Caterers whose snack must meet a high-protein brief
Look beyond the word “protein” on the front of a pack. The relevant comparison is protein’s share of the snack’s total energy, calculated from the exact product’s nutrition information.
Who is this for?
Planners serving crisps alongside other food
Potato crisps can remain a savoury break-time option when a separate menu item fulfils the protein part of the brief. Keep the roles of those foods clear rather than describing the crisps themselves as high protein.
Teams managing varied dietary and allergen needs
Check each flavour and pack being served. Vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free wording on one product does not establish the ingredients or allergen status of another product from the same brand.
What should you check?
Decide whether the crisp is simply one part of the refreshment break or whether that snack must meet the protein requirement itself. Then check the product label and the way it will be served.
Keep potato crisps
Choose when: the menu provides protein separately and the crisp is there as a savoury snack.
Trade-off: the named potato-crisp examples do not meet the 20%-of-energy criterion set out in the annex published by legislation.gov.uk.
Choose a different snack
Choose when: the snack itself must fulfil the high-protein brief and a non-potato product is acceptable.
Trade-off: a lentil crisp, protein-named product or bar still needs its own nutrition check; a bar also changes the type of snack offered.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein claim | Compare protein energy with total energy for the same quantity of the exact product. Legislation.gov.uk publishes a conversion factor of 4 kcal per gram of protein and a 20%-of-energy criterion for a high-protein claim; check the current rules applicable to the intended UK label or menu wording. | Does this snack need to fulfil the protein brief itself, or will another menu item do that? |
| Snack type | Confirm whether the product is a potato crisp, another crisp-style snack or a bar. Do not treat an ingredient or cooking method as a protein measurement. | I want delegates to know what kind of snack they are being offered, especially if a crisp is replaced with something else. |
| Portions | Check pack size, whether portions are individually packed, and how product information will stay with food divided for service. | We need to hand out snacks during a break without losing track of which product each portion came from. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredient list, allergen declaration and any precautionary statement for the exact flavour and pack. Recheck them if a product is substituted. | Different delegates may need different products; a brand-wide or flavour-wide assumption will not answer their questions. |
Common buying mistakes
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Using grams of protein alone to justify “high protein”
Grams per pack do not show how much of a food’s energy comes from protein. The named potato crisps contain protein but, using their manufacturers’ figures and the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor, provide about 4.3%–5.4% of their energy from it.
Use protein grams × 4 kcal ÷ total kcal for matching quantities, then check the current rules before making a claim on catering materials.
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Assuming baked or lentil crisps meet the brief
Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt provides about 5.4% of its energy from protein using Walkers UK’s per-100g figures. Tyrrells Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps provide about 12.1% using Tyrrells’ figures. Neither reaches the 20%-of-energy criterion published by legislation.gov.uk.
Apply the same calculation to the exact product rather than choosing by its cooking method or main ingredient.
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Extending one flavour’s dietary information to another
Seabrook states that its Sea Salted Crisps are suitable for vegans, while its Cheese & Onion recipe contains milk ingredients. Tyrrells’ Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps contain milk and may contain soya and gluten.
Approve the flavour and pack that will actually be served, and recheck its information after any substitution.
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Making crisps the only answer to a protein-focused brief
A convenient potato-crisp pack does not change the protein-energy figures of the named products. If the snack itself must meet the brief, selecting a standard crisp can leave that requirement unaddressed.
Plan protein separately on the menu, or assess a different snack using its exact nutrition panel.
Relevant brand references
These product-specific examples help separate crisp flavour and format choices from the protein question; they do not establish the nutrition or ingredients of every product a brand makes.
Walkers
Potato-crisp and baked-snack examples for a conventional conference break.
- Walkers UK lists 6.2 g protein and 533 kcal per 100 g for Salt & Shake, and 5.9 g protein and 438 kcal per 100 g for Oven Baked Sea Salt.
