options include a savoury crisp-style snack, okra crisps and two Ryvita snacks. Check each exact pack before treating it as a reduced-fat potato crisp or choosing it for a particular training session.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 85g
For a savoury crisp-style snack, check the ingredients and fat per 100g before deciding whether this pack meets your potato-crisp and lower-fat requirements. Read the allergen declaration for this flavour.
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Ryvita Snack It Thins Smoky BBQ Flavour 125g
A savoury option if a snack other than potato crisps is acceptable. Compare fat and carbohydrate for the portion you plan to eat, and check the grain ingredients and allergen declaration.
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Frula Okra Crisps
These okra crisps change the main vegetable, so they do not satisfy a potato-crisp requirement. Check the pack’s fat per 100g and serving size rather than assuming that vegetable crisps contain less fat.
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Ryvita Fruit Crunch 200g
A fruit-flavoured alternative rather than a savoury potato crisp. If considering it before training, check carbohydrate for your serving, along with the ingredients and allergen declaration.
Questions about crisps before training
Does “45% less salt” mean less fat?
No. Walkers UK says its Lightly Salted potato crisps have 45% less salt than the average salt value of regular potato crisps, but lists 31g fat per 100g. Check the fat value separately.
Are Tyrrells’ lower-fat lentil crisps potato crisps?
No. Tyrrells lists 19–20g fat per 100g for its lentil crisps and describes a lower-fat comparison with standard potato crisps, but the products are made from lentils. Choose them only if a change of snack type is acceptable.
Will a pack of crisps cover my pre-workout fuel needs?
Do not assume it will. The UK Sports Institute says carbohydrate needs increase with exercise intensity and duration. Check carbohydrate per pack against your planned session, when you will eat and what you tolerate.
What should I check for an allergy or dietary restriction?
Read the ingredients, allergen declaration and dietary claims on the exact flavour and pack. A plain variety’s declarations do not establish those of a flavoured variety.