People packing a set snack portion
If a sharing bag is going into your lunch, compare its energy per 100g and put the amount you intend to eat into a separate container.
Who is this choice for?
Shoppers comparing corn and lentil snacks
A tortilla-style lentil snack is an alternative to conventional corn chips. Marks & Spencer lists 439 kcal, 24.8g protein and 6.5g fibre per 100g for its Smoked Paprika Popped Red Lentil Tortillas; compare those figures with the exact corn product you are considering.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
Gluten-free statements and allergen warnings are product-specific. Check the current label for the exact flavour, particularly when packing lunch for someone with an allergy or intolerance.
What should you compare?
Start with a like-for-like nutrition comparison, then work out what the pack format means for the amount you will take to work.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Compare kcal per 100g across recipes, then use the amount you will pack to assess your lunch portion. Marks & Spencer lists 439 kcal per 100g for its popped red-lentil tortillas and 481 kcal for its lightly salted corn tortillas; Waitrose lists 470 kcal for Blanco Niño and 479 kcal for Gran Luchito. | I want to compare different bag sizes without mistaking a lower per-100g figure for the calories in my whole snack. |
| Pack format | Check total weight and any stated serving size. A multipack of small bags can be packed individually; a sharing bag needs a separate portion if you do not intend to take the whole bag. | A single bag is easy to put in my lunch, or I am happy to portion chips from a larger pack before leaving home. |
| Snack type | Check whether the product is a corn tortilla chip, a tortilla-style lentil snack or another type of crisp. Compare the nutrition panel for the specific recipe rather than relying on “popped” or “lightly salted”. | I may prefer conventional corn tortilla chips, or I may consider a lentil alternative if its stated nutrition and ingredients suit what I am looking for. |
| Salt and labels | Compare salt per 100g separately from energy. Where a pack has front-of-pack traffic-light labelling, read it alongside the full nutrition declaration. | Calories matter to me, but I do not want the product name alone to stand in for a nutrition comparison. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredients, allergen declaration and any gluten-free statement for the exact flavour. The researched M&S popped red-lentil tortillas are labelled not suitable for people with a sesame or soya allergy. | Before I pack this for myself or someone else, I need to check that the particular product meets our dietary requirements. |
What can make the choice harder?
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Treating a sharing bag as one lunch serving
The researched corn-chip bags include 170g and 200g packs, while their energy figures are given per 100g. Eating from the bag can make it harder to keep to the amount you intended.
Set aside your lunch portion in a separate container before you leave, and follow the pack’s instructions for storing the rest.
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Reading “lightly salted” as “lower calorie”
Waitrose lists 470 kcal per 100g for Blanco Niño Lightly Salted and 479 kcal for Gran Luchito Lightly Salted; Marks & Spencer lists 481 kcal for its Lightly Salted Tortillas. The wording does not establish which has less energy.
Compare kcal per 100g for calories, and check the salt figure separately.
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Assuming similar-looking chips have the same allergen information
Ingredients and dietary statements vary by product. Marks & Spencer labels its popped red-lentil tortillas as not suitable for people with a sesame or soya allergy.
Read the current label for the exact product and flavour, especially when an allergy or intolerance affects the choice.
Brand and retailer references
M&S Food
Its product information provides a comparison between popped red-lentil tortillas and lightly salted corn tortillas.
- Marks & Spencer lists 439 kcal, 24.8g protein and 6.5g fibre per 100g for its Smoked Paprika Popped Red Lentil Tortillas, compared with 481 kcal per 100g for its Lightly Salted Tortillas.
- The popped red-lentil product is a 90g bag, not a pre-portioned lunch pack, and is labelled not suitable for people with a sesame or soya allergy.
Blanco Niño
Its Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips are a corn-chip option listed by Waitrose as gluten free and vegan.
- Waitrose lists 470 kcal, 8.1g fibre and 0.9g salt per 100g, with six servings in the 170g bag.
- For an office lunch smaller than the bag, portion it before packing.
Gran Luchito
Its Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips are a whole-corn option listed by Waitrose as gluten free and suitable for vegans.
- Waitrose lists 479 kcal and 0.8g salt per 100g, and a stated serving size of 34g.
- The 170g bag contains five stated servings; “whole corn” does not establish that it has fewer calories than the other corn-chip examples.
Waitrose
Its listings for the Blanco Niño and Gran Luchito products provide figures that can be compared on a per-100g basis.
- Both listings state the pack size, energy per 100g and number of servings.
- Check the current pack for the recipe, dietary statements and allergens when purchasing.
Joybuy options for a packed lunch
These options include portioned tortilla chips and chip-style alternatives. Check the snack type and pack size if you specifically want tortilla chips rather than another kind of crisp.
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Doritos Chilli Heatwave 5 x 30g
Five 30g bags let you pack one bag for lunch instead of portioning from a larger pack. Check the current pack’s energy and allergen information for this flavour.
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PopChips Barbecue 5 x 17g
Five 17g bags offer a small, individually packed crisp option for lunch. These are potato-based chips, not tortilla chips; check the current nutrition and allergen label before choosing them as an alternative.
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Eat Real Sea Salt Lentil Chips 95g
This lentil-chip alternative comes in a 95g bag. If you intend to take less than the whole bag, separate your lunch portion before leaving and check the current nutrition and allergen label.
Questions about choosing tortilla chips
Does “lightly salted” mean fewer calories?
No: the phrase is not a calorie comparison. Waitrose lists 470 kcal per 100g for Blanco Niño Lightly Salted and 479 kcal for Gran Luchito Lightly Salted, while Marks & Spencer lists 481 kcal for its Lightly Salted Tortillas. Compare energy per 100g and your intended portion.
What should I check first for an office packed lunch?
Compare energy per 100g so different bag sizes are on the same basis, then decide how much you will pack. Check salt and other nutrition information separately, and read the ingredients and allergens for the exact flavour.
Can I use an online listing to check allergens or gluten-free suitability?
Use it to narrow your choices, then check the current product-specific pack when purchasing. Ingredients and allergen statements can change, so a statement for another flavour or an earlier pack should not determine suitability.
How should I keep the rest of an opened bag?
Follow that product’s storage instructions. The researched Marks & Spencer tortilla products specify an airtight container after opening; the researched Waitrose-listed products specify cool, dry storage.