Vegan shoppers comparing calories
If vegan suitability is a requirement, compare products with an explicit vegan statement on a like-for-like per-100g basis before considering the calories in your intended portion.
Who is this for?
Shoppers planning a single snack
If the amount eaten at one time is your main concern, a labelled single-bag figure can be more useful than the per-100g figure alone. Seabrook Crisps lists 164 kcal for its 31.8g Sea Salted bag.
Vegan shoppers checking allergens
If an allergen is relevant to you, read the ingredient and precautionary allergen information separately from the vegan statement. GOV.UK explains that vegan labelling does not guarantee the absence of animal-origin allergens through cross-contact.
What should you check?
Check vegan suitability first, use kcal per 100g to compare different packs, then look at how much of the pack you intend to eat.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan suitability | Look for an explicit statement on the current pack or manufacturer page. Check ingredients and precautionary allergen wording separately. | I want a potato crisp identified as suitable for vegans, rather than assuming a vegetarian label or a particular flavour means the same thing. |
| Calorie comparison | Compare kcal per 100g between products. Read energy and salt as separate figures; a low-salt name does not establish a lower calorie figure. | If I am choosing between different bag sizes, I want the same comparison basis before deciding which crisp has fewer calories per 100g. |
| Portion size | Check the pack weight and any kcal-per-bag or per-serving figure. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s serving size may differ from the amount you eat. | A single-bag figure helps me plan one snack; with a sharing bag, I need to consider the portion I will actually have. |
Common buying mistakes
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Calling crisps lower in calories per 100g because the bag is small
A small bag can have fewer calories in total without changing the crisps’ energy per 100g. Seabrook Crisps lists 164 kcal per 31.8g Sea Salted bag and 516 kcal per 100g.
Compare kcal per 100g first, then choose a pack size or portion that fits the amount you intend to eat.
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Taking a vegetarian statement as vegan confirmation
Walkers UK describes Oven Baked Sea Salt as suitable for vegetarians, not vegans. Vegan suitability and allergen information also answer different questions.
Look for a current explicit vegan statement, and check ingredients and precautionary allergen wording separately where relevant.
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Assuming low salt means fewer calories
Tyrrells lists 0.06g salt and 519 kcal per 100g for Naked (no salt). The salt figure does not describe its calorie content, and the product page does not state vegan suitability.
Check energy, salt and vegan suitability independently on the product label.
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Counting a sharing bag as one serving
A per-100g figure will not tell you the calories in the amount you eat. The NHS cautions that labelled serving sizes may differ from your own portion.
Check the bag weight and decide what portion you intend to eat before using a per-serving figure.
Brand and product references
These examples concern specific products and labels, not every flavour made by each brand.
Seabrook
Sea Salted offers an explicitly vegan-labelled potato crisp with a stated single-bag calorie figure.
- Seabrook Crisps lists 164 kcal per 31.8g bag and 516 kcal per 100g.
- The single-bag total reflects its portion size; it does not make the crisps lower in calories per 100g than the other vegan-labelled examples here.
KETTLE Chips
Lightly Salted is stated by KETTLE Chips to be suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- KETTLE Chips lists 516 kcal and 0.7g salt per 100g for Lightly Salted.
- Check the size of the particular pack you plan to eat rather than treating a sharing pack as one portion.
Pipers
Upton Cheyney Jalapeño & Dill is a flavoured potato crisp that Pipers Crisps states is suitable for vegans.
- Pipers Crisps lists 514 kcal per 100g for this flavour, compared with 516 kcal per 100g on the cited KETTLE Chips and Seabrook product pages.
- Do not extend that vegan statement to every Pipers flavour: its Lye Cross Cheddar & Onion product is made with cheddar.
Walkers
Oven Baked Sea Salt provides a calorie comparison, but its product page does not confirm vegan suitability.
- Walkers UK lists 438 kcal per 100g and 96 kcal per 22g pack for Oven Baked Sea Salt.
- The page states it is suitable for vegetarians and includes precautionary allergen wording for milk and other ingredients. Check the current pack before considering it for vegan shopping.
Tyrrells
Naked (no salt) illustrates why salt, calories and vegan suitability need separate checks.
- Tyrrells lists 0.06g salt per 100g for Naked (no salt).
- It also lists 519 kcal per 100g and a may-contain-milk statement, without stating that this product is suitable for vegans.
Real Crisps
REAL Veg Crisps are stated to be suitable for vegans, but they are a vegetable-crisp product rather than a potato-crisp example.
- The stated ingredients include beetroot, carrot, sweet potato and parsnip.
- Compare them as a different type of snack, not as a like-for-like potato-crisp choice.
Potato crisps on Joybuy
These potato-crisp options include flavoured 150g bags and a 130g lightly salted bag. Check the current pack’s vegan statement, kcal per 100g and portion information for the one you are considering.
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Savoursmiths Truffle & Rosemary Flavour Potato Crisps 150g
The 150g bag makes the amount you serve relevant to a calorie comparison. Check the current pack for its vegan statement, kcal per 100g and portion information.
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Savoursmiths Vegan Wagyu Beef & Honey Mustard Flavour Potato Crisps 150g
The product name identifies this as a vegan-flavoured option in a 150g bag. Read the current vegan and nutrition labelling, then consider the portion you intend to eat.
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KETTLE Chips Lightly Salted 130g
For a lightly salted potato crisp, KETTLE Chips states that Lightly Salted is suitable for vegans and lists 516 kcal per 100g. This listing is for a 130g bag, so check the amount you intend to eat and the current pack’s allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether potato crisps are suitable for vegans?
Look for an explicit vegan statement on the current pack or manufacturer page, then read the ingredients and precautionary allergen wording. GOV.UK explains that vegan labelling does not guarantee the absence of animal-origin allergens through cross-contact.
Does a vegan label mean crisps contain no milk allergen?
No. GOV.UK explains that vegan labelling does not guarantee the absence of animal-origin allergens through cross-contact. If milk is an allergen you need to avoid, check the product’s current allergen and precautionary information rather than relying on the vegan statement alone.
Should I compare calories per bag or per 100g?
Use kcal per 100g to compare crisps sold in different pack sizes, then use the per-bag or per-serving figure for the amount you expect to eat. The NHS notes that a manufacturer’s serving size may differ from your portion.
Are crisps with less salt also lower in calories?
Not necessarily. Tyrrells lists 0.06g salt per 100g for Naked (no salt), alongside 519 kcal per 100g. Read the energy and salt figures separately.
Can I treat crisps labelled vegetarian as vegan?
No: a vegetarian statement alone does not confirm vegan suitability. Walkers UK describes Oven Baked Sea Salt as suitable for vegetarians but does not state vegan suitability on the cited product page, so check the current pack for an explicit vegan statement.