TV-dinner shoppers reducing fat
If crisps are a side or sharing snack with an evening meal, compare the exact product rather than assuming a familiar brand offers a lower-fat option.
Who is comparing these crisps?
Shoppers comparing labels
A lower-fat claim answers only one part of the choice. Fat, salt and calories on the nutrition label, together with the amount you plan to serve, help put it in context.
Households choosing for dietary requirements
Flavour and dietary suitability can matter as much as fat content. Check the ingredients, allergen statement and any suitability declaration for the particular pack.
What should you compare on the pack?
Compare products per 100g first, then check the serving you are likely to put alongside the meal. The Food Standards Agency says traffic-light labels, where provided, can help with at-a-glance comparisons of fat, saturates, sugars and salt.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat comparison | Read fat per 100g and the exact wording of any comparative claim. Walkers lists 13g fat per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt; Tyrrells bases its lentil-crisp claim on an average of standard potato crisps reviewed in March 2021. | I want a product with a stated comparison, not to infer fat content from words such as “baked” or “lentil”. |
| Salt and calories | Check salt and calories alongside fat on the same product label. Tyrrells lists 2.1g salt per 100g for Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper Lentil Crisps despite its lower-fat comparison. | If crisps accompany a main dish or sauce, I want to see what the whole serving adds to the meal. |
| Serving size | Use per-100g figures to compare different products, then read the bag weight and any per-serving figures to assess the amount you will serve. | A single bag may be convenient beside my dinner; with a sharing bag, I need to decide how much to put out. |
| Flavour and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen statement for the exact flavour, including packs in a variety multipack. Walkers lists milk ingredients in Oven Baked Cheese & Onion. | Someone eating with me may need a particular flavour or dietary declaration, so I cannot rely on another flavour’s label. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading “lightly salted” as “reduced fat”
The terms describe different things: KETTLE Chips lists 29.5g fat per 100g for Lightly Salted, while Walkers lists 13g per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt.
When fat reduction matters, compare the fat figures and look for a product-specific comparative claim rather than relying on the flavour name or cooking description.
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Stopping at the lower-fat claim
Tyrrells lists 2.1g salt per 100g for Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper Lentil Crisps alongside its manufacturer-stated 30%-less-fat comparison.
Read salt, saturates and calories on the same label, particularly if the crisps will accompany a main dish or sauce.
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Comparing bags of different sizes by their serving figures
A per-serving figure depends on the serving weight, so it cannot by itself show which of two differently sized products has less fat or salt per 100g.
Compare per 100g first, then use the bag weight or stated serving size to decide how much to serve.
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Applying one flavour’s allergen information to another
Ingredients can change across a range. Walkers lists milk ingredients for Oven Baked Cheese & Onion, so another Oven Baked flavour’s details cannot stand in for its label.
Check the ingredient and allergen information on each flavour, including those inside a variety pack.
Which brand ranges are relevant?
These product examples show why the exact range and flavour matter more than the brand name alone.
Walkers
Walkers describes its Oven Baked range as having 50% less fat than regular potato crisps. Oven Baked Sea Salt lists 13g fat and 0.85g salt per 100g.
- A stated comparison and per-100g fat figure make the Sea Salt product straightforward to assess.
- Check the flavour: Oven Baked Cheese & Onion contains milk ingredients.
Tyrrells
Tyrrells describes its lentil crisps as 30% lower in fat than standard potato crisps, based on an average of products reviewed in March 2021.
- Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper Lentil Crisps list 19g fat per 100g.
- That flavour also lists 2.1g salt per 100g; the dated comparison is not a comparison with every current crisp.
KETTLE Chips
KETTLE Chips lists its Lightly Salted potato crisps as gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- The product has explicit dietary suitability statements and lists 0.7g salt per 100g.
- It lists 29.5g fat per 100g; “lightly salted” is not a reduced-fat claim.
Seabrook
Seabrook lists its Sea Salted potato crisps as gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The Sea Salted product provides per-100g nutrition figures for comparison.
- It lists 30.4g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g; choose it on its own stated features rather than treating it as a reduced-fat product.
McCoy's
McCoy's Salted Flavour is a ridged potato crisp with published per-100g nutrition information.
- Its label gives figures shoppers can compare with other exact products.
- It lists 32g fat per 100g and says it may contain milk, soya, gluten and mustard.
REAL Hand Cooked Crisps
REAL describes itself as a British-made, family-owned hand-cooked crisp brand.
- Its hand-cooked style may be relevant if that is the type of crisp you want with a meal.
- For a reduced-fat choice, check the nutrition panel and any comparative claim on the exact REAL product.
Crisps to consider on Joybuy
These options include PopChips sharing bags and multipacks, plus Walkers Oven Baked multipacks for serving alongside a TV dinner. Compare the nutrition and ingredient information for the exact flavour before choosing.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 85g
The 85g bag can be served alongside a TV dinner or shared. Check fat and salt per 100g on the label, and read the ingredients if milk or soya is a concern.
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PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 5 x 17g
The separate 17g bags make it easy to put one bag alongside a meal. Compare the pack’s per-100g nutrition figures with other flavours and check its allergen statement.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack 6 x 22g
The individual bags offer different flavours to serve with a TV dinner. Check the nutrition figures and ingredients for each flavour rather than applying one variety’s details to the whole pack.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion 6 x 22g
The individual 22g bags can be served alongside a meal. Walkers states that Oven Baked Cheese & Onion has 50% less fat than regular potato crisps; its ingredients include milk. Check the pack’s full nutrition and allergen information.
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PopChips Sea Salt & Vinegar 85g
The 85g bag is an option for sharing with a TV dinner. Check its fat and salt figures separately on the label, along with the allergen statement for this flavour.
Questions about reduced-fat crisps
Does a reduced-fat claim mean a crisp is lower in salt or calories?
No. Compare those figures separately on the exact pack. Tyrrells describes its lentil crisps as 30% lower in fat than an average of standard potato crisps reviewed in March 2021, while its Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper variety lists 2.1g salt per 100g. The Food Standards Agency says traffic-light labels, where provided, can help compare fat, saturates, sugars and salt.
Should I compare crisps per bag or per 100g?
Use per 100g to compare products in different bag sizes, then use the bag weight or per-serving figures to assess what you plan to eat with the meal. Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt, for example, lists 13g fat per 100g; that figure describes the product, not the amount in every possible serving.
Are all Walkers Oven Baked flavours suitable for the same dietary requirements?
No. Read the ingredients and allergen statement for each flavour. Walkers lists milk ingredients in Oven Baked Cheese & Onion, so the details for Sea Salt should not be used to assess a Cheese & Onion pack.