Shoppers who want an individual pack
A 35g or 48g pack is straightforward to carry if you intend to eat the whole pack. Check its total fat and salt as well as the per-100g figures before choosing.
Who is choosing a gym-bag snack?
Shoppers comparing protein and fat
A protein claim and a reduced-fat claim answer different questions. Compare protein for the amount you will eat, and use fat per 100g to compare snacks of different pack sizes.
Shoppers checking allergens
Some lentil- and soya-based tortilla snacks declare soya, and the Waitrose popped tortillas may contain sesame. Check the current pack for the particular flavour you are considering.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the fat figure per 100g, then check how much of the bag you will eat and whether its protein, salt and allergen information suits your choice.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare fat per 100g before comparing packs. Doritos UK lists 11g per 100g for Protein Sweet Chilli Chipotle; Waitrose & Partners lists 26.7g per 100g for Old El Paso Original. The NHS defines low fat for foods as 3g or less per 100g. | I want to know what a reduced-fat claim is measured against, rather than assume it means the snack is low in fat. |
| Pack and portion | Check the pack size and the amount you intend to eat. Doritos Protein comes in a 48g bag; Waitrose & Partners describes its 80g Salt & Vinegar popped tortillas as approximately three servings. | A small pack can go straight into my bag; with a larger one, I would portion out what I plan to take. |
| Protein and fibre | Check protein for the pack or intended portion, not just per 100g. Doritos UK states 10g protein per 48g Protein bag; Waitrose & Partners states 10g per 35g pack of The Curators BBQ Protein Chips. Read fibre claims alongside the rest of the nutrition panel. | I want to compare the amount in the snack I will actually carry, without treating a protein or fibre claim as a verdict on fat or salt. |
| Salt and allergens | Compare salt for the portion you will eat and read the current ingredient declaration. Doritos UK lists 1.0g salt per 100g for Protein Sweet Chilli Chipotle and declares soya; Waitrose & Partners lists 1.21g salt per 100g for its Salt & Vinegar popped tortillas and says they may contain sesame. | Salt matters to my comparison, and I need to check the particular pack for ingredients or allergens I avoid. |
Which label mistakes are easy to make?
-
Treating “reduced fat” as “low fat”
Doritos states that its Protein chips have 30% less fat than regular tortilla chips, yet its Sweet Chilli Chipotle variety lists 11g fat per 100g. The NHS low-fat threshold for foods is 3g or less per 100g.
Use the comparative claim for its stated comparison, then read fat per 100g and for the amount you expect to eat.
-
Comparing servings without checking bag size
An 80g Waitrose popped-tortilla bag is described as approximately three servings, whereas the Doritos Protein bag is a 48g individual pack. Eating more than the stated serving changes the totals consumed.
Compare per-100g figures first, then calculate your choice around the portion you will carry or eat. Portion a larger bag before leaving if you do not intend to eat it all.
-
Letting a protein claim stand in for the nutrition panel
Protein content does not tell you the product’s fat, saturates or salt content. Those figures remain relevant when comparing savoury snacks.
Read the full panel for the particular flavour and compare figures on the same per-100g or portion basis.
-
Missing allergens in pulse-based snacks
Doritos Protein Sweet Chilli Chipotle declares soya. The Waitrose High Protein Popped Tortillas contain soya and may contain sesame.
If either allergen matters to you, check the current physical pack for the specific product and flavour before buying.
Which product lines are relevant?
Doritos
Doritos Protein is a 48g tortilla-style snack for shoppers who want an individual bag with an explicit comparison to regular tortilla chips.
- Doritos UK states 10g protein per bag and 30% less fat than regular tortilla chips.
- Sweet Chilli Chipotle lists 11g fat and 1.0g salt per 100g and contains soya; the reduced-fat comparison does not make it low fat under NHS guidance.
Waitrose
Waitrose High Protein Popped Tortillas come in 80g bags for shoppers willing to portion a snack before putting it in a gym bag.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 22g protein per 100g for both Salt & Vinegar and Paprika; their listed fat figures are 13g and 13.8g per 100g respectively.
- The bags contain more than one serving. These varieties contain soya and may contain sesame, so check the current pack.
The Curators
The Curators BBQ Protein Chips come in a 35g pack for shoppers who would rather carry a smaller individual snack.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 10g protein per pack and 13g fat per 100g.
- Compare its declared fat content directly with other products rather than assuming that a protein-chip description is a reduced-fat claim.
Old El Paso
Old El Paso Original is a conventional corn tortilla chip that provides a label comparison with the protein-chip options.
- Waitrose & Partners describes it as gluten free and lists 0.49g salt per 100g.
- Its listed fat content is 26.7g per 100g, so check that figure if reducing fat is the reason for choosing a different snack.
Joybuy product options
This 85g PopChips bag is an option to portion for a gym bag. If a reduced-fat claim or protein content is important to your choice, compare the current pack label with the tortilla snacks discussed above.
No image available
PopChips Sour Cream & Onion 85g
For a gym-bag portion, divide the 85g bag before leaving if you do not intend to eat it all. Check its current nutrition and allergen label when comparing it with reduced-fat tortilla snacks.
Common questions
Does “30% less fat” mean tortilla chips are low fat?
No. Doritos states that its Protein chips have 30% less fat than regular tortilla chips, but Sweet Chilli Chipotle lists 11g fat per 100g. The NHS low-fat threshold for foods is 3g or less per 100g.
Which packs can go straight into a gym bag?
The 48g Doritos Protein and 35g The Curators protein-chip packs are individual-size options. Waitrose & Partners describes its 80g Salt & Vinegar popped tortillas as approximately three servings, so portion the bag first if you do not intend to eat it all.
What should I check if I avoid soya or sesame?
Check the current physical pack for the specific flavour. Doritos Protein Sweet Chilli Chipotle declares soya; the Waitrose High Protein Popped Tortillas contain soya and may contain sesame.
Is a protein claim enough to choose a snack?
No. Protein is one figure to compare, alongside fat, saturates, salt and the portion you expect to eat. Read the full nutrition panel rather than using a protein claim as a substitute for those figures.