Do not choose ordinary potato crisps as your main protein food for marathon training: the published figures for the checked products range from 5.1 g to 6.5 g per 100 g, according to Pipers, Walkers and KETTLE Chips. Tyrrells lists 13 g per 100 g for its lentil crisps, but they are not potato crisps. For training fuel, consider the timing and demands of the session; the British Dietetic Association advises varying carbohydrate intake accordingly.
If protein is your reason for buying, compare the amount per serving as well as per 100 g. The published figures for the checked potato crisps do not make them a useful substitute for a separate protein-containing food.
The British Dietetic Association advises matching carbohydrate intake to training demands. Check what a planned snack contributes rather than treating a small bag of crisps as your entire pre-run fuelling plan.
If salt, fat or allergens affect your choice, compare the serving and per-100-g panels and read the ingredients on the exact flavour and pack you intend to buy.
Start with when you plan to eat the snack, then compare products using the same nutrition-panel basis and a portion you would actually have.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Training fuel | Check carbohydrate per serving, portion size and how the snack fits the planned session. The British Dietetic Association advises varying carbohydrate intake with training and competition demands. | Before a run, I want to know what my snack contributes rather than assuming crisps cover the session’s fuelling needs. |
| Protein | Compare protein per 100 g and per serving on the same basis. Tyrrells lists 13 g per 100 g and 3.9 g per 30 g serving for its lentil crisps; they are not potato crisps. | If I am buying a crunchy snack for its protein, I need to distinguish a lentil product from potato crisps and check the amount in the portion I would eat. |
| Fat, salt and portion | Read fat and salt per 100 g and for your portion. For Walkers Salt & Shake, check how using the separate salt sachet changes what you eat; a sharing bag may contain more than one portion. | I may choose crisps for their flavour, but I want the nutrition figures to reflect my portion and any seasoning I add. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients, emphasised allergens and any precautionary allergen statement for the exact flavour and pack. | When an ingredient matters to me, I cannot assume another flavour from the same brand has the same recipe. |
A few grams per 100 g can translate into much less in a small pack. Pipers lists 5.1 g protein per 100 g for Anglesey Sea Salt, for example.
Compare protein per serving with other foods you are considering; if protein is the priority, do not rely on a potato-crisp snack alone.
Per-100-g values and suggested servings describe different amounts of food, so neither necessarily represents what you will eat from a larger bag.
Check the pack weight and serving information, then work from the portion you intend to have.
Walkers lists 13 g fat and 5.9 g protein per 100 g for Oven Baked Sea Salt, against 32.3 g fat and 6.2 g protein per 100 g for Salt & Shake. The lower-fat figure does not indicate more protein.
Compare the nutrient that matters to your choice rather than using a baking or salt description as a shortcut.
Seasonings and allergen statements can differ between products, even within one brand.
Check the current label on the exact pack, particularly if you need to avoid an ingredient.
Its Salt & Shake and Oven Baked Sea Salt products illustrate why fat, salt and protein need separate checks.
Its Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps offer a crunchy alternative when the buyer is willing to leave the potato-crisp category.
Lightly Salted is a conventional potato-crisp reference for comparing nutrition panels.
Anglesey Sea Salt provides another potato-crisp panel to compare on a per-100-g basis.
The brand describes its range as vegetarian and gluten free, with no added MSG.
This lentil-cake option is for someone considering a crunchy alternative to potato crisps. It is not a potato crisp; compare its current pack information with your intended portion and ingredient needs.
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A lentil-cake alternative if you want a crunchy snack rather than a potato crisp. Check the current pack’s protein per serving, ingredients and allergen statements before choosing it for a particular need.
Do not rely on the checked potato crisps as your main protein food. Manufacturer panels from Pipers, Walkers and KETTLE Chips list 5.1 g to 6.5 g protein per 100 g for the products discussed here; check the smaller amount in the portion you would actually eat.
Choose pre-run food in the context of the session rather than treating crisps as a complete fuelling plan. The British Dietetic Association advises including carbohydrate foods and varying intake to match training demands; check the portion and how a food fits your planned timing.
The Tyrrells Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps panel lists 13 g protein per 100 g, compared with 5.1 g to 6.5 g per 100 g on the checked Pipers, Walkers and KETTLE Chips potato-crisp panels. Lentil crisps are a different product, so also compare portions and the rest of the nutrition label.
Not in the Walkers products compared here. Walkers lists 13 g fat and 5.9 g protein per 100 g for Oven Baked Sea Salt, versus 32.3 g fat and 6.2 g protein per 100 g for Salt & Shake. Compare fat and protein separately.
Read the current ingredient list, emphasised allergens and any precautionary allergen statement on the exact flavour and pack size. Do not assume another flavour from the same brand uses the same ingredients.