If protein is your main reason for buying, do not assume a vegan maize snack will provide as much as a bean-based alternative: Tesco’s vegan onion maize rings list 5.5g protein per 100g, while Tesco lists 15g per 100g for Graze Marmite Crunch, which combines broad beans and corn. Pea Pops lists 21g per 100g for its vegan Smoky BBQ lentil-and-chickpea crisps, but these are not maize snacks. Whichever texture you prefer, check the current pack for vegan suitability, protein per serving and allergen warnings.
If protein matters more to you than a maize base, compare the nutrition panels for corn snacks, bean-and-corn mixes and pulse-based crisps. The listed products differ in both ingredients and protein per 100g, so the snack’s shape or name is not enough to make the choice.
If you want a maize-led snack, Tesco lists its Free From Onion Maize Snack Rings as suitable for vegans. Do not extend that suitability to familiar flavours: Walkers lists milk-derived ingredients in Wotsits Cheese, Monster Munch Pickled Onion and Quavers Cheese.
A vegan suitability statement answers a different question from an allergen warning. The Food Standards Agency advises against using vegan labelling as a substitute for allergen labelling; read the ingredients and precautionary statements on the exact pack before buying.
Start with the ingredient base and protein per 100g, then check what a stated serving provides. Keep vegan suitability and allergen information as separate checks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare protein per 100g on the nutrition panels, then compare the stated serving sizes and protein per serving. Tesco lists 5.5g per 100g for its onion maize rings, 15g for Graze Marmite Crunch and Pea Pops lists 21g for Smoky BBQ crisps. | I want to know what the amount I plan to eat contributes, rather than choosing by a protein-themed name. |
| Snack base | Read the ingredient list: Tesco’s rings are maize-led, Graze Marmite Crunch combines broad beans and corn, and Pea Pops Smoky BBQ uses lentils and chickpeas. Check whether keeping corn in the snack matters to you. | I like corn snacks, but I would consider beans or pulse-based crisps if protein takes priority over a maize base. |
| Vegan suitability | Check the current statement and ingredients for the exact flavour. Walkers lists milk-derived ingredients in Wotsits Cheese, Monster Munch Pickled Onion and Quavers Cheese; a vegetarian label does not establish vegan suitability. | I need to check the particular pack, not assume that a familiar brand or maize-shaped snack is vegan. |
| Allergens | Read both the ingredient list and any precautionary allergen statement. The Food Standards Agency says vegan labelling should not stand in for allergen labelling. | If I manage a food allergy, a vegan statement alone does not answer whether the snack is suitable for me. |
| Salt and portions | Compare salt per 100g and per stated serving alongside protein. Check how many servings the pack contains before treating a sharing bag as one portion. | For a sharing bag, I want to compare the amount I expect to eat with the serving shown on the label. |
Walkers lists milk-derived ingredients in Wotsits Cheese, Monster Munch Pickled Onion and Quavers Cheese. Their ingredients do not establish the suitability of a different flavour.
Read the current ingredient list and vegan suitability statement for the exact flavour and pack.
Tesco’s vegan onion maize rings list 5.5g protein per 100g, compared with 15g for the broad-bean-and-corn Graze Marmite Crunch and 21g for Pea Pops Smoky BBQ lentil-and-chickpea crisps, according to their respective product listings.
Compare protein per 100g first, then check the figure for the serving you would eat. A pulse-based crisp changes the snack base as well as the protein figure.
A product can be listed as suitable for vegans and still carry a precautionary allergen warning. The Food Standards Agency advises checking allergen information separately from vegan labelling.
If allergens affect your choice, read the current ingredients and “may contain” statement on the exact pack.
Protein and salt figures may be presented per 100g and per serving, while a sharing bag can contain several servings. Comparing unlike amounts obscures what the portion you eat provides.
Use the same per-100g basis to compare products, then read both nutrients against the pack’s stated serving size.
These examples illustrate different ingredient bases and label checks; each suitability statement applies to the named product, not every snack from its brand.
Tesco lists Free From Onion Maize Snack Rings as suitable for vegans. They are a maize-led option when that snack style matters more than maximising the protein figure.
Tesco lists Graze Marmite Crunch Protein as a vegan snack combining broad beans and corn, rather than a maize-only crisp.
Pea Pops describes its Smoky BBQ lentil-and-chickpea crisps as vegan and lists 21g protein per 100g.
Walkers’ ingredient lists make Wotsits Cheese, Monster Munch Pickled Onion and Quavers Cheese useful examples of why exact flavours need checking.
These options include lentil cakes, bean-and-corn mixes and other crisp-style alternatives for shoppers weighing protein against a maize base. Check each current product label for the nutrition, vegan suitability and allergen details that matter to you.
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Consider these lentil cakes if a maize-crisp texture is less important than comparing pulse-based snacks. Check the current pack’s protein and salt panels. The supplied vegan description and milk allergen information conflict, so resolve that discrepancy from the exact pack before buying if milk exposure matters to you.
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For a snack that retains corn alongside broad beans, compare the current pack’s protein per 100g and per serving. It is a mix rather than a maize-only snack; check its precautionary allergen statement before buying if relevant.
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Consider this option if you want a barbecue-flavoured pea-and-corn mix rather than a maize-only snack. Compare the current pack’s protein, salt, vegan statement and allergen information with other mixes.
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These hummus chips are an alternative to a maize-style snack. Check the ingredient list and protein panel rather than assuming the product name describes the proportion of chickpeas; confirm vegan suitability and any allergen requirements on the exact pack.
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Choose whether a lentil-based chip suits your preference before comparing its protein and salt per 100g with corn-containing snacks. It is not a maize snack; check the current pack for vegan suitability and allergen information.
No. Tesco lists 5.5g protein per 100g for its vegan onion maize rings and 15g per 100g for Graze Marmite Crunch, which contains broad beans and corn. These are product-specific figures, so compare the panels on the snacks you are considering and check protein per serving as well.
The named Walkers variants list milk-derived ingredients, so they do not meet a vegan requirement. Check the current ingredients and suitability statement separately for any other flavour or pack.
No. The Food Standards Agency advises that vegan labelling should not be used in place of allergen labelling. Read the current ingredient list and precautionary allergen statement on the exact product; a vegan snack can still carry a “may contain milk” warning.