- Neither example reaches the 20%-of-energy criterion published by legislation.gov.uk. Salt & Shake also carries a factory-handling statement covering several allergens; check its pack before service.
Tyrrells
A reference point when considering a lentil crisp rather than a potato crisp.
- Tyrrells lists 14 g protein and 462 kcal per 100 g for Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps.
- That works out to about 12.1% of energy from protein, below the criterion published by legislation.gov.uk. The product contains milk and may contain soya and gluten.
Kettle Chips
A potato-crisp example for caterers considering the manufacturer’s stated dietary suitability.
- Kettle Chips states that its Lightly Salted product is gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Its listed 6.5 g protein and 516 kcal per 100 g amount to about 5.0% of energy from protein, using the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor.
Seabrook
A reminder to compare exact flavours rather than relying on a brand-level dietary description.
- Seabrook states that Sea Salted Crisps are gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Seabrook Cheese & Onion contains milk ingredients. The two products provide about 4.6% and 5.0% of their energy from protein respectively, using Seabrook’s figures and the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor.
Pipers
A potato-crisp example where a flavour ingredient should not be mistaken for a protein claim.
- Pipers lists 7.1 g protein and 527 kcal per 100 g for Great Berwick Longhorn Beef Crisps.
- Those figures give about 5.4% of energy from protein using the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor. Check the precise flavour’s ingredients for delegate suitability.
Real Crisps
A sea-salt potato-crisp example available in different pack sizes.
- REAL Hand Cooked Crisps lists 35 g and 150 g packs for Sea Salt, with 5.6 g protein and 515 kcal per 100 g.
- That is about 4.3% of energy from protein using the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor. Choose pack size for the service plan, not as evidence of a different protein share.
Joybuy snack options
These options move beyond conventional potato crisps: one is a lentil cake and the other is a protein bar. Check their exact nutrition panels before treating either as the high-protein item in a conference catering brief.
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Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
A lentil-cake option if the catering brief allows a snack other than potato crisps. The stated size is 100g; check how it will be portioned and keep the exact pack’s nutrition and allergen information available for service.
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Grenade Soft Core Protein Bar Double Chocolate, 12 × 50g
A bar rather than a crisp-style snack, so it changes what delegates receive at the break. The product name specifies twelve 50g bars; check the exact nutrition and allergen information against the event brief.
Frequently asked questions
How do I assess a crisp snack’s protein claim?
Calculate the share of energy supplied by protein using figures for the same quantity of the exact product: protein grams × 4 kcal ÷ total kcal × 100. Legislation.gov.uk publishes the 4 kcal conversion factor and a 20%-of-energy criterion for a high-protein claim; check the current UK rules applicable to the wording you intend to use.
Do the named potato crisps meet that 20% criterion?
No: the named examples range from about 4.3% of energy from protein for REAL Sea Salt to about 5.4% for Pipers Great Berwick Longhorn Beef and Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt. Those figures use the manufacturers’ per-100g nutrition information and the protein conversion factor published by legislation.gov.uk; they describe those products, not every potato crisp.
Would lentil crisps solve the protein requirement?
Not automatically. Tyrrells lists 14 g protein and 462 kcal per 100 g for its Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps, giving about 12.1% of energy from protein using the legislation.gov.uk conversion factor. That remains below the published 20% criterion; the product also contains milk and may contain soya and gluten.
What allergen information should be kept for conference service?
Keep accurate information for every exact product and flavour served, including its ingredients, declared allergens and relevant precautionary statements. The Food Standards Agency’s guidance says food businesses in retail and catering must provide allergen information for both prepacked and non-prepacked food and drink; a different flavour’s pack is not a substitute.
Does a gluten-free description cover other allergies?
No. Check other allergens separately on the exact product: Seabrook’s Cheese & Onion Crisps contain milk ingredients, while Tyrrells’ Sour Cream & Onion Lentil Crisps contain milk and may contain soya and gluten.