Travellers looking for less fat
If you are packing crisps for a journey or day out, check the fat figure on the exact flavour rather than relying on words such as “baked” or “lightly salted”.
Who is choosing holiday crisps?
Families buying individual bags
For lunchboxes or holiday supplies, compare products per 100g, then check what each inner bag contains. A multipack count alone does not tell you the amount in one bag.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
If someone in the group needs to avoid an ingredient or requires a specifically labelled option, read the ingredients and allergy advice for each flavour in the pack.
What should you compare?
Start with the type of crisp you want, compare nutrition on a per-100g basis, then check the bag you expect to eat. UK government guidance describes traffic-light labelling, where present, as a way to see fat, saturates, sugars and salt separately.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat and portion | Compare total fat and saturates per 100g; then read the values for the inner bag. Walkers lists 13g fat per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt and 2.8g per 22g bag. | I want to compare crisps fairly without losing sight of the bag I will actually pack. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 survey of 611 food shoppers, 49% said they actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; that figure does not measure holiday crisp choices. |
| Salt | Read salt alongside fat on the same per-100g basis. Walkers Lightly Salted lists 0.67g salt and 31g fat per 100g; its 45% less-salt statement compares it with the average regular potato crisp. | If cutting salt matters to me, I still need to check whether the same crisp meets my separate fat preference. |
| Potato or alternative | Check the base ingredient and the exact flavour’s fat and salt figures. Tyrrells lists 19g–20g fat and 2.0g–2.1g salt per 100g for the lentil flavours discussed here. | I may consider lentil crisps for a change, but I do not want to mistake them for potato crisps or assume their salt is lower. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read each flavour’s current ingredients, dietary labels and any precautionary allergy statement. Do not apply one flavour’s information to a whole variety pack. | When I am buying for a group, I need to know which individual bags suit the people who will eat them. |
Common buying mistakes
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Reading “lightly salted” as “lower fat”
These claims concern different nutrients. Walkers lists 31g fat per 100g for Lightly Salted, compared with 13g per 100g for its Oven Baked Sea Salt product.
If fat is your priority, compare the total-fat line first, then check saturates, salt and bag size.
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Assuming a lower-fat alternative has less salt
Tyrrells states that its lentil crisps have 30% less fat than standard potato crisps on average, while the two flavours considered here list 2.0g–2.1g salt per 100g.
Compare fat and salt for the exact flavour on the same per-100g basis before choosing it over a potato crisp.
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Choosing a sharing bag for an individual portion
A per-100g comparison does not show how much someone will eat from an open sharing bag. Individual bags make the pack amount clear before a journey or day out.
Decide whether the crisps are for sharing or for one bag per person, then check the stated pack size and per-pack nutrition.
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Applying one dietary claim to every flavour
Ingredients can differ within a range: REAL Crisps lists milk-derived lactose in its Ham & Colman's Mustard flavour, while Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt carries precautionary allergy information.
Check the current ingredients and allergy advice on each flavour, particularly in a variety pack.
Brand and product references
These examples show why a brand name alone cannot settle a reduced-fat decision: compare the particular product and flavour you intend to buy.
Walkers
Its Oven Baked Sea Salt and Lightly Salted crisps address different nutrition priorities.
- Walkers states that Oven Baked Sea Salt has 50% less fat than regular potato crisps; it lists 13g fat per 100g.
- Lightly Salted makes a salt-reduction claim but lists 31g fat per 100g. Check allergy advice on the exact product.
Tyrrells
Its lentil crisps offer a non-potato option. Tyrrells bases its 30% less-fat statement on a comparison with standard potato crisps on average.
- The Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper and Sour Cream & Onion lentil flavours list 19g and 20g fat per 100g respectively.
- Those flavours list 2.0g–2.1g salt per 100g; the fat comparison does not establish a salt reduction.
KETTLE Chips
Lightly Salted is a conventional potato crisp labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- The researched Lightly Salted product lists 0.7g salt per 100g.
- It lists 29.5g fat per 100g; its name is not a reduced-fat claim.
Seabrook
Its Sea Salted crisps are labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The product’s dietary labels provide a starting point for checking suitability.
- Sea Salted lists 30.4g fat and 1.3g salt per 100g; choose it on its own product details, not as a stated reduced-fat option.
Pipers
Anglesey Sea Salt is a potato crisp labelled gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Its label gives figures to compare with other sea-salt flavours.
- It lists 30.7g fat, 3.3g saturates and 0.94g salt per 100g; do not treat the sea-salt name as a fat claim.
REAL Crisps
REAL Crisps describes its range as vegetarian and gluten-free, but ingredients still need checking by flavour.
- Range-wide dietary statements can help narrow the flavours to inspect.
- Ham & Colman's Mustard lists milk-derived lactose, 25.7g fat and 1.42g salt per 100g.
Joybuy baked crisp options
These Walkers Oven Baked multipacks offer individual 22g bags for holiday trips. One is a variety pack and the other is Cheese & Onion; check nutrition and allergy information for the flavours in the pack before deciding whether either meets your reduced-fat requirement.
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Walkers Oven Baked Variety Pack Crisps, 6 x 22g
The individual bags may suit journeys or lunchboxes when one bag per person is the plan. Check the nutrition, ingredients and allergy advice for each flavour in this variety pack.
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Walkers Oven Baked Cheese & Onion Crisps, 6 x 22g
This single-flavour multipack has individual 22g bags for planned snacks on days out. The Cheese & Onion flavour contains milk; read its current ingredients, allergy advice and nutrition label before buying.
Questions about choosing crisps
Does reduced fat also mean less salt?
No. Walkers lists 13g fat and 0.85g salt per 100g for Oven Baked Sea Salt, while its Lightly Salted crisps list 31g fat and 0.67g salt per 100g. Compare both lines on the exact products rather than treating either claim as covering both nutrients.
Should I compare crisps per bag or per 100g?
Use per 100g to compare different products on the same weight basis, then use the inner-bag figure to see what one pack contains. Walkers lists 2.8g fat for a 22g Oven Baked Sea Salt bag; another flavour or bag size needs its own label check.
Are lentil crisps the same choice as reduced-fat potato crisps?
No. Tyrrells lentil crisps are a non-potato alternative: the two flavours considered here list 19g–20g fat per 100g and 2.0g–2.1g salt per 100g. If staying with potato matters, compare potato-based products separately.
How do I check allergens when buying for a group?
Read the current ingredients and precautionary allergy statement on every flavour, including each flavour in a variety pack. For example, REAL Crisps lists milk-derived lactose in Ham & Colman's Mustard, and Walkers Oven Baked Sea Salt carries a may-contain statement.