Travellers comparing fat content
You want crisps for a terminal wait or flight and would rather compare the fat figures on specific packs than judge them by the cooking or flavour description.
Who is this for?
Travellers choosing a portion
You need to distinguish a bag intended for one snack from a larger pack, then read both the per-100g and per-bag nutrition figures.
Travellers checking dietary suitability
You need the exact flavour’s ingredient and allergen information. A designation on one product does not establish that every crisp in the same brand’s range has it.
What should you check?
Start with fat per 100g to compare different pack sizes, then look at what the bag contains and how it fits your journey.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare fat per 100g on the exact flavours. Walkers UK lists 13g for Oven Baked Sea Salt; Kettle Chips lists 29.5g for KETTLE Lightly Salted. Read any reduced-fat claim alongside its stated comparison. | I want a crisp with a lower listed fat figure, without assuming that “baked” or “lightly salted” tells me everything about the pack. |
| Other nutrition | Read salt and energy separately from fat, using the same per-100g or per-serving basis for each comparison. Tyrrells says its lentil crisps have 30% less fat than an average of standard potato crisps reviewed in March 2021; that claim does not compare their salt content. | Lower fat matters to me, but I also want to know what else the flavour and serving contain. |
| Bag size | Check the weight of the bag you plan to open and its per-bag nutrition figures. A multipack’s total weight is not the weight of each inner bag. | For a single travel snack, I would rather compare the individual bag I will eat than the whole multipack. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, allergen statement and any vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free designation. Seasonings and product formats can differ within a range. | I need a flavour that fits my dietary requirements, not an assumption based on its brand or the word “crisps”. |
| Hand luggage | Keep food accessible for inspection. GOV.UK says food and powders in hand luggage can obstruct X-ray images and may require a manual bag check. | If I take a snack through security, I want to be able to remove it without searching through my bag. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading texture or salt wording as a fat claim
“Hand-cooked”, “ridge-cut” and “lightly salted” describe different attributes. For example, Kettle Chips lists 29.5g fat per 100g for KETTLE Lightly Salted, while Walkers UK lists 13g for Oven Baked Sea Salt.
Compare the fat figures on the two products you are considering, then check the nutrition for the bag you will eat.
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Assuming less fat means less salt
A fat comparison does not establish how much salt a particular flavour contains. Tyrrells’ lower-fat comparison for its lentil crisps is against an average of standard potato crisps reviewed in March 2021.
Check the salt figure independently, on the same serving basis when comparing flavours.
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Comparing only the per-100g panel
The per-100g figure helps compare products, but the bag size determines how much is in the pack you open.
For one airport snack, check the individual bag’s weight and per-bag figures rather than using the multipack total.
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Burying the snack in hand luggage
GOV.UK says food can obstruct X-ray images during hand-luggage screening, which may lead to a manual bag check.
Pack it where you can reach it if security staff need to inspect your bag.
Brand and product-range references
These examples show why a claim or nutrition figure must be tied to a particular product, not applied to every crisp made by its brand.
Walkers
Its Oven Baked range offers a different choice from its standard crisp lines.
- Walkers UK lists 13g fat per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt and claims 50% less fat than regular potato crisps.
- That claim belongs to the named product; check the flavour’s ingredients and allergen statement on the pack.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps are an alternative to its hand-cooked potato-crisp range.
- Tyrrells claims its lentil crisps have 30% less fat than an average of standard potato crisps reviewed in March 2021.
- The comparison does not describe every potato crisp or establish the salt content of a particular lentil flavour.
Kettle Chips
KETTLE Lightly Salted is a conventional potato-crisp option, not a reduced-fat choice on the basis of its name.
- Kettle Chips labels this product gluten-free and vegan.
- Its listed fat content is 29.5g per 100g; “lightly salted” is not a fat comparison.
Seabrook
Its crinkle-cut potato crisps and baked lentil hoops are different snack formats.
- Seabrook lists 2.6g fat and 75 kcal per 17g bag for Sour Cream & Chive Lentil Hoops.
- Seabrook Sea Salted potato crisps list 30.4g fat per 100g; do not transfer the hoops’ figures to that product.
McCoy's
Its ridge-cut potato crisps provide a conventional crisp format.
- The Salt & Malt Vinegar product has a ridge-cut format.
- One Stop lists 31g fat and 2.1g salt per 100g for that product; the cut does not indicate reduced fat.
Real Crisps
REAL Sea Salt is a hand-cooked potato crisp rather than a stated reduced-fat alternative.
- REAL Hand Cooked Crisps labels its Sea Salt product suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The same product lists 30g fat per 100g; its dietary designation does not describe its fat content.
Joybuy snack options
These products offer individual crisp bags, lentil chips, vegetable crisps and a cracker-style alternative to consider for a journey. Compare each exact pack before choosing: they are not all the same type of crisp or portion.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 x 17g
The five 17g bags let you take one portion for a journey. Compare its fat and salt figures with other crisps on the exact pack, and check the sour cream and onion flavour’s allergen statement.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack Crisps 6 x 22g
This variety pack contains six 22g bags, so you can take one for a trip. Walkers UK lists 13g fat per 100g for its Oven Baked Sea Salt product; check the nutrition and allergens of each flavour in this variety pack rather than applying that figure to every bag.
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Ryvita Snack It Thins Smoky BBQ Flavour 125g
This 125g pack is a cracker-style savoury snack rather than a potato crisp. If you are considering a different format, compare its per-100g nutrition and the portion you intend to take; check the ingredients and allergens on the pack.
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Frula Green Bean Vegetable Crisps 30g
The 30g bag is a non-potato crisp option for one travel snack. Check its fat, sugar and salt figures alongside the potato crisps you are considering; “vegetable” alone does not establish those values.
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Eat Real Sea Salt Lentil Chips 95g
These lentil chips offer a different base from potato crisps in a 95g bag. Compare the exact product’s fat and salt per 100g, and decide how much of the bag you want for one journey; another brand’s lentil-crisp claim does not apply to this product.
Questions about airport crisps
Does “reduced fat” mean a crisp is low in fat?
Not necessarily: a reduced-fat statement compares a product with another crisp or reference category. Read the stated comparison and the fat per 100g on the pack. Walkers UK lists 13g per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt, while Kettle Chips lists 29.5g for KETTLE Lightly Salted; those figures describe those specific products.
What should I do with crisps at UK airport security?
Keep the pack accessible in your hand luggage. GOV.UK says food can obstruct X-ray images and may require a manual bag check, so leave time to follow instructions from security staff.
Should I compare nutrition per bag or per 100g?
Use per 100g to compare products with different bag sizes, then use the per-bag figures for the portion you plan to eat. Check an individual bag rather than treating a multipack’s total weight as one serving.
Does “lightly salted” mean reduced fat?
No. Salt wording does not state a fat reduction. Kettle Chips lists 29.5g fat per 100g for KETTLE Lightly Salted, so compare its fat figure with the exact alternative you are considering.
How should I check allergens in flavoured crisps?
Read the ingredient list and allergen statement on the exact flavour and pack you buy. Do not extend a dietary designation or allergen statement from one product to every flavour in a brand’s range